- FIELD SCHOOLS & INTERNSHIPS OFFERED BY TEXAS A&M
- FIELD SCHOOLS & INTERNSHIPS OFFERED BY OTHER INSTITUTIONS
- STUDY/EDUCATION ABROAD
- INTERNSHIPS
The Department of Anthropology offers a variety of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved with research. Many anthropology majors work in archaeological and biological anthropology labs, assist with archaeological excavations, complete internships with local museums, and/or conduct independent research. Anthropology majors are strongly encouraged to ask their professors or the department’s advisor for information on how to explore opportunities such as those listed below.
Field Schools & Internships Offered by Texas A&M
The Department of Anthropology typically offers at least one field school program each summer. In recent years, students have participated in archaeological field schools in Vermont, Oregon, and Alaska.
Museum Internships
These opportunities provide an excellent complement to the new Minor in Museum Studies.
Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
Several anthropology students have completed museum internships here in the past. This internship provides an overview of basic museum operations and may include research, data entry, scanning documents, transcribing documents, photographing artifacts, inventorying collections, setting up public lectures, and more! For more information contact the museum here.
The program is operated in collaboration with the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington on the Brazos State Park and Blinn College. Students spend four hours per week for 15 weeks at the museum. The internship provides an overview of basic museum operations and may include research, data entry, scanning documents, transcribing documents, photographing artifacts, inventorying collections, etc. Students receive behind-the-scenes experience in museum collections by working with artifacts and documents dating from the Texas Republic period (1836-1846). In the course of the semester students will learn the basic museum functions including management, educational programming, collections, and exhibits. They will participate in one or more of these functions depending on their experience and the current needs at the museum. For more information contact the department’s advisor, Mr. Marco Valadez (mvaladez@tamu.edu).
Other Field Schools and Internships
Nautical Archaeology
Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program
Each June, LAMP oversees an intense 4-week accredited educational program allowing both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in a marine survey and underwater excavation of a historic shipwreck site. In addition to methodological training and academic lectures, students get valuable real-world experience in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork, scientific diving and seamanship and laboratory analysis.
Biological/Physical Anthropology
Forensic Anthropology Field School in Albania, Greece and Romania
Ran by Utica College, this is a fascinating 24-day learning experience that features visits to some of the world’s greatest historical monuments and hands-on study using actual human skeletal remains, including at the magnificent 3,000-year-old archaeological site in Albania’s Butrint National Park.
Field School Pozzeveri in Medieval Archaeology and Bioarchaeology
The field school is an outstanding opportunity for students to gain practical experience…and bioarchaeological field and research methods – recovery, restoration, and analysis of human skeletal remains.
Cultural/Ethnography
Thailand Ethnographic Field School
This is an opportunity to get course-credit and participate in a mentored research program. The program is run through the Department of Anthropology at Brigham Young University, and students will get anthropology course credit through BYU (which can potentially be transferred elsewhere). The thrust of this program is on learning and applying ethnographic research skills relevant to various social sciences and humanities disciplines. Coursework will therefore include credit for the training and research conducted on the program. This program will include both graduate and undergraduate students from various disciplines who are interested in gaining research skills and conducting original fieldwork in a mentored environment.
OSEA Heritage Ethnography Field School
OSEA Heritage Ethnography Field School provides training in ethnographic field work and research methods. The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students in any social science and humanities field, as well as to post-baccalaureates. Participants enroll in two courses. The core seminar provides an anthropological approach and the analytical foundations for understanding and investigating heritage in local and global contexts. The ethnographic methods and fieldwork practicum consists of three components: intensive introduction to spoken Maya language for use in the conduct of fieldwork; a classroom seminar in which ethnographic methods are presented and discussed; and the fieldwork practicum in which students actually conduct the ethnographic research they have designed. Projects are designed as individual fieldwork or as collaborative research articulated to the ongoing investigation of heritage and tourism development in the Pisté-Chichén Itzá socioeconomic microregion.
