Fieldwork, Internships & Education Abroad
Screening at Corvie Bay, Kiska Island, Alaska. Photo: Caroline Funk.
Explorers wanted!
Experiential learning is the process through which students engage with anthropology outside of the classroom setting. By participating in experiential learning opportunities, students create community, gain practical skills, and participate in activities that enhance their undergraduate experience.
Whether they continue with anthropology or try something entirely different, the anthropology department’s experiential learning programs provide students with an excellent basis to further their life opportunities outside of the university setting.
On this page:
Internships and Volunteer Experiences
Keep in mind that many internships and field schools have application deadlines, so make sure to regularly check program websites to plan your experience accordingly. To receive academic credit, it is recommended you contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies before participating in these activities.
Note: The University at Buffalo Department of Anthropology does not endorse or otherwise support the internships and field experiences available here. This list is provided for informational purposes only.
- Albright Knox Art Gallery
- Burchfield Penney Art Center
- Buffalo History Museum
- Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village
- Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper
- Child and Family Services
- Crisis Services
- Darwin Martin House Complex
- Erie County Department of Health
- Erie County Medical Examiner's Office
- Family Justice Center
- Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network (GBUAHN)
- International Institute of Buffalo
- Jericho Road Community Health Center
- Journey's End Refugee Services
- Museum of disABILITY History
- Neighborhood Legal Services
- Old Fort Niagara
- Olmsted Parks Conservancy
- People, Inc.
- Preservation Buffalo Niagara
- Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
New York State
- New New York State, portal for internships throughout NYS agencies including:
-Division of Human Rights
-Council on the Arts
-Division of Criminal Justice Services
-Office of Children and Family Services - NYS Attorney General's Office
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
- NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Albany Region
- Adirondack Council - Clarence Petty Internship Program
- Albany Institute of History and Art
- Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus (RISSE)
New York City Region
- American Museum of Natural History
- Brooklyn Museum
- GrowNYC
- Lower East Side Ecology Center
- Museum of the City of New York
- New York Historical Society
- SCO Family of Services
- SUNY Global Engagement Program
Rochester Region
- Genesee Country Village and Museum
- Genesee Land Trust
- George Eastman Museum
- Memorial Art Gallery
- Monroe County
- Rochester Contemporary Art Center
- Rochester Museum and Science Center
- The Legal Aid Society
Syracuse Region
Field Schools
APY 338 - Field Research
The Department of Anthropology offers a 6-week field school experience at active survey sites in the Buffalo region. Offered in conjunction with Archaeological Survey, students interested in pursuing a Cultural Resource Management (CRM) career are encouraged to participate to learn methods and practices of this field.
- Adelphi University (Alaska): The field school will focus on the newly discovered Holzman site along Shaw Creek where multiple hearths, large mammal bones, stone tools, and a nearly complete mammoth tusk were found dating to the end of the Ice Age.
- Ancient Mediterranean Spain (Mallorca, Spain): In this program, students will join a team of American and Spanish archaeologists in order to engage with various landscape archaeological fieldwork techniques (mapping, 3D modeling) and other experiential ones such as sketching, photography/video, field note taking as part of the ongoing Landscape, Encounters, and Identity Archaeology Project. Offered through the University of Washington.
- ArchaeoSpain: Travel to Spain to excavate Roman settlements including a fortress, a city (Italica) in Seville, or a necropolis.
- Central Washington University (Washington): The CWU Forensic Anthropology Field School provides practical experience in recovery and handling of human remains by excavating a mock crime scene and laboratory methods of forensic anthropology through analysis of skeletal cold cases.
- CIFAS Field School in Ethnographic Research Methods (New York City): The 11-day field school offers training in the foundations and practice of ethnographic methods. The faculty works closely with participants to identify the required field methods needed to address their academic or professional needs.
- College Year in Athens (Greece): CYA offers summer and winter programs with topics such as "Excavating the Aegean," "The Anthropology of Food in Greece," and "Illegal Antiquities".
- DANTA (Costa Rica): Offers summer field courses in Primate Behavior and Conservation and provides student experience working in tropical environments.
- Institute for Field Research (worldwide): The Institute focuses on research-based experiences in historial archaeology, field archaeology and museum conservation and offers 43 field schools in 24 countries including Bulgaria, Ireland, South Africa, China, Jordan and Israel.
- Isla Mujeres Ethnographic Field School (Mexico): Learn ethnographic field methods on the Isla Mujeres, Mexico, located off the Yucatan coast in the Caribbean.
- Lubbock Lake Landmark (Texas): This landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated National Historic and State Archaeological Landmark which contains evidence of almost 12,000 years of human occupation on the Southern High Plains.
- Maderas Rainforest Conservancy (Costa Rica and Nicaragua): The Conservancy offers programs in Primate Behavior and Ecology, Rain Forest Ecology, Spanish and Pre-Columbia Art History, and the Mayan World.
- McMaster University (Canada): The Archaeological Field School will take place on the north shore of the Cootes Paradise marsh within the property of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario.
