Field Schools and Field Trips

YOUR CLASSROOM, ABROAD!

VIU Field Schools offer a variety of short term Education Abroad programs led by faculty that range from exploring the cuisine of Italy to discovering international business practices in China.  By taking part in one of our short term programs you will gain valuable in-the-field experience while exposing yourself to new ideas, people, cultures and adventure.  Field schools offered by VIU range from 10 days and 6 weeks abroad, and are led by VIU faculty members.

The list below will change throughout the year, as field school programs are developed and promoted.

 

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 VIU Anthropology and Geography Field School to China

May 7 - 24, 2019 (tentative)

Living on Vancouver Island, many are not so aware of the impact of Asia (the East) upon North America (the West), except perhaps in the context of the large international student contingent from East Asia.  There has been contact between the continents over centuries through people, trade, and ideas.  By visiting locales closer to home (Vancouver, Richmond), students will be introduced to some of these connections evident in the landscape, the people, and food culture.  When in China, whether China proper or its special administrative regions (SAR), i.e., Macau and Hong Kong, those associations found in Canada will become even more apparent and vice versa.  If not for the East, where would our tea drinking habit be or even the colonisation of North America by ‘explorers’ seeking a trade route to Asia?  Through travel, students have a unique opportunity to study by direct experience; in addition to learning through the usual complementary written resources.
 
VIU Management Field School to Europe (Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany) 2019

May 1 - 21, 2019 (tentative)

This 9 credit field school will visit Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany. Participants can expect to take part in industry tours of breweries, the BMW plant near Munich, meeting a representative of a Russian bank,  visiting Croatian national parks, a salt mine,   a Unesco site, conference attendance that will allow the student to meet researchers from all over the world.
 VIU Baking and Culinary Field School to Italy 

February 23 - March 10, 2019 (Tentative)

Baking students and alumni are invited to join the biannual field trip. This year the program will be based in Florence, Italy.
 
 VIU Management Field School to France

May 1 - 18, 2019 (Tentative)

This 9 credit program takes you to France to increase your knowledge, skills and abilities in the subject of wine business and marketing by exploring the French wine industry. We will use a combination of academic study and experiential learning to understand the cultural, media, legal and marketing mix influences on the Wine Supply Chain, from grower to consumer. 

VIU English and Geography Field School to Trieste, Italy

May 16 - June 1, 2019

Info Sessions:
Monday, October 1 from 11:30-12:30 in B370 R226
Wednesday, November 7 from 16:00-17:00 in B345 R102
Wednesday, November 21 from 16:00-17:00 in B370 R217

Trieste, with its historical links to Italian, Germanic, and Slavic cultures, and located between the Adriatic Sea and Karst mountains, provides an excellent case study of a cultural contact zone. As author Jan Morris notes, “in this city, the lines between fact and fiction, past and present, the explicit and the enigmatic, let alone between one ethnicity and another, always seem to be uncertain.”

We will explore the uncertain space of Trieste by studying the city’s literature, history, geography, art, and architecture. We will try to answer the following questions: What happens when borders shift, populations migrate, and cultures collide? Are cultural values maintained, recreated, or at risk? Are there opportunities for collaboration and cooperation? How does geography shape culture, and vice versa?

 
2018 - 2019 Field School Listing - More to Come!

Opportunities will be published as they come available in the Fall and Spring semesters, typically between October - January.  Speak to Faculty members in your program area to find out more about programs in the planning stages or connect with us in Education Abroad.

 

  

 

 

 
VIU Baking & Pastry Field School to Belgium & France
January 27 - February 11, 2018

In addition to learning about french culinary and baking culture in France, the program will also include travel to  Belgium to visit the Callebaut chocolate factory and the Puratos Bakery Ingredient Innovation Centre. In France, participants will visit the Lesaffre Yeast Company and attend Europain - A world bakery, pastry, ice cream, chocolate and confectionery trade show & exhibition in Paris.

 
VIU Sport, Health & Physical Education Field School to Belize
April 26 - May 6, 2018

Students will spend an interactive week at Holy Cross Anglican School in the San Mateo district of San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye in Belize.  At the school, the participants will plan and engage in various physical activity and sport programs with the students.  There may also be an opportunity to develop lessons combining numeracy, literacy and physical activity.  Non-school related activity will include exploration of the many aspects of life on Ambergris Caye, as the gateway to the World's second largest barrier reef.
 
VIU Recreation & Tourism Field School to Costa Rica (Heart of Gold Project)
May 1 - 20, 2018

This study tour provides students with opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge they have gained within the VIU Recreation and Tourism Program in a real-world setting and help enhance and further the Heart of Gold Project’s goals.  Students will engage in participant observation and may be engaged in  other qualitative research at the ‘Heart of Gold’ Project’s primary study site in the Los Santos Region during the 10 day.  ‘Students will also explore issues related to diversifying small-scale farming economies, eco- and agro-tourism development, and livelihood sustainability in the field.

