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 can interpret human evolutionary origins.

This degree will give you a broad zoological training to appreciate the advanced and specialised knowledge of primates in the fullest evolutionary context. 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 that will provide you with a wealth of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills focused on this particular group of mammals.

Looking to the past and the present, this course offers a strong theoretical understanding of the evolutionary history and current adaptations of the primates. Looking from the present to the future, you will also develop your thinking and skills to understand and, and tackle some of the many conservation challenges that primates face in the wild.

During your studies with us you will have the opportunity to learn 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 etc. You will have access to a variety of Zoology modules covering vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as a suite of specialist modules on primatology and human evolution. 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.

On this course you 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 3 includes an independent research project, which is 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.

If at the end of the second year you have attained a sufficient standard, you will be given the option to transfer onto the Masters (4th) year following completion of the third year. The Masters year gives you the chance to develop your own research interests in zoology or primatology, with specialist supervision.

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.

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.