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Primate Conservation

MSc or PGDip or PGCert

Find out more by joining a live webinar and course information session

Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026

Full time: MSc: 12 months; PGDip: 8 months; PGCert: 4 months

Part time: MSc: 24 months; PGDip: 16 months; PGCert: 8 months

Location: Headington

Department(s): School of Law and Social Sciences

Overview
Course details
Careers
Entry requirements
How to apply
Tuition fees

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Overview

Focus on the area of Primate Conservation that you’re passionate about - and learn directly from internationally renowned conservation researchers.

This globally recognised programme blends the expertise of anthropologists and biologists to examine primate conservation, focusing on human-wildlife relationships in forest and woodland environments. Whether in the lab, working with conservation groups (including zoos and NGOs), or in the field, you'll collaborate with international scholars and gain hands-on experience to drive positive change. You can specialize your choice of species within topics like:

  • Human dimensions of primate conservation
  • People - primate interactions
  • Illegal primate trade
  • Primate behavioral ecology
  • Captive management
  • Dietary adaptations and nutritional ecology
  • Primate rehabilitation, reintroduction and translocation
  • Primate response to habitat disturbance.

Learning from tutors with unparalleled expertise on primate conservation, you’ll gain the skills to advance your career in conservation biology.
 

Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question Order a prospectus

Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • World leading research
    Our staff members are recognized authorities for their research on primates. You’ll be working directly with them to gain skills and accelerate your career in conservation and human-primate interactions.
  • Connect to global projects
    Our strong relationships with field sites, zoos and rescue centres across the world will enable you to join well-established projects, many of which are run by our alumni. 
  • International reputation
    This pioneering course gives you training to tackle the processes leading to primate extinction, as well as interdisciplinary, professional training & accreditation
  • Teaching excellence
    Awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize 2007 in recognition of staff and student outstanding work, this course offers excellent learning resources, field trips (zoos, sanctuaries) and an internal journal.
  • Career opportunities
    Strong links with conservation organisations and NGOs, including IUCN, Borneo Nature Foundation, TRAFFIC, Neotropical Primate Conservation, and Wildlife Madagascar.

Course details

Course structure

You’ll study conservation biology and explore strategies for primate protection and welfare, covering topics such as:

  • Human-primate interactions
  • Environmental decline, habitat loss
  • Captive management and translocations
  • Genetics and population management

You can choose to conduct captive studies or fieldwork tailored to your interests. As a long-established course, we have strong ties with field sites, zoos, and rescue centers in over 40 countries, many run by our alumni. You can join well-established projects with expert staff and professional equipment. Optional international fieldwork will require funding, but we’ll support you with grant applications and fundraising.

You’ll learn from internationally renowned tutors, many of whom are members of the IUCN Primate Specialist Group and serve on editorial boards or are ad hoc reviewers for leading journals in our field. We also offer a rare specialism in nocturnal primates like lorises, lemurs, galagos, tarsiers, and night monkeys.

Primate Conservation, PGCert, PGDip or MSc, Propithecus verreauxi - credit: Marco Campera

Learning and teaching

You’ll experience a range of teaching methods, that include:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Training workshops
  • Tutorials
  • Case studies
  • Site visits
  • Independent reading
  • Supervised research.

You’ll also be able to carry out an outreach project that brings primate conservation issues to a wider, public audience. In a scientific, university society or school environment, you might deliver:

  • Academic posters
  • Artistic exhibitions
  • Presentations

You’ll take part in group discussions, which are a regular part of the course. You’ll constantly examine conservation issues, and share perspectives in a group. You’ll also have the option to write your dissertation specifically for scientific publication.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed by methods such as:

  • written coursework and scientific articles
  • presentations
  • practical assignments or projects, including grant writing

You’ll tackle your coursework with growing knowledge and skill, supported by your tutors. And your assignments can reflect your interests and play to your strengths. 

You’ll also work on a final research project, in an area of primate conservation that you're passionate about. You’ll be supported all the way through by a tutor with specialist expertise in your chosen topic.

Field Trips

All students across the Primatology and Conservation courses are invited to take part in field trips to:

  • the Monkey Sanctuary
  • Twycross Zoo.

