About This Course
This Master in Zoology with Primatology is an extended undergraduate programme which allows you to graduate either with BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year or a Masters at the end of the fourth year.
The primates (apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lemurs and lorises) are facing an extinction crisis as many of them are specialised in their biology and ecology and live in parts of the world that are especially vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation. They are also the group of animals, to which we belong, so they provide a window through which we interpret human evolutionary origins. This degree will give you with a broad zoological training with advanced knowledge of primates. As zoologists, you will examine the full diversity of animals, their evolution, behaviour, ecology, anatomy, physiology, and development. As primatologists, you will take specialised modules to build detailed understanding of the primates and develop the practical skills needed to engage in their research and conservation.
Looking to the past and the present, this course will provide you with a strong theoretical foundation of the evolutionary history and current diversity and adaptations of the primates. Looking from the present to the future, you will also develop your thinking and skills to understand and, hopefully, tackle some of the many conservation challenges that primates face in the wild.
You will have the opportunity to acquire a broad range of laboratory and field skills, at home and abroad, and all the transferable skills associated with scientific training (IT skills and data analysis, writing, scientific communication). You may also take an optional Primatology Field Course to see and learn about primates in their natural habitat (e.g., in Uganda’s Kibale National Park).
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- TV presenter Steve Backshall is now part of our teaching team.
- Budding primatologists will be part of a School with an established and growing primatology research group, through which they can engage with ongoing research activities and interact with specialist staff.
- Our excellent teaching facilities include a zoology museum with a diverse collection of vertebrate and invertebrate specimens, including primates, a growing collection of non-human primate and early human fossil casts, marine and freshwater aquaria and a botanical garden close to the Menai strait.
Course Content
On this course students are required to take 120 credits each year made up of modules that include lectures, practicals, and interactive exercises, as well as field trips and tutorials in years 1 and 2. The final year 4 includes advanced quantitative skills training and independent work on an advanced research project, supervised by a member of staff on a subject to suit the student’s interests. Modules become more specialised as the degree progresses and the number of compulsory modules varies between years, so you have more choice in how you specialise later in the degree. Assessment is by a mixture of formal examination and continuous assessment. Welsh medium modules are also available.
The Master in Zoology with Primatology is an extended undergraduate programme which allows students to graduate either with BSc (Hons) at the end of the third year or with a Master at the end of the fourth year.
Facilities
General University Facilities
Library and Archive Services
Our four libraries provide a range of attractive study environments including collaborative work areas, meeting rooms and silent study spaces.
We have an extensive collection of books and journals and many of the journals are available online in full-text format.
We house one of the largest university-based archives not only in Wales, but also the UK. Allied to the Archives is the Special Collections of rare printed books.
Learning Resources
There is a range of learning resources available, supported by experienced staff, to help you in your studies.
The University’s IT Services provides computing, media and reprographics facilities and services including:
- Over 1,150 computers for students, with some PC rooms open 24 hours a day
- Blackboard, a commercial Virtual Learning Environment, that makes learning materials available on-line.
Careers
Our students now work in wildlife management, environmental consultancy, government organisations, non-governmental organisations like the National Trust or the RSPB, teaching and local and national media.
They have also gone on to a range of postgraduate study programmes, including research degrees in primatology and human evolution.
EXPLORE MORE IN ZOOLOGY
Zoology encompasses animal behaviour, animal physiology, evolution, the interactions between animals and the environment and wildlife conservation. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Bangor University is the obvious choice for anyone wanting to study Zoology as our location presents the best natural laboratory in the UK.
Additional Course Options
This course is available with a Placement Year option where you will study for 1 additional year. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year.
The Placement Year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.
You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Skills and Employability Services.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto this pathway at the appropriate time. If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch.
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