Experiential Learning

Anthropology students can work directly with faculty on research projects across archaeology, cultural anthropology, biological anthropology and medical anthropology. Research may take place in labs, field settings or community contexts and can begin early in your undergraduate experience.

You can:

• Join a faculty-led research project
• Conduct fieldwork or archival research
• Build skills in data collection, analysis and interpretation
• Prepare for honors theses, graduate school or research-focused careers

Internships allow you to apply anthropological perspectives beyond the classroom. Students gain experience in museums, public health organizations, nonprofits, legal services and community agencies at the local, state and national level.

Students are encouraged to:

• Explore opportunities early, as many internships have application deadlines
• Meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies before participating if seeking academic credit
• Combine internships with coursework or independent study
• Students earn academic credit by enrolling in APY 496: Internship.

Recent internship settings include:

• Museums and cultural organizations
• Public health and social service agencies
• Environmental and preservation groups
• Refugee and community support organizations

Field schools provide immersive training in anthropological research methods. These experiences are especially valuable for students interested in archaeology, cultural resource management, biological anthropology or graduate study.

UB offers a six-week field school at active survey sites in the Buffalo region. Offered in conjunction with the Archaeological Survey, students gain hands-on experience in archaeological methods and professional practices commonly used in cultural resource management (CRM) careers.

Spend your winter session studying endangered lemurs at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in central Florida. During this immersive field experience, you'll observe primate behavior in a naturalistic habitat while learning professional research methods used in biological anthropology and wildlife conservation. Students gain firsthand experience collecting behavioral data, using field research techniques and exploring how research supports conservation efforts.

Anthropology students regularly participate in field schools across the United States and around the world. Programs offer training in excavation, ethnographic methods, bioarchaeology, primate behavior and heritage preservation.

Students have participated in programs:

• In the Buffalo region, including Old Fort Niagara through Buffalo State as a non-matriculating student
• Across the United States
• In countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Costa Rica, Poland, Kenya and Malta

Study abroad allows anthropology students to immerse themselves in new cultural settings while earning academic credit. These experiences strengthen cross-cultural skills and global awareness.

Before studying abroad:

• Meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to discuss academic planning and major credit
• After returning, submit a Petition Form and course syllabi for departmental review

• Albania: Environmental Change and Land Use - Lake Ohrid Archaeological Field School (Summer): Hands-on archaeological and paleoecological training along the UNESCO-listed shoreline of Lake Ohrid.
• Thailand: Studying Animal Behavior and Communication in the Wild (Summer): Field-based research on animal behavior while earning credit.

Independent study allows you to explore a topic in depth with faculty mentorship.

Students earn academic credit by enrolling in:

• APY 499: Independent Study and Research