Field Schools

Faculty of Arts Field Schools

“Contributing to an actual Roman excavation has given me a deeper connection to my studies," says Ancient Studies student Charles Jackson, seen here at the Villa of Titus excavation site in Italy in spring 2022.

If you're thinking about a field study course, explore the funding and award options for international learning opportunities.  

ANCS 3610/3611 Field Study / Laboratory Methods in Roman Archaeology 
These courses are available at active research sites in two locations in Italy: 

Villa of Titus Archaeological Field School 
This field course takes place in the village of Castel Sant'Angelo, roughly 70 km northeast of Rome in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy. You’ll learn archaeological field techniques and artifact analysis skills while helping to excavate the Villa of Titus, a 2,200-year-old rural complex that may once have been a residence of the Flavian Emperor Titus. Next dates: TBA. For more information, see the field school's website or the Villa di Titus Expression of Interest Form (fillable PDF), or contact Dr. Myles McCallum. Read more: Archaeology field school illuminates everyday life in ancient Roman villa. 

Metaponto Archaeological Field School 
This field school is located in Basilicata, on the 'instep of the boot' of southern Italy. It will carry out archaeological excavations at the Iron Age Indigenous site of Incoronata “greca” (Pisticci), which was eventually incorporated into the territory of the Greek city of Metaponto. Students gain skills in excavation as well as sorting/cataloguing of finds and archaeological data management. Next dates: Summer 2025. For details, contact Dr. Sveva Savelli or see the Metaponto Expression of Interest Form . Read more: Unearthing the story of Italy's Indigenous communities.

ANTH 3275 Archaeological Remote Sensing 
The archaeologist’s toolkit is changing rapidly as new technologies allow us to map sites and features without digging. In this course, learn how to use Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and other remote sensing techniques to find and map archaeological sites and landscapes. Next dates: TBA. Prerequisite: ANTH 1271 Introduction to Archaeology (or equivalent). Field fee: $200. For more information, contact Dr. Jonathan Fowler. 
 
ANTH 3373/3374/4464 Fieldwork in Archaeology 
This course offers detailed instruction in archaeological field techniques working off-campus at an archaeological site. It is normally a 3000-level credit but students returning to the project for a second season, or coming to the project having previously completed an archaeological field school for university credit, may be granted permission to enrol at the 4000-level and be assigned additional duties. Prerequisite: ANTH 1271 Introduction to Archaeology (or equivalent) and permission of instructor. For more information about the options above, contact anthropology@smu.ca.

ANTH 3374/4465 Archaeology Laboratory 
The course offers training in the laboratory analysis of material cultural evidence recovered from an archaeological site. Like the fieldwork course, this course may be taken at either the 3000 or 4000 level. Typically, the laboratory course is offered in tandem with the fieldwork course, which is its prerequisite. In the lab, students clean, sort, catalogue, and interpret finds, and help to assemble excavation records leading to the production of a site report. For more information, contact anthropology@smu.ca. 

GEOG 4100 Geography International Field School: The Gambia 
Every other year, the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies offers a field school in The Gambia during the reading week of the fall semester. Students meet on Fridays all semester to prepare for and debrief the experience. You’ll learn about the history, culture and geography of The Gambia. Next course offering: Winter 2025! For information, contact Dr. Cathy Conrad. See this article about the lasting impact from the 2018 class.

GEOG/HIST 4800 Sites of Difficult Heritage in Western Europe
In this Fall 2024 seminar class, students are exploring Western European heritage sites associated with the Third Reich and the Second World War. Course material and discussions focus on how the experiences of victims, bystanders, resisters, collaborators and perpetrators have been commemorated and contested in material memoryscapes. Friday mornings in the classroom, with a field study trip to Paris and Berlin. 6 credit hours. For information, contact Dr. Jason Grek-Martin and Dr. Kirrily Freeman.  

GERM 1101/1102/ 2201/2202/3301/3302 Canadian Summer School in Germany (CSSG) 
This German immersion study abroad program offers one full-year university course in six and a half weeks, as well as living with a host family and a full cultural program. You'll have unforgettable experiences like visiting Berlin, watching a Bundesliga soccer match, and touring the city of Kassel with your German tandem partner! This course normally takes place in May-June every year. You must have at least one semester of university German to apply. Visit cssg.ca for details.  

HIST 3835 A History of Women Artists
This course charts the history of women in the arts over the past half century and examines how academies of art, galleries and art historians came to ignore or erase their contributions. With a focus on Europe, the course extends to women's creative works around the globe. The Spring 2024 class met on campus May 6 to June 9, with a field trip to Toronto June 10-15. Students visited artworks by women artists at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario's exhibition 'Making her Mark: A History of Women Artists, 1400-1800'. For more details, visit the Department of History's Field Study website and contact Dr. Lyndan Warner.  

POLI 4402 Model United Nations
The Model United Nations course trains a delegation of students to compete at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) simulation held in New York City at the end of each winter term. Students represent a UN member country, conduct in-depth research on pressing global issues, draft position papers, negotiate resolutions and learn how UN diplomacy functions in simulated real-world scenarios. Read more: SMU Model UN group returns from New York with two awards. 

SPAN 3777/4400 Post-Conflict, Peace and Development in Colombia 
In this field school program, explore how different grassroots organizations work with historical memory, reconciliation and peace projects in Colombia. Taught in English, the three-week program begins with classes on campus at Saint Mary's for the first week, followed by two weeks in Colombia during the spring terms in 2023 and 2024. Next dates: TBA. For information on the application process, visit the Colombia Field School website or contact Dr. Andrés Arteaga.