How to Apply

Make sure you are eligible. Review our Eligibility criteria.

Check with your home institution whether the Anthropocene Research Center academic credits can be transferred in, what financial aid may be available to you and how will the credits count towards your major. A good place to start is with your academic advisor or your Study Away department.

If you are unsure what program best fit your needs, contact Anthropocene Research Center. We are here to help!

If you plan to attend a program outside your home country, make sure to apply for a passport. Already have a passport? Make sure it is valid for at least 6 months past the program’s beginning date. Many require that minimum for entry to their country.

There are five stages for the enrollment process:

Applicant: A student who got an ID and password and is in the process of applying to a field school

Submitted: A student who submitted a complete application and is now waiting for the field school director(s) review. Once an application is submitted, an email is sent to the student.

Admitted: A student whose application was approved by the program director(s).  This does not guarantee a space in the program – only a deposit payment does (see below). Once an application is approved, an email is sent to the student.

Accepted: A student who was admitted to a program and paid the $300 nonrefundable deposit fee. An Accepted student has a guaranteed space in the program. Once the deposit is processed, an email with next steps is sent to the student.

Enrolled: A student who paid the full tuition for a field school. Once final tuition payment is processed, an email is sent to the student.

Choosing the right field school for you may not be easy – there are many excellent programs to choose from. To help you in the selection process, we suggest you follow the process below:

Culture/Period/Subject: Is there a particular culture you are interested in? A time period? A research question or subject? Try to identify elements that are of intellectual interest to you and explore field schools that offer research addressing these elements.

Country: Is there a country you always wanted to visit and get to know the people and area well? Most field schools have locals participating in the program so better understanding of the host country and its people is possible and accessible. ‘Island Programs’ – where a group of American students work with an American faculty member – may be excellent academic choice but will have minimal cultural interaction and exchange with local communities.

Weather: Most field schools take place during the summer in the northern hemisphere. Know what the weather may be like at the field school location. Some programs operate in extreme weather conditions. If the location is hot, programs usually start field work early (at some locations, excavations start at 4:00am) and end early. Lab work, usually in an air conditioned location, takes place in the afternoon. Other locations have lots of rain and high humidity. Know where you are going and whether the local climate is something you can cope with while engaging in physical work.

Academic Quality: Do not compromise on academic quality. Field schools are expensive. They are intensive learning tools. Maximize your benefits by engaging with top quality programs led by scholars who are well published. Explore the Center for Field Sciences evaluation pages to learn about the quality of field schools (not all are listed but a good number are).

Credit Units: Field schools are expensive. A good way to offset the cost is by earning credit units, transferring those into your home institution and accelerating the time it takes you to graduate. Cost of field schools are usually lower than the cost of college credits in most US schools.

Field schools are expensive. There are ways to minimize the financial burden. All requires your active engagement.  

Scholarships: Explore scholarships you may be eligible for. Check out our Scholarship page and explore possibilities.

Financial Aid: Some schools will allow your financial aid to flow up and pay for external programs. Discuss with your school’s study abroad advisor. They should be able to provide good advice.

Payment Plans: Many credits cards and banks now offer payment plans with small or no interest. A payment plan may help spread the cost of a field school over many months.  We offer a no interest Payment Plan, but if you choose to use our plan know that you will be legally committed to pay the full tuition, regardless of attendance. Read all documents carefully before you sign them, especially financial contracts.

Avoid Late Fees & Penalties: Read enrollment timelines and make sure you apply and pay on time. Most field schools impose penalties for late payment and late enrollment. No need to make the program cost more expensive than it already is.

Application Fee: Some programs are for an application fee (ARC does not and you may apply to as many ARC programs as you wish). If your program has an application fee, make sure (1) that if you are admitted, you have the funds and will to attend; and (2) that the application fee is counted towards tuition if you are admitted.