Experiential Learning

two people on a small boat, students sit on the ground at an archaeological dig site in the woods, two students examine artifacts at a table, fat calipers and measuring tape
Pictured clockwise left to right: students on a boat in Zanzibar, Tanzania (copyright S. Hillewaert), ANT318H5 students at an archaeological dig site on the UTM campus (copyright M. Brand), ANT318H5 students examine artifacts in a lab (copyright M. Brand), fat calipers and measuring tape (Adobe Stock).

The Department of Anthropology has the highest number of courses eligible for Experiential Learning Bursaries at UTM in the 2022-23 academic year.

Benefits of experiential learning

UTM Anthropology courses with local or international experiential learning components can provide students with opportunities to:

  • gain hands-on experience
  • acquire new skills
  • develop closer ties to communities
  • learn about the diversity of cultures that exist in our world
  • network with professionals in a specific industry
  • and more!

Learn more

Spotlight on:

Experiential Learning in Anthropology Science

 

interpret a crime scene over police tape with siren lights

ANT306H5
Forensic Anthropology 
Field School

Get hands-on experience learning about crime scene protocols and record keeping. We examine casts, maps, photos and other evidence collected in the field, for the purposes of scene reconstruction and presentation in court.

See Academic Calendar for prerequisites.

 

cultural heritage management over a dirt path with trees

ANT318H5
Archaeological Fieldwork

Gain hands-on experience and a basic grounding in the techniques and methods employed by archaeologists to extract data from an archaeological site and to process these data in the lab. 

See Academic Calendar for prerequisites.

 

 

learn strategies and techniques over puzzle pieces

ANT441H5
Advanced Bioarchaeology

This course provides students with problem-based, experiential learning in bioarchaeology, including methods of skeletal analysis, the application of theory, and interpretation of a cemetery burial pattern. Labs address analyses and approaches used in Cultural Heritage Management.

See Academic Calendar for prerequisites.

 

Experiential Learning in Anthropology Social Science

 

engage with the community over blue sky and grass on a sunny day

ANT241H5
Anthropology and the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (in Canada) 

We’ll examine the relationship between anthropology and the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Indigenous, decolonial, and community scholars are emphasized in this exciting new course.

No prerequisite required! See course description in Academic Calendar.

 

record and analyze data over close up of person's hand writing on paper

ANT358H5 Field Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology

Collect data, conduct fieldwork, and interpret research results. The course will benefit students who want to gain an appreciation of research design and practice and those considering graduate-level work in anthropology or another social science.

See Academic Calendar for prerequisites.

 

environmental volunteer experience over green maple leaves with sunshine

ANT368H5
World Religions and Ecology

Students may have an opportunity to complete ten hours of volunteer immersion experience with a local organization working on environmental issues as part of the coursework as we learn about religious traditions and their responses to the environmental crisis.

See Academic Calendar for prerequisites.

List of UTM Anthropology courses with experiential learning components

Important information about experiential learning:

  • Not all courses are offered each year, so be sure to consult the Timetable Builder for current course offerings.
  • Experiential components may vary when courses are offered. Please review the course syllabus on the Timetable Builder for current course outlines.
  • Check course prerequisites and view course descriptions on the UTM Academic Calendar.

Archaeology

Biological Anthropology

  • ANT338H5 Laboratory Methods in Biological Anthropology

Forensic Anthropology

  • ANT306H5 Forensic Anthropology Field School
  • ANT439H5 Advanced Forensic Anthropology

Linguisitc Anthropology

  • ANT364H5 Fieldwork in Language, Culture, and Society

Sociocultural Anthropology

  • ANT241H5 Anthropology and the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (in Canada)
  • ANT335H5 Anthropology of Gender
  • ANT358H5 Field Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology
  • ANT368H5 World Religions and Ecology
  • ANT462H5 Living and Dying: Topics in Medical Anthropology & Global Health

View course descriptions

View the U of T Timetable Builder

Funding Opportunity: UTM Experiential Learning Bursaries

The following UTM Anthropology courses may be eligible for the UTM Experiential Learning Bursary program: 

  • ANT241H5 Anthropology and the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (in Canada)
  • ANT306H5 Forensic Anthropology Field School
  • ANT318H5 Archaeological Fieldwork
  • ANT312H5 Archaeological Analysis
  • ANT418H5 Advanced Archaeological Fieldwork
  • ANT439H5 Advanced Forensic Anthropology
  • ANT441H5 Advanced Bioarchaeology

Eligibility and application information for EL Bursaries at UTM

    Other UTM Experiential Learning Opportunities

    Update for 2022-23: Dr. Laura Bolt is available to supervise undergraduate students through UTM’s Research Opportunities Program and to act as an advisor for independent research projects. Interested students can contact Dr. Bolt by email. 

    Dr. Bolt also provides the opportunity for interested students at UTM to complete a primate field school in Costa Rica or Nicaragua under her direction and to earn course credit for this experience.

    The UTM Research Opportunity Program (ROP) gives students from second to fourth year a chance to participate in the research of a faculty member while earning course credit. 

    UTM Abroad provides students with the opportunity to participate in short-term experiential learning opportunities abroad during term breaks.