These trips are optional, or are part of optional modules and therefore not included within the course fees. Please see the Additional costs section of this page for details.

Study modules

The modules listed below are for the master's award. For the PGDip and PGCert awards your module choices may be different. Please contact us for more details.

For the MSc Primate Conservation trajectory, it may be possible in exceptional circumstances for students to do an independent study module in lieu of another module only with staff approval.

Semester 1

Compulsory modules

  • Primate Diversity and Conservation: Theory, Methods and Practice (20 credits)

    You’ll review the variety of primate species, together with their distribution, ecology and conservation status. You’ll develop your understanding of the differences between primate species and the factors that make them more or less vulnerable to extinction. You’ll explore methods of population viability assessment, and find out about successful conservation projects.

  • Primate Conservation - Research Methods (20 credits)

    You’ll gain a basic understanding of how to conduct a field study of primates in the wild, in captivity or in a museum. You’ll learn about the best ways to collect and analyse data for different kinds of research or investigation that are suitable for your final project. You will have the chance to compare the methods available and learn about their strengths and weaknesses. 

    You’ll learn about research planning, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and you’ll receive training in programs such as R, DISTANCE, Ranges and QGis. You’ll take part in visits to one or more collaborating institutions, to learn practical techniques such as behavioural observation techniques in zoos and botanical sampling in situ.

Optional modules

People-Primate Interaction (20 credits)

You’ll receive an overview of the many ways that humans and wildlife (both primates and other animals) interact with and impact each other. You’ll consider examples of interactions between humans and wildlife in relation to crop raiding, hunting, biomedical research, tourism, and the design and management of national parks and wildlife reserves. 

You’ll learn about the diverse attitudes of different cultures or levels of society towards primates, and the way that these attitudes influence primate conservation initiatives.

 

International Legislation, Humans and Wildlife (20 credits)

This module examines the role of international legislation in wildlife conservation and trade, and standard methods for assessing the status of species and habitats, together with a consideration of the role of human-wildlife conflicts in conservation.

Semester 2

Optional modules

Conservation Education and Outreach (20 credits)

What are the best ways to inform people about environmental decline? How can primates be used to promote public understanding of conservation? You will explore environmental and conservation education with particular reference to threatened species, and consider the theories behind and ways to measure the effectiveness of different strategies. You’ll discover a variety of techniques for presenting and disseminating information about conservation, particularly using digital technology and methods. We’ll make use of case studies to introduce you to planning, conducting and evaluating educational projects.

 

Captive Management and Rehabilitation (20 credits)

In this module we review good practice in the management and welfare of captive primates, and the implications for the survival of declining populations in the wild. You’ll study the effects of the captive environment on behavioural traits (stereotypy, genetic selection), welfare and breeding success. You’ll consider factors such as 

  • veterinary care
  • nutrition
  • housing and enclosure design 
  • environmental enrichment.

We’ll also discuss the pros and cons of reintroducing and rehabilitating primates into the wild.

 

Conservation Genetics (20 credits)

You’ll gain an understanding of applied conservation genetics, as well as demographic management of small captive populations and those that have become isolated in the wild. We will present the foundations of population and molecular genetics, which we will place in a practical  and conservation management context. You’ll learn about genetic techniques that allow us to assess relationships between individuals, populations and species. You will have the chance to apply these skills in a biochemistry lab setting and explore the relevance of genetics to animal conservation.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

This module introduces the methods and practices of biodiversity assessment at large spatial scales and examines the essential role the components of biodiversity have in providing services for humankind.

Final project

Compulsory modules

  • Final project (60 credits)

    We’ll encourage you to build on your strengths and interests throughout the course, culminating in a final research project that has an outcome of use to the broader public and conservation community. All projects are accompanied by a written component to integrate and explain the work including in the form of a traditional thesis.

    We aim for you to produce work that has a lasting impact. Examples include:

    • the production of a film or exhibition
    • one or more articles/chapters for publication
    • a broadcasting project
    • an education handbook
    • design of a practical project relating to primate conservation (eg eco-tourism, habitat management or conservation education).

