Archaeological Field School in San Marcos, TX

This program includes pre-program orientation meetings on the Texas State University campus in the spring 2023 semester.

Study In America Experience

Texas State University is unique because there are several important archaeological sites located on campus grounds. One of these is Spring Lake, which, in addition to the Freeman Center, is of particular importance to our understanding of how humans have lived in Texas for more than 13,000 years. Teaching an archaeological field school at this location will not only allow Texas State researchers like Dr. Smith to investigate and contribute to the archaeological record of Texas, but provide Texas State University students with a local, and thus more affordable, means to acquire field training from an accredited institution. Documentation of attending an accredited archaeological field school course is required by employers at state and government agencies and private cultural resource management firms, which employs more than 90% of professionals graduating with a BA/BS degree in Anthropology with a specialization in Archaeology. To enter the workforce, and complete the BA/BS degree in many institutions, a 6-credit field school is required for this very reason.

To be successful in the job market Texas State University students must complete an accredited field school and by offering the course right here on the university campus, we will provide them with the opportunity to meet this requirement and gain invaluable hands-on fieldwork experience without having to attend field schools conducted by other Universities around the world. The local setting will lower the costs of students’ travel, room and board, childcare, non-resident tuition at other institutions, and missing work at students’ places of employment by making afternoons, evenings, and weekends available; thus making the course more accessible to all students. The local setting will also allow Texas State University students and instructors to actively engage with the San Marcos and University communities to educate the public about cultural resources and their local heritage, encourage stewardship of cultural resources, demonstrate the University’s commitment to education, research, and cultural preservation, and advertise the University’s Archaeology and Anthropology programs as a recruitment tool. The fieldwork is highly likely to attract the attention of news organizations at the local and state level, which will serve to advertise the quality hands-on education experiences offered at Texas State University.

Department

 Department of Anthropology 

Course

ANTH 4630

Archaeological Field School

  

Instructor/Program Director

 Dr. Heather Smith  Email: hls36@txstate.edu

Course Dates

 151 (5/30/2023-6/30/2023) 

Meeting Dates:

  • 5/29/2023 

  • 6/5/2023 

Program Travel Dates

5/30/2023 - 6/30/2023 

 

Study in America Costs

Tuition, Fees, and the Program Fee are financial aid eligible.

TUITION & FEES: $1,844.16

Undergraduate Rate
6 Hour (1 Course)

PROGRAM FEE: $ 1,000

Includes Supplies, Some Meals, Location Fees

IMPORTANT NOTE:
All university policies regarding installments, course drops, and refunds apply to all billed and paid tuition and fees. Course tuition and program fee will be billed and paid through SBS Billing and Payment.
 

OUTSIDE EXPENSES NOT INCLUDED IN PROGRAM FEE:
Airfare, lodging, transportation, meals, and personal expenses are NOT included in the program fee.

*Lodging - If you need assistance locating options, please contact ODEL*

APPLICATION PROCESS

Follow these steps to enroll.

STEP 3

Applications are reviewed by the Program Director & ODEL

STEP 4 - REGISTER

ODEL notifies student with registration directions

ELIGIBILITY

Participants must be accepted juniors or seniors in good academic standing in the Department of Anthropology

Space is currently limited to up to 20 students.

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REGISTERING FOR COURSES

You must register for your course through the Student Information System/CatsWeb during the regular University registration period.

For more information about the content of the program, please contact Dr. Heather Smith.

For questions about applying/registering, please contact the Office of Distance and Extended Learning.

Expand FAQ List

  • Course Information

    • ANTH 4630. Archaeological Field School.

      This course is designed to train students in the skills and techniques of modern archaeological survey and excavation of prehistoric sites. May be repeated for credit, but only six hours may be applied toward the major.

      6 Credit Hours. 6 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
      Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing|Lab Required
      Grade Mode: Standard Letter

    • For more information related to Tuition & Fees, please visit the following pages: 

      ODEL- Costs   |   Student Business Services 

  • Drop and Refund Policy

    • Drop Refund - Refunds for a dropped extension course are given according to university policy for regular university courses on campus.  Refer to the Registrar's Web site for more information.

    • Students are able to receive a refund on the Program Fee that falls within this refund schedule. This is separate from the refund deadlines associated with tuition costs.

      The following policy applies to students that drop/withdraw from the course -

      • 100% of the Program Fee is Refundable '45' days prior to the course start date.
      • 70% of the Program Fee is Refundable '44' days prior to the course start date. 
      • 50% of the Program Fee is Refundable after the first start date of the course. 

      Students that cannot complete the program and would like to appeal the refund policy, please contact the SIA Coordinator, for more assistance. Please note: the course start date is not the first day of travel. 

  • Covid-19 Travel Information

    • If you are planning to participate in a Texas State Study in America Program you have access to On Call International, which provides medical and travel assistance services. This service is a great benefit in the event you need help while participating in the program. 

  • Study in America FAQ

    • Depending on your financial aid eligibility, it may cover tuition, fees, and the program fee. The only cost for students is the expenses in the non-program fee such as airfare, personal meals, etc. 

    • It is! Both programs provide a travel aspect to the course offering. Study in America focuses on domestic destinations, shorter traveling periods, and is more cost-efficient for the student.