Educational Organization: Oxford Brookes University

Date Posted: 2010-04-26

Program Description: Now in its 10th year, the MSc Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom is the first course of its kind to give students a thorough training in combating the processes leading to the extinction of primates. Recognised for its excellence through receipt in 2008 of the highly competitive Queen's Anniversary Prize for Excellence in Higher Education, this multi-disciplinary course provides training for students wanting to enter a career in primate conservation in a number of capacities: field worker, zoo or rescue centre, reintroduction centre, museum work, lab work (GIS, genetics, stess, parasites), environmental education, and preparation for the PhD.

Students are taught six modules (of a choice of seven) in two semesters from September to April. Modules include: Conservation Education; Primate Biogeography and Status; Research Methods and Statistics; Human Wildlife Conflict Issues; Primate Conservation Genetics; Captive Management and Rehabilitation; Living Environments - surroundings, nature and conservation in a social context. April to the following September are dedicated to a final project based on original research, with the aim of publishing the results in one or more professional journals, presenting them at scientific meetings, and disseminating them at local level for effective conservation.

In addition, we run a weekly seminar series with conservation speakers from around the globe. We have an in-house conservation lab with access to computer programs essential to conservation and a range of articles and pdfs; a sound analysis lab; a wet lab dedicated to hormone analysis and parasite work; access to the primate collections of the University of Oxford Natural History Museum, where internships in museum curation are also available; a loan out system for field equipment. Students also produce an in-house journal, Canopy, twice each year. Site visits to zoos in the Netherlands, Cornwall, Primate Society of Great Britain meetings and to hear speakers and participate in volunteer events are part of the course.

Detailed information about our course is available on our web site.

Entrance Qualifications: An honours degree in ecology, conservation, anthropology, primatology, psychology or a related discipline is recommended; in some cases, a large amount of experience working in primate conservation may substitute a degree, or will greatly supplement an unrelated degree.

Most students will have some experience working with animals or in a conservation context. Many students will have overseas experience with wildlife in native habitats.

The course is taught in English and students will be expected to have a good knowledge of written and spoken English.

Tuition / Fees: Full-time home and EU students = £4780 Full-time overseas students = £9950 see our web site for scholarships

Support (scholarships, travel): For 2010-2011, we have a John Henry Brookes scholarship for partial fees for one international (non-habitat country) student, and for one home/EU student. We have three full tuition scholarships available for students of primate range countries. For these scholarships, you are expected to either base your research in your home country, or use the time to conduct a lab, zoo or desk-based study in Europe. You need to provide proof that you can pay your living expenses.

Start + End Dates: Start in September 2010, end September 2011

Application Deadline: 31 March 2010 - some applications may be considered after the deadline; offers will be given before the deadline, meaning the course may be full before the deadline

Comments: This year we are also running a ten year anniversary conference. Please see the conference details on Primate Info Net and on our web site.

Contact Information: Jennie Heaton, postgraduate administrator School of Social Sciences and Law, Department of Anthropology and Geography Oxford, OXON OX3 0BP United Kingdom

Telephone Number: ++441865483700

Website: http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/primate/course.asp

E-Mail Address: sslpgadmissions@brookes.ac.uk