Overview
As the Soviet Union collapsed, the former Yugoslav Federal Republic descended into vicious ethnic wars. The worst, with the largest number of casualties and atrocities, was the Bosnian war (1992-1995). Three ethnic groups – Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks (Bosnians from Muslim heritage) – fought each other on multiple fronts. After NATO booming & direct intervention began in mid-1995, all parties to the conflict attended and signed the Dayton Peace Agreement. The agreement ended the fighting and active killings but not ethnic grievances. This program explores how societies confront difficult histories through heritage, using Bosnia and Herzegovina as a relevant case study.
Set in Sarajevo and Mostar, this program focuses on post-conflict memory, museum work, and public history in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Students will engage directly with local communities, curators, and heritage professionals to better understand how narratives of war, loss, and recovery are shaped, challenged, and remembered.
In Sarajevo, the focus is on the siege and its lasting imprint on the city. Students will visit relevant sites across the city, visit relevant museums and engage in deep discussions about memorialization and its tangible and intangible symbols. In Mostar, students will examine the destruction and reconstruction of the Old Bridge, exploring questions related to symbolism, authenticity, and international involvement in heritage preservation.
Crossing the Old Bridge in Mostar
Crossing the Old Bridge in Mostar
The guard house at the Old Mostar Bridge
The guard house at the Old Mostar Bridge
2025 Site visit-Mostar bridge 3
The mostar bridge from the south bank
2025 Site visit-Mostar bridge 4
Tourist activity by the Mostar bridge
2025 Site visit-Mostar bridge 5
Arial view of the Mostar bridge
2025 Site visit-Muslim side of Mostar
Muslim area of Mostar
2025 Site visit-Sarajevo main library
The national library in Sarajevo
2025 Site visit-Sarajevo main river
The river crossing Sarajevo
Instructor(s)
All field school directors are experts in their field and passionate about their work. To discuss the suitability of this program for your career goals – whether within or outside academia – you are invited to contact the directors directly. For a broader discussion which ARC program to choose, you are welcome to contact our staff directly – you can do that through our “Contact Us” page.
Testimonials & Program evaluation
Student Fees (Tuition)
What is Covered
- DEPOSIT IS PART OF TOTAL TUITION COST
- Costs of Instruction
- Room & Board
- Cost of Academic Credit Units
- Health and Evacuation Insurance
Read Before You Pay
- Application: You must apply online for this program – application is free
- Deposit: A $300 nonrefundable deposit (part of the total tuition cost) is required to secure a space in the program
- Credit Card Fee: Payments with credits cards incur 3% processing fee
- Late Fee: A $100 Late Fee will be added to the program costs if tuition is not paid in full by payment deadline
- Cancellation Policy: Carefully read our Cancellation Policy before committing to attending our programs
- Trip Cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance is not provided by ARC. Such policies have changed due to Covid 19. If you wish to purchase an insurance policy that covers pandemic contingencies, explore Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans. Insuremytrip or Travel Guard are possible websites where you may explore different insurance policies.
Accommodations
In Sarajevo, students will be housed in the Hotel Holiday in twin rooms (https://www.hoteleuropegroup.ba/en/holiday). Breakfast is included in the hotel accommodation. In Mostar, students will be accommodated in the Student Centre Mostar (page only in local language: https://www.scm.ba/ ) in twin rooms with breakfast included.
Diet
Breakfast is provided daily. Lunch or dinner are not provided. Sarajevo and Mostar are major cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and there are restaurants and street food stalls for every budget.
Travel Information
We suggest you hold purchasing your airline ticket until six (6) weeks before the program begins. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions & a range of other factors may require the cancellation of a field school. ARC typically makes a final Go/No Go decision six weeks before program begins. To protect students from potential financial loss, we urge you to purchase airline tickets only six weeks prior to program beginning.
Students will be met on the first day of the program at 5:00pm by the Tourist Info Center, arrivals area of Terminal B of Sarajevo airport (SJJ). From that meeting point, staff will take students to the program’s accommodation.
Visa Information
There are no special visa requirements for U.S. citizens travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina , as long as you do not stay longer than 3 months. Passport’s expiration date should exceed the stay by at least 6 months.
Citizens of other countries are asked to check the Bosnia and Herzegovina embassy website at their home country for specific visa requirements.
Meeting Point
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 5, 2026 | 5:00pm | Arrivals area of Terminal B of Sarajevo airport (SJJ), by the Tourist Info Center |
If you missed your connection or your flight is delayed, please call, text or email project director immediately. A local emergency cell phone number will be provided to all enrolled students.
Safety
Our primary mission is student education. Traveling and conducting field work involves risk and students interested in participating in any field schools must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education earned. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. We engage in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval and continue to monitor conditions on the ground to ensure a safe and wholesome education experience.
Students attending our international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance Policy that covers physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions and medical evacuation – if needed. This insurance policy has no deductibles and 100% of the costs are covered up to $250,000 (for more, see here). In addition, we provide Political & Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allows us to remove students from program location if conditions change.
Students attending our domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance. Program directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.
We have an explicit and robust Harassment & Discrimination Policy, outlined on our Health & Safety page. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with program staff, they are welcome to call the ARC emergency hotline and talk directly with an ARC staff member.
Call (+1 323 740-1805) or email (admin@anthroctr.org) if you have questions about the safety of any program.