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Research

Our vibrant research culture is driven by a thriving and collaborative community of academic staff and doctoral students.

Our Research clusters include:

Find out more by browsing the staff profiles of the course tutors: Giuseppe, Kate, Magdalena, Susan and Vincent.

Primate Conservation, MSc, PGDip or PGCert Joslyn Momile conducting field research - credit Eleanor Darbey

Careers

You’ll graduate with the skills and knowledge to launch or accelerate your career in animal conservation - as a practitioner, advocate or researcher.

You’ll benefit from our close links with conservation organisations and NGOs, in the UK and globally.

Our graduates progress to careers ranging from starting their own NGOs, to Education Officers in zoos or researchers at universities. And during your course, you’ll be able to connect with leading specialists and alumni from organisations like the BBC Natural History Unit, Great Apes Survival Partnership, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

When you finish your course, you’ll join a supportive network of Oxford Brookes graduates who work across all areas of conservation. You’ll also have the option to continue your studies by enrolling on our own PhD programme, or others in the UK or globally.

Gibbon in tree in jungle environment - credit: Stella Cheyne

Student profiles

Brigitta Falcini

"I would recommend going to the postgraduate open evenings to talk to course lecturers and current students as they’ll help you get a feel and understanding of the course"

Read more about Brigitta
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Right

Our Staff

Brigitta Falcini

I would recommend going to the postgraduate open evenings to talk to course lecturers and current students as they’ll help you get a feel and understanding of the course

Read more about Brigitta

Professor Giuseppe Donati

Giuseppe Donati is Professor in Biological Anthropology and the course lead for MSc/ MRes Primate Conservation. Giuseppe has conducted research on behaviour, ecology, and conservation of lemurs and New World monkeys, and produced numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals or books.

Read more about Giuseppe
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Right

Professor Giuseppe Donati

Giuseppe Donati is Professor in Biological Anthropology and the course lead for MSc/ MRes Primate Conservation. Giuseppe has conducted research on behaviour, ecology, and conservation of lemurs and New World monkeys, and produced numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals or books.

Read more about Giuseppe

Related courses

Related course
Primatology and Conservation
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Entry requirements

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process


Apply now

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
Masters £9,750; Diploma £8,750; Certificate £4,875
Home (UK) part time
£4,875
International full time
£16,750
Home (UK) full time
Masters £10,350; Diploma £9,350; Certificate £5,175
Home (UK) part time
£5,175
International full time
£17,750

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) full time
Masters £9,750; Diploma £8,750; Certificate £4,875
Home (UK) part time
£4,875
International full time
£16,750
2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
Masters £10,350; Diploma £9,350; Certificate £5,175
Home (UK) part time
£5,175
International full time
£17,750

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Financial support and scholarships

There are also opportunities to apply for a scholarship which covers the fees for a student from a primate habitat country. Applicants must indicate on their application that they would like to be considered for this scholarship.

Because of the urgent need for the study of conservation, some private agencies offer scholarships with very particular eligibility criteria relating to gender, age, nationality, and domicile. Ask your local librarian for a guide to funding within your country. You could also try the following agencies:

Also available is the Dean's Postgraduate Scholarship

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences believes strongly in the importance of making a difference to the world of our students, and in the ability and potential of our students to make a difference in the world. The Dean's Scholarship is one small way in which we make that belief tangible. Please click on the button above to find out more.

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

All students across the Primatology and Conservation courses are invited to participate in field trips to the Monkey Sanctuary, and Twycross Zoo - with whom we have special links. These trips are optional, or are part of optional modules and therefore not included within the course fees.

Students are expected to consider and manage the cost of their own research and fieldwork, whether this is abroad or at home. As well as carrying out projects across the globe, our students have carried out research in museums and zoos closer to home, as well as laboratory and library-based studies. Research has been undertaken in more than 50 countries either in the field (Argentina, Costa Rica, Nicaragua; Morocco, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Uganda; Madagascar; India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan), in rescue centres (Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa), zoos (UK, Netherlands, Italy) or in our primate lab in Oxford.

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.