BSc (Hons) Zoology with Primatology (with Placement)

Zoology is the branch of biology that deals with the study of animals in all their diversity. It covers a wide range of topics, including behaviour, ecology, evolution, anatomy, physiology, development and taxonomy.Within the broad Zoology remit, this degree focuses specifically on the primates (apes, monkeys, tarsiers, lemurs and lorises). These species include our closest living and extinct relatives, and of course also our own species, Homo sapiens. On the Zoology with Primatology degree, our aim is to provide you with a sound and broad zoological training, with a special focus on this fascinating group of mammals.Primatology is a dynamic discipline offering students the opportunity to bridge many fields, from the zoological strands mentioned above to cognitive science, anthropology, psychology and even archaeology. It combines classic field and experimental approaches with cutting-edge technology to solve some of the most fascinating theoretical conundrums in Zoology and provide solutions to the urgent conservation challenges facing one of the most threatened groups of mammals on the planet. It thus offers a richly stimulating ground for the training and learning of future zoologists, and an opportunity to get to grips with questions like ‘where do humans come from?’ and ‘how do we fit into the natural world around us?’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 (including skills in data analysis, writing skills, presentation skills, IT skills and independent and group-working skills). You will have access to a spread of Zoology modules covering vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as a suite of specialist modules on primatology and human evolution.We even have an optional Primatology Field Course which takes students to the “primate capital of the world”, Kibale National Park in Uganda.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. We are also part of the Environment Centre Wales, which is a partnership between Bangor University and the Natural Environment Research Council’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.The placement year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with an organization relevant to your degree subject. Previous and current students have worked with a wide variety of placement providers, ranging from private companies to educational organizations, charities, government authorities and non-governmental organizations. Our students who have undertaken a placement year have highlighted how the experience has helped them to develop invaluable networks, confidence and life experience as well as subject knowledge and skills that have boosted their employability.The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year. 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 their 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.