Immigrant Vancouver Ethnographic Field School
As a fieldwork-based course, IVEFS will train students how to conduct in-depth, community-based research concerned with the social, political, cultural and economic lives of immigrants. By immersing themselves in ethnographic research, students will gain valuable experience linking hands-on research in the classroom to theoretical paradigms related to the study of migration, transnationalism, global diasporas and multicultural communities. Students will be placed in a local Neighbourhood House or community organization that works directly with immigrant communities. In conjunction with community partners, students will develop final projects based on their experiences in the field and the needs of the organization.
Qualitative Social Science Field Methods in La Paz, Bolivia
Our Social Sciences Field School in Bolivia is a six-week program in La Paz, Bolivia, offering two integrated courses: (1) politics and culture of the Andes and (2) multidisciplinary social science methods. The field school nature of this course is emphasized as the curriculum is integrated and predicated on active, experiential learning in multiple sites in and beyond La Paz. The program uses Bolivia as a “field case” in which to put research methods into practice, with the understanding that students can later apply these methods to other courses. All students receive IRB approval for their research prior to arrival and can use their data in later theses. The Field School is offered for graduate or undergraduate credit (6 hours). All students (graduate or undergraduate) receive in-state tuition per the University of Mississippi’s Study Abroad policy, regardless of state of residence.
Himalayan Health Exchange Annual Himalayan Anthropology Field
Himalayan Health Exchange (HHE) is organizing an anthropological field expedition to India in the summer of 2013. Through an independent study/fieldwork in a remote Himalayan Tibetan Borderland, HHE will offer students a practical approach to the study of India and the Himalayan culture in a socio-cultural, medical and religious context. During their journey, team members will attend a 7-day medical clinic camp and have the opportunity to investigate local history, religious beliefs and practices, modern human adaptations, regional effects of globalization and monastic life. In addition, through trekking and camping in remote areas, they will participate in the interconnectedness of the magnificent natural environment with a daily local existence. This first-hand experience will be accompanied by daily academic lectures and research assistance.
Lecture topics will include: Cultural, Medical, Economic, Biological and Visual Anthropology, Religion & Philosophy, Cross-cultural healing, Ayurveda, Public Health, Buddhism, Hinduism, Indian and Tibetan history, High Altitude Adaptation, Psychology, Art/Fine Arts, Geography, Social Work, Sociology, Yoga and Meditation. Note: This is a high-altitude expedition in rugged Trans Himalayan regions. Field camp elevations range between 8,000-15,000 feet, with higher pass crossings. As a participant, you must be in excellent physical shape and health and be willing to work in improvised field sites.
Institute for Field Research – Mexico-Ethnohistory
The objective of this interdisciplinary project is to introduce innovative methods of integrating archaeological research with art history, ethnohistory, and ethnography, in an intensive Travel Study program spanning from bustling Mexico City to the scenic valleys and highlands of Oaxaca and Puebla. Through daily traveling and hiking, students will learn about the millennial indigenous cultures, the impact of European colonialism, and the contemporary lifestyles and issues, by the active exploration of archaeological and historical sites, museum collections, and indigenous communities. These excursions will be integrated with classroom courses and on-site lectures delivered by experts on ethnohistorical documents, archaeological field and lab methods, and ethnographic research. Note that this Travel Study program does not involve active participation in an archaeological dig.
Field Schools for Cultural Documentation
Every year, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress sponsors at least one intensive, introductory field school on cultural documentation in partnership with an educational institution. Held in various parts of the United States, the field school provides hands-on training in ethnographic documentary techniques needed for effective fieldwork concerning folklore and related fields. The field school is typically three weeks in duration, is held over the summer months, and covers a variety of topics that provide participants with a basic introduction to cultural documentation in the field. Topics covered include: research ethics, project planning, interviewing, documentary photography, sound recording, writing fieldnotes, archiving, and delivering public presentations on research findings.
