Costs and Application Requirements
The cost for the field school program is $4250. This includes all in-country housing, food (3 daily meals, drinks, and snacks), ground transportation, excavation equipment and supplies, cultural field trips, and the course reader. University of Hawaii at Manoa Study Abroad program fees are also included. The program fee increases to $5150 for 6 transferable semester credits of ANTH 381 (undergraduate level) or ANTH 668 (graduate level), or $5600 for 9 transferable semester credits.
Roundtrip airfare to La Paz, Bolivia is not included. The cost of such airfare can vary widely. Participants are encouraged to use online travel sites to compare airfares, or a registered travel agent. Note that visitors holding passports from some countries (including the United States) are required to purchase a Visa to enter Bolivia. This can be arranged through your embassy ahead of time, or at the airport on arrival if you hold a U.S. passport. Students are strongly advised to check visa requirements well in advance of travel. U.S. passport holders can read about visas on the State Department website.
The costs of any needed vaccinations are also not included. Recommended vaccinations include yellow fever, tuberculosis, MMR and polio. Malaria is not present in the highlands, and so no precautions are necessary, unless you plan to travel to the Amazonian region on your own. Check with your doctor or international travel clinic; decisions about vaccines are entirely up to you.
Financial Aid
Although we do not directly offer financial aid, scholarships and student loans to offset the costs of an academic program such as this one are often available through the Financial Aid offices of your home institution. If you are a University of Hawai`i student, visit the U.H. Study Abroad Center pages for information on financial aid. University of Hawai'i students should apply for aid through the financial aid office in the Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services, and do so as early as possible.
Application and Payment Deadlines
The deadline for applying to the Obrajes Regional Archaeological Project’s 2010 Summer Field School is THURSDAY, APRIL 1. Spaces are very limited, however, so you are strongly encouraged to apply early. We may consider applications submitted after this date, but only if space remains.
Once accepted to the program, the following payment deadlines must be met to keep your spot. All payments will be processed through the University of Hawaii at Manoa Study Abroad office, with instructions provided on acceptance.
- $50.00 non-refundable application fee due by April 1 (make check payable to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and send to the address below with ”Bolivia field school application” written on the check)
- $2500 payment due on April 15
- $1750 final payment due on April 30
Course Requirements
There are no prerequisites for student participation. All students are, however, expected to participate in all scheduled activities including fieldwork, lab work, and fieldtrips.
Participants will be selected on the basis of a number of criteria:
- your application essay detailing your objectives for participation in the field school
- completion of some course work in archaeology or anthropology
- academic excellence (as indicated by grades and letter of recommendation)
- strong motivation, positive attitude, adaptability, and ability to work well with others (as indicated by your statement and the letter of recommendation)
- although not a requirement, we prefer students with some formal background in or native ability to speak Spanish (This is a desirable, but not a necessary qualification.)
All students are required to arrive in La Paz no later than Monday, May 24. Students should be prepared to depart Bolivia no earlier than Saturday, July 10. You are encouraged, however, to extend your stay to travel within South America. It is both very safe and very inexpensive to do so, and sights such as Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines, Chilean wine country and the Amazonian rainforest are within easy reach from Bolivia.
To Apply
Complete the application form posted here:
Click here to download the application
Email the completed form as an attachment to Dr Christine Beaule at Beaule@hawaii.edu. The $50.00 non-refundable application fee should be mailed to UH Manoa at the address on the Contact Information page (make the check payable to the University of Hawaii at Manoa with ”Bolivia field school application” written on the check). You should arrange to have two letters of recommendation emailed directly to Dr Beaule by the application deadline of March 5. All applicants will be notified of their status within 2 weeks of receipt of a complete application.