Faculty of ArtThe Urban Ethnographic Field School (UEFS) offers students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in community-engaged research and learning. Running in 2026 Summer Session Term 1 (May 11–June 18), this intensive program unfolds over six weeks and carries six academic credits. Students may register through either ANTH 480 or SOCI 480, making it accessible to those in Anthropology, Sociology, and related fields.
Classes meet Monday through Thursday each week, with three-hour sessions from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Depending on space and learning needs, sessions take place either on campus or at the UBC Learning Exchange in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (612 Main Street),.
Beyond classroom learning, students also commit 8–10 hours per week working alongside community partners. This applied component is central to the Field School—giving you hands-on experience in collaborative research, relationship-building, and the everyday practice of ethnography in urban settings.
The 2026 Field School will be led by Dr. Rima Wilkes (Sociology) and Dr. Amir Shiva (Anthropology).
The Urban Ethnographic Field School gives you far more than classroom learning. You will develop practical ethnographic skills, engage meaningfully with local communities, and take part in research that has real-world impact. Along the way, you’ll deepen your understanding of urban life, inequality, and social theory, gaining insights that stay with you well beyond the course.
Admission to the Urban Ethnographic Field School is selective, and students are accepted through a simple application process. The application will open in January 2026 and remain open until March 1, after which admission decisions will be made in mid-March. The application-based selection helps us build a cohort of students who are ready for collaborative community-engaged research and committed to the spirit of field-based learning.
Alongside regular UBC tuition, the Field School includes a $300 supplemental fee. This contribution helps us honour the work of our community partners and supports events that bring community guest speakers as well as students together throughout the term. We are committed to making the Field School accessible. Students with financial need may apply for a need-based bursary to help offset this additional cost.
Each year, we also celebrate exceptional academic work. The Dan Small Award recognizes outstanding student papers written during the Field School, offering distinction for excellence in community-engaged scholarship.
FAQ
Q: I don’t have formal training in ethnographic methods, and/or my major isn’t in anthropology or sociology. Can I still apply?
A: Absolutely! We regularly admit students without prior experience in qualitative research, as well as students from disciplines outside anthropology and sociology. If the Field School interests you, we encourage you to apply.
Q: Can I split the 6 credits—for example, take 3 ANTH credits and 3 SOCI credits?
A: Unfortunately, no. You must enroll in either 6 credits of ANTH (ANTH 480) or 6 credits of SOCI (SOCI 480).
Q: Can I handle the workload if I enroll in another course or keep a full-time job during Summer Term 1?
A: Because the Field School is intensive and includes significant community-based work, we strongly recommend against taking other courses or maintaining full-time employment during the term.
Q: If I’m accepted, can I choose my preferred community partner?
A: Not exactly—but we do our best! When pairing students with community partners, we make every effort to align partner needs with student interests, skills, and learning goals.
Q: What do past participants say about the Field School?
A: Watch this short video to learn about that!
Students from the 2017 cohort of the UBC Urban Ethnographic Field School.
The Urban Ethnographic Field School (originally called the Immigrant Vancouver Ethnographic Field School) was established in 2010 by Professors Jennifer Chuong in Sociology and Alexia Bloch in Anthropology. Each year the focus of the Field School continues to expand beyond a concern with the experiences of recent immigrants in Vancouver to include student engagement with the city’s many vibrant communities and neighbourhood-based organizations.
Janice Wu