- Off the Beaten Path (Malta, Mediterranean): Program is meant to give aspiring anthropologists an in-the-field representation of developing and conducting an ethnographic research project. Geared towards students interested in socio-cultural anthropology.
- San Gemini Preservation Studies (Italy): Taking place at the Carsulae archaeological site in Italy, students have the opportunity to conduct archaeological survey of the site's buildings, such as the public baths, or learn about analyzying and restoring archaeological ceramics.
- Slavia Field School in Mortuary Archaeology (Poland): Provides a unique opportunity for students to practice bioarchaeology by learning archaeological excavation techniques and working with human osteological material in Drawsko, Poland.
- SUNY Origins Field School (Kenya): Since 2011, the Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) has offered an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in a field program in the Turkana Basin that exposes them to the sciences related to human prehistory with courses in Ecology, Geology, Vertebrate Paleontology, Paleoanthropology, and Archaeology. Participants work directly with leading scientists and do fieldwork at active hominin fossil localities and archaeological excavations.
- University of Wyoming (Wyoming): The fieldschool continues fieldwork at the La Prele Mammoth site in Converse County, Wyoming where students will learn careful excavation methods, screening, and mapping with a total station.
Did You Know?
The Department of Anthropology and the College of Arts and Sciences offer funding for experiential learning opportunities? Consider applying for the Phyllis Hartrich Memorial Award, the CAS Experiential Learning Fund, or the Walker Family Experiential Learning Fund.
Education Abroad
Take part in a study abroad experience to fully immerse yourself in cross-cultural exchanges to prepare for the increasingly global world. Visit the UB Education Abroad webpage to find out which program is best suited for you.
Students are encouraged to take the following actions to earn major credit for these experiences:
- You are encouraged to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies prior to departing for a study abroad program. A meeting should address how this experience may affect your academic progress and if the courses taken during the study abroad program are eligible for major credit.
- After returning from the program, you should submit a Petition Form and the syllabi for each course taken during the program for review and awarding of department credit.
Applications are now open for the following Summer 2025 programs:
Program Dates: 7/16/25 - 8/20/25
The Lake Ohrid Archaeological Field School and education abroad program in Albania provides students training in a variety of archaeological and paleoecological methods, and a unique cultural experience through planned tours and excursions in the heart of the Balkans and on the Ionian Sea coast. We will stay on the UNESCO listed shoreline of Lake Ohrid in the idyllic town of Pogradec, and collaborate with other prominent universities such as Oxford and Cologne throughout the course of the program, giving students the chance to experience a variety of research traditions and build their academic networks.
Registration is now open for Summer 2025. Applications are due March 3, 2025. Please visit UB's Education Abroad website for application infromation.
The program is open to students from all disciplines, but may particularly interest those studying Archaeology, Anthropology, History, Classics, Environment and Sustainability, Ecology, Cultural Heritage Management, Museology, Balkan Studies, or related fields.
Please see the PDF brochure for further details and direct any questions about the program to program director, Dr. Patrick Willett at pwillett@buffalo.edu, or the office of education abroad at educationabroad@buffalo.edu.
Program Dates: 5/29/25 - 6/12/25
Spend time in the metropolis of Bangkok and in the beautiful biosphere at Sakaerat in Thailand. Explore the rich culinary and cultural diversity of Thailand while gaining essential field research skills. Learn about the animals the occupy the forest during the day and night to understand their behavior and forms of communication.
Students will earn 3 credits of APY 344: Studying Animal Behavior and Communication. This course is eligible to be used to fulfill elective credit towards the Anthropology major and related minors. It may also fulfill general elective credit for other majors/minors. Please check-in with your academic advisor.
In this course we will survey the ways animals communicate and behave with members of their own species to better understand the nature, evolution, and development of communicative behavior in animals and in humans. In this course we will learn the theory and application of collecting data on communication and behavior. It should be of particular interest to students of evolutionary biology, anthropology, and environmental studies.
Registration is now open for Summer 2025. Applications are due March 3, 2025. Please visit UB's Education Abroad website for application infromation.
Please see the PDF for further details and direct any questions about the program to program director, Dr. Stephanie Poindexter at sapoinde@buffalo.edu, or the office of education abroad at educationabroad@buffalo.edu.
Independent Research
Did you discover a topic that piqued your interest during a course and you want to investigate it further? Conducting an independent study is a great opportunity to further delve into your interests while receiving guidance and mentorship from faculty.
Students receive academic credit for their research by registering for APY 499 Independent Study and Research.
University Resources
Start a project to build skills and gain real-world experience for your career. The Experiential Learning Network's Project Portal is the easiest place to get started! Once you start a project, you can also pursue an ELN Digital Badge to display your accomplishments to future employers and graduate schools.
The Experiential Learning Center is a resource specifically for students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Undergraduate students may receive guidance from staff experts or simply use the space to research available internship, service-learning or study abroad opportunities, as well as scholarships and other funding sources.
The Experiential Learning Center
College of Arts and Sciences
810 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Email: cas-explearning@buffalo.edu
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