 
VIU Management Wine Field School to France
May 1 - May 18, 2018

This 9 credit program takes you to France to increase your knowledge, skills and abilities in the subject of wine business and marketing by exploring the French wine industry.  The program will begin their exploration in Champagne, followed by stop overs in Dijon and the Burgundy region, before moving south to Beaujolais and then onto the Northern Rhone wine region, and lastly spending a few days in Paris before departure.
 
VIU Business Field School to Mainland China and Taiwan
May 1 - May 25, 2018

This field school will cover key areas involved in creating business in China.  Canadian and other international companies need to know how to break into the world’s second largest and fastest growing economy.  Students will gain insight into how to do that by meeting International and Chinese companies and organizations involved in market development and conducting business in China.  As leading business and finance centers in China, Shanghai and Taipei will be the focus of our investigation.
 
VIU Liberal Studies Field School to Italy, Florence (re-directs to Faculty page)
May 2 - June 3, 2018

An interdisciplinary exploration of one of the most dynamic and significant periods in the history of European culture. The setting - the city of Florence - is perfect because of its immense contribution to the Renaissance, the 14th-16th century reawakening of humanistic learning and artistic endeavour.  Explore the art, architecture, literature, science and philosophy. Participants attend lectures, concerts and visits to museums, galleries and other artistic sites, in Florence and elsewhere, and meet in small seminars to discuss the writings of the period.  Contact libby.mcgratten@viu.ca with questions or to apply.
 
VIU Earth Science Field School to Yellowstone National Park, USA
August 18 - 29, 2018

Yellowstone is one of the world’s largest volcanic systems, which  straddles the boundaries between Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, USA. This park was the first National Park created in the United States, largely because of the impressive geological wonders that can be observed here.  On this field course students will travel by bus to Yellowstone to observe the unique volcanic and hydrothermal features. Participants will spend 10 days studying the geologic history of the region, learn about the methods used to monitor and understand the volcano, and consider the hazard that such a large volcanic system poses to humans.
 
VIU Recreation & Tourism Field School to Sao Paulo, Brazil
August 24 - September 1

The focus of the field school will explore Dark Tourism, which can be studied under various names; favela, slum, township, poverty tourism and poorism.  A community based response to the growing demand for tourism in the favela, and an organized response to the exploitation carried on by favela tours today has a far reaching leisure context that will be explored in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

 

2017 Outgoing Programs

Field schools offered by VIU range from 10 days and 6 weeks abroad, and are led by VIU faculty members.

(*) indicates which programs are open to students from other institutions and/or members of the general public.

Country

Program

Dates

ITALY, Florence*

Liberal Studies

Contact:  Libby.McGratten@viu.ca

May 3 - June 4

BELIZE*

Baking

Contact:  Ken.Harper@viu.ca

 May 2 -14

EU - Finland, Estonia, Sweden

Business

Contact:  Alexander.Pevec@viu.ca

April 28 - May 21

 

HAWAII

Hospitality

Contact:  Jonelle.Knowles@viu.ca

May 1 - 22

ICELAND

Geology

Contact:  Tim.Stokes@viu.ca

May 25 - June 5

INDONESIA

Early Childhood Education & Care (ECEC) – Practicum

Contact:  Sheila.Grieve@viu.ca

April 17 – May 15

ITALY*

Adventures in Mind

Contact: John.Black@viu.ca

Tentative Dates May 13 - June 4, 2017

MACEDONIA, Skopje

Anthropology

Contact: Ilka.Thiessen@viu.ca

May 1 – June 16

USA, Alaska

First Nations Studies

Contact: Laurie.MeijerDrees@viu.ca

May 21 - 27

USA, Arizona

Sociology & Criminology

Contacts: Elizabeth.Mclin@viu.ca & Sylvie.Lafreniere@viu.ca

February 15 – 26

USA, New York

Art & Design

Contacts:  Jason.Gress@viu.ca & Ellen.McClusky@viu.ca

February 18 - 26

Process to Apply

1. Explore Your Options

Find out what is happening in your Faculty or Program area!  Many programs start to promote their upcoming field schools a semester or more in advance, through posters, presentations and through the Education Abroad website.  If you're unsure, ask us or connect with your Program Chair.

2. Express Your Interest

For most field schools, the field school leaders will gather Expression of Interest Forms from interested participants.  These forms can be found in the individual field school websites or can be obtained from the field school leaders directly.  An interview may follow, and references may be required.  If you are accepted, the Education Abroad office will be in touch about the timing of the next steps.

3. Secure Your Seat with a Deposit

Once accepted, students will receive a welcome message from VIU Education Abroad with instructions to pay the deposit and complete the waiver form.  All field school deposits & subsequent payments are made through the VIU Student Record System.  Charges will appear under "My Fees - Field School Fees."  Students can make their payments through their record, using online or telephone banking.  Note: VIU does not accept credit cards for field school payments.

An initial non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure a seat in most programs.  Please review the Cancellation & Refund Procedures.

Contact us for more information

Education Abroad Office
Faculty of International Education
Building 255
Email: EducationAbroad@viu.ca
Phone: 250-753-3245 x2494

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