Field schools and courses
Students travelled to Cuba to participate in the Ethnographic Field School 2016: Media and Visual Anthropology under Transformation.
The 2016 Archeology Field School included two weeks of remote camp-based fieldwork in the Broken Group Islands in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
Undergraduate students documented the monuments in the Emanu-El Synagogue Cemetery as part of the 2016 Heritage and Historical Archaeology field course.
Archaeology field school student Carling Reid crossing the intertidal zone on Calvert Island to get sediment for screening.
Research in the field
Anthropology has a long and rich tradition of conducting research in "the field." You'll find our students digging at archaeological sites, observing primates in the rainforest, or conducting cross-cultural health research in downtown Victoria. Previous field schools have taken place in: Cuba, Drimolen - South Africa, Hakai, BC - Quadra Island, BC - the Gulf Islands - Salish Sea and Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
A field school consists of one or more field courses which are taught in "the field," during which students can learn important practical lessons of anthropological fieldwork as well as contribute to original research findings. Individual field courses are also be held in Victoria and give students the opportunity to develop specific skills closer to home.
Field schools and individual field courses prepare students for advanced course work and offer valuable, practical skills that can aid in finding employment in anthropological settings. Moreover, because you can't really know if you want to be an archaeologist, say, until you have spent a week face-down in a wet pit, the hands-on experience of a field school allows you to more fully appreciate the practical side of research and data analysis.
Dynamic learning during the summer
Please email anthtwo@uvic.ca if you would like to be added to the field school email contact list. Alternatively, if you want to receive more anthropology related information, we can add you to the undergraduate mailing list (this includes field schools as well as monthly newsletter, job or volunteer opportunities, events etc).
Taking courses and Field Schools at other Institutions
If you’re thinking of taking courses and or field schools elsewhere as part of your degree, you have two options:
• Participating in a formal exchange program - more below
• Studying on a Letter of Permission (including field and language schools) - more below
Students who intend to study at another institution within BC may be able to find equivalences to plan their studies through the BC transfer guide system. Studies at institutions within the BC transfer system still require a letter of permission. Here is the process for obtaining a Letter of Permission and receiving transfer credit.
It is strongly recommended that you talk with your Undergraduate Advisor about any courses or field schools you want to take elsewhere.
International student services (ISS) exchange program
Students on exchange will work with their adviser to clarify exchange credit. For Letters of Permission, not all courses and programs are eligible for credit, so it is important to confirm before you start studying. A Letter of Permission will confirm whether a course is eligible and what transfer credit you will receive.
Students participating in the exchange program study at one of UVic’s partner institutions. Participants will:
• Be supported by an exchange adviser - prior to departure, while abroad, and on return to UVic
• Gain international experience, while paying UVic tuition fees
• Receive exchange credit, which can be applied to the UVic residency requirement
Students interested in the exchange program can review the information online or meet with an exchange adviser in International Student Services.
Letters of permission and transfer credit
If you're planning to take a course at another post-secondary institution (including field schools and language courses), contact your academic adviser to request a letter of permission. Letters of permission are typically required in order to take courses at another institution as a visiting student, and will state the credit you'll receive from UVic on successful completion of the course. Transcripts for all courses taken at another institution (whether passed or failed), must be sent in to UVic.
Caution: students using transfer credit towards a UVic degree will need to consider degree requirements. It is students’ responsibility to ensure all degree requirements are met. A LoP will clarify how credit will transfer to UVic (no credit, level credit, course credit), not how it will apply to your degree. Please note: At this time, students are advised to submit request forms by email to advising@uvic.ca for faster processing. Instructions on submitting the request fee will be provided in the confirmation email.
Requests must be submitted before you begin courses and at least eight weeks in advance for international institutions.
Students can visit the Academic Advising Centre if they have questions regarding eligibility criteria, payment, or submission options for a Request for Letter of Permission form.
Upcoming - Cuba - 2024 Ethnographic Field School
- May 27th – June 17th, 2024
- Applications are now accepted