We propose to measure the spin excitation spectrum of single-crystal CuO throughout the Brillouin zone. The motivation for the experiment is to gain an understanding of the multiferroic behaviour recent observed in the non-collinear magnetic phase of CuO between 213K and 230K. Theoretical models for this effect depend crucially on the strength and sign of the Cu-Cu exchange interactions, which will be determined here by modelling the spin excitation spectrum in the collinear antiferromagnetic phase. The principal objective, therefore, is to determine the exchange parameters experimentally. The results will be compared with recent DFT calculations and used as input to models of the mechanism of the magnetoelectric coupling.