Frequently Asked Questions

IFS welcomes undergraduates, graduate students, recent graduates, postdoctoral and independent researchers, and students from fields beyond anthropology. Projects may come from public health, psychology, sociology, education, environmental studies, business, political science, medicine, and other fields where ethnographic research can help answer questions about people and institutions

No. Some students arrive with previous methods or research training; others have little or none. IFS adjusts mentorship and research responsibilities to each student’s preparation and goals. The program is designed to teach ethnography through practice, not to require students to arrive already knowing how to conduct independent field research.

No. IFS is interdisciplinary. Students may come from anthropology, medicine, public health, psychology, sociology, education, environmental studies, biology, business, political science, migration studies, and other fields where understanding human experience, behavior, institutions, or relationships is important.

IFS is fundamentally a research program. Students develop and conduct ethnographic research rather than simply taking conventional classes abroad. They work directly with Dr. Pierce, collaborate with other researchers where appropriate, and learn how field evidence becomes analysis, presentations, theses, publications, and other scholarly work.

No. Some students begin with a developed question; others begin with a broad interest or problem they want to investigate. Dr. Pierce works individually with students to turn those interests into a viable ethnographic question, research design, and proposal. Earlier applicants have more time for this development before the formal summer program begins.