Greetings, I hope your semester has started nicely. I would really appreciate it if you could share this with your undergraduate and graduate students so they can consider our program over the winter break. Our summer 2026 program is gearing up, and applications are now being accepted. The sooner students register for the program, the more lead time they will have in research development. So applying now is key!
More Inclusive Access! We’ve created a new ethnographic training program that allows students to conduct their research either on the ground where they are located, remotely, or a combination of both (or remotely from anywhere they prefer). This is a new, more flexible program created on the foundations of our main summer program. It would be greatly appreciated if you could forward this information to your undergraduate and graduate students.
I am open to having Zoom meetings with potential students (or faculty) to answer any questions they have
Sincerely,
Todd G. Pierce, Ph.D.
Director
The Isla Mujeres Ethnographic Field School
In...@AnthroFieldSchool.com
Admis...@AnthroFieldSchool.com
202-241-5325 (USA)
998-139-7122 (MX)
http://www.AnthroFieldSchool.com
https://www.facebook.com/Islamujeresethnographicfieldschool
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SUMMER FIELD SCHOOL 2026
Ethnographic Field School
On the Ground and Online
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Etnographic Training & Field Experience
Research Development and Design - Methods, Theory, and Ethics - Logistics, Data Management and Analysis - Publications and Presentations
Advanced Ethnographic Methods – Summer 2026
June 22 – August 14, 2026
Applications are OPEN!
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico
A small Caribbean island just off the coast of Cancún. Students reside in the vibrant mid-island community, conduct community-based research, and engage in immersion experiences with local cultural life.
Whether you're a first-year undergrad eager to get started in research, a grad student developing a thesis idea, or a post-doc sharpening your methods, this program gives you the tools, structure, and support to conduct your own ethnographic project from start to finish.
Now in our 14th year, the Advanced Ethnographic Methods program is the flagship course of the Isla Mujeres Ethnographic Field School. It is not a simulation or class exercise—this is real, independent fieldwork with daily mentoring and professional-level training.
Start your proposal early. Build a project you're proud of. Spend your summer doing something that matters.
Applications: https://www.anthrofieldschool.com/applications--deadlines--tuition
We prefer students to apply as early as possible, as this will allow for more time to develop research ideas and proposals!
OBJECTIVES:
Creating Original Applied Research Projects
Conducting Research and Producing Empirical Data
Delivering Publications and Conference Papers
The Isla Mujeres Ethnographic Field School specializes in community-based projects and trains students on how to conduct ethnographic research. Located on a small Mexican Caribbean island, much of the student research is focused on the community. Some of our current areas of interest are culture and environment, Latin America & Caribbean, Medical Anthropology, Gender and identity, History, Space and meaning, and Economic Development. There is a wide variety of research subjects. In the past, some students have conducted research on diabetes, body image and health, GLBT identity, teenage pregnancy, HIV and Dengue Fever prevention, Economic Development and Tourism, Sea Turtle, reef, and Whale Shark conservation, tourism industry, language, and government policy. Whatever the student's specialty area is, we can design a project that will fit their career objectives.
For more information, please see our website: http://www.AnthroFieldSchool.com
The Isla Mujeres Ethnographic Field School (I.F.S.) is dedicated to the professionalization of ethnographic research and the training of students on how to conduct ethical, meaningful, and professional research. Our mission is to train ethnographers that we are confident in and who we know can get the job done. Be it future graduate school research or projects for employers. Our trained ethnographers can tackle a research project from beginning to end with confidence, experience, and know-how.
We train both undergraduate and graduate students. We also have post-docs who attend the Field School for further training and career development. Our program provides students with the cutting-edge knowledge needed to gain admission to top graduate school programs, develop graduate school dissertation research (which will aid in securing research funding for dissertations), and help them secure the job they desire in their discipline. Some undergraduates have used their experience and data for senior thesis projects, while graduate students use it for pilot research to develop their Master's thesis or doctoral dissertations. We have had some amazing publications produced by our students and have several more being created right now.
Our Students Publish!
Our students not only learn how to create a professional academic research proposal, receive training on the theory, ethics, and methods of ethnographic research, experience cultural and linguistic immersion, conduct the proposed research, but are also encouraged to present their research at professional conferences and publish their research results in peer-reviewed academic journals, like Practicing Anthropology, or edited volumes (books). Many succeed in doing so. Please see our website to view some publications and see what our students have been up to.
anthrofieldschool.com
Three Pathways to Real Ethnographic Research
Isla Mujeres Ethnographic Field School – Summer 2026
IFS offers three integrated research tracks, all built around real ethnographic projects, professional mentorship, and the opportunity to publish or present your work. Whether you're leading your own study or supporting another, you’ll learn how to do fieldwork the way ethnographers really do it: collaboratively, ethically, and with clear academic outcomes.
1. Advanced Ethnographic Methods: Principal Investigator (In-Field)
Role: Research Team Leader
Format: 8 weeks (1 week remote prep + 6 weeks in-field +1 week post-program writing)
Tuition: $5,750–$6,250
Cohort Size: 8 students max
Design, lead, and execute your own ethnographic research project.
You’ll develop your proposal before arriving, conduct fieldwork independently, and participate in structured writing and analysis sessions. Research Associates (below) will support your project.
2. Ethnographic Research Associate (Hybrid)
Role: Research Team Member (In-Person)
Format: 8 weeks (1 week remote prep + 3 weeks in-field research + 3 weeks remote research + 1 week post-program writing)
Tuition: $4,750–$5,250
Cohort Size: 4 students max
You’ll travel to Isla Mujeres and join one or more Advanced Methods research teams.
You’ll assist with interviews, transcription, analysis, and data collection. You’ll attend all lectures, participate in team meetings, and may be listed as a co-author on future publications if your contributions warrant it. Great for students newer to ethnography who want in-the-field training without leading a full project.
You’re doing the work, in the field—but not flying solo.
3. Ethnographic Research Associate (Remote)
Role: Research Team Member (Remote)
Format: 8 weeks (1 week remote prep +6 weeks remote research + 1 week post-program writing)
Tuition: $2,450–$2,950
Cohort Size: 4 students max
You’ll join one or more Advanced Methods teams from wherever you are.
Remote ERAs collect metadata, analyze media content, help transcribe and code interviews, and participate in live lectures and weekly team meetings. You’ll gain research experience, contribute to a real publication, and learn to do remote ethnography—a growing field in digital anthropology, UX research, and applied social science.
You’re part of the team—just working from your side of the world.
Who Should Apply?
This program is designed for serious students and emerging researchers at all levels:
- Undergraduate students
- Graduate students (MA, PhD)
- Post-docs
- Independent scholars not currently enrolled
You don’t need to know everything to start. You just need the motivation to learn and the commitment to carry out a meaningful project. We'll help you with the rest.
What You’ll Gain
- A completed ethnographic research project
- Real field experience in a culturally rich, community-based environment
- Practical training in methods, ethics, analysis, and theory
- The foundation for publication or graduate-level work
- Long-term mentorship and access to a growing professional network
- A standout addition to your academic CV or professional portfolio
Sample Research Areas
- Medical Anthropology
- Environment & Development
- Latin America & the Caribbean
- Tourism Economies
- Gender & Identity
- Globalization & Culture
- Space, Place & Meaning
- Community Health & Social Change
Students often use their data for senior theses, MA projects, doctoral fieldwork pilots, or publish in journals like Practicing Anthropology.
