Learn about Summer 2025 Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review. Find out more!
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This course will cover topics in Primatology, including primate evolution, behavior, ecology, and conservation. Day-to-day activities will include lectures and discussions based on assigned reading materials. There will also be electronic lab (e-lab) assignments to aid in learning about the Primate Order, including topics such as taxonomy and anatomy, locomotion, feeding ecology (i.e., dentition and diet), to name a few. The e-labs will include wonderful 3D models of the specimens we will study, as well as short videos.
There will be a final project due on the last day or two of the session. For this final project, students will become “experts” on a primate species and present the information via PPT/Google Slides, a conference style poster, or a 2-page paper (the students can decide which format they prefer). In this presentation/final project, students will share information on a primate’s behavioral ecology and conservation status. The instructor will aid students in the development and organization of this final project, throughout the two-week session. Students will learn critical skills that will aid them in their future studies, such as how to find, read, and summarize academic resources, as well as how to cite this information.
By the end of this session students will have a basic understanding of evolution and ecology, particularly of the Primate Order, which includes us humans. Students will also have an understanding and appreciation of the aforementioned topics and how they interact and influence one another. In addition, students will become well versed in the many diverse and beautiful primate species we have around the world, and what we may do to help conserve them and the other endangered animals in their shared ecosystems. This class will be beneficial for future studies in the fields of biology and ecology as well.
Students should have an electronic device like a laptop or tablet to read the assigned readings, review the lectures, and make their final project. The instructor will provide a free online textbook and any other assigned readings. A free UMass Zoom account will be provided to participants.
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Schedule:
Live, synchronous sessions will meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 12:30 - 2:30pm (Eastern Standard Time). Plus asynchronous work as assigned.
Attendance
Students attending the online program are expected to attend all class sessions live in real time. In order to prioritize the health and well-being of participants, eligibility is restricted to applicants residing in time zones where class hours do not extend beyond midnight. Please use a time zone converter to check when class sessions will meet in your time zone.
Cost and Session Information
Online: June 30 - July 11, 2025
Two-Week Online Intensives: $1,925
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board.
*All programs require submission of $45 application fee.
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