The first half of the course is devoted to classroom lectures on a variety of topics and workshops about documentation equipment and related techniques. The second half of the course is devoted to the application of documentation methods through team-based fieldwork. At the end of the course, research teams make public presentations on their research findings and submit their fully organized documentary materials (photographs, audiotapes, fieldnotes, tape and photo logs, etc.) for archival deposit.
The Arizona Migrants Field School
Since the mid-1990’s, hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants from Mexico and beyond have been entering the United States on foot through Arizona. Migrants will often walk for several days across the harsh Sonora Desert to reach places such as Tucson. People typically carry backpacks loaded with food, clothing, and other provisions and along the way they rest (and often discard these goods) at temporary campsites known as “migrant stations”. Hundreds of migrant stations have been identified in southern Arizona. Using traditional archaeological analytical methods and ethnography, this project examines migrant material culture to understand many aspects of this clandestine cultural phenomenon.
Study Abroad
The Department of Anthropology encourages students to learn more about study abroad through Texas A&M University’s Study Abroad Program. Program offerings include Texas A&M Faculty-Led Programs, International Field Trips, and Transfer Programs. For in-depth information concerning study abroad opportunities, click here.
Semester at Sea is a multiple country study abroad program open to students of all majors emphasizing comparative academic examination, hands-on field experiences, and meaningful engagement in the global community. A wide variety of coursework from 20-25 disciplines is integrated with relevant field studies in up to a dozen countries, allowing for a comparative study abroad experience that is truly global. The University of Virginia is the program’s academic sponsor. Students from 250-300 colleges in the United States and the world participate on Semester at Sea each term. Credit earned is transferable to a student’s home institution.
Study Social Sciences in Amsterdam
With CIEE you’ll increase your understanding of social, political, and cultural realities in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Europe. Through a challenging and stimulating curriculum in the humanities and social sciences; internship and volunteering opportunities; student interest groups; and Dutch homestay options, you’ll develop fascinating insight into this remarkable country and enjoy a truly unique international experience.
Study abroad in Amsterdam and you will: Gain an insider’s perspective on Amsterdam and the Netherlands through the CIEE course and unique field visits focusing on contemporary Dutch social policy; take a wide range of courses in the humanities and social sciences; study Dutch language and integrate into the community through the International Student Network, interest groups, weekend homestays, and volunteer opportunities; live in accessible, lively and multicultural Amsterdam and explore it on your bike; experience Dutch society by taking part in the Internship Seminar and intern up to 10 hours a week in a Dutch-based company or organization.
Study Abroad in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
The beautiful Mediterranean island of Palma de Mallorca is the perfect setting to further develop your advanced-level Spanish skills, and pursue your varied interests in business, the humanities, and social sciences. Through daily interactions in Palma’s business and social environment; direct enrollment at Universitat de les Illes Balears, homestays, an internship, a practicum on teaching English, cultural excursions, and conversation exchanges, study abroad in Palma offers you an exciting and uniquely immersive intercultural experience.
Study abroad in Palma and you will: Choose from a wide range of courses including business and tourism, Spanish language, literature, and cinema, anthropology, and psychology; study alongside Spanish and other international students in a small group atmosphere; experience Spanish culture through extensive cultural activities and excursions in and around Palma to historical and natural sites of Mallorca, and an overnight study trip to Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, or another major city; learn about how Spanish business is done through an internship for credit in a major company related to tourism, other industries, and non-profit organizations; gain practical experience in the field of education by teaching English as a Second Language in a primary school in Palma de Mallorca.
For more options:
http://www.ciee.org/study-abroad/
http://www.cisabroad.com
Internships
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The Washington Center – The Internship Experience
There’s no better way to transition from the classroom to the workplace than with an internship. In fact, interning is becoming a crucial step in landing that all-important first job. You’ll gain valuable experience, insight into possible career paths, a network of professional connections, and direction for your future. So it’s no surprise that the majority of undergraduates are making it a priority to complete an internship by the time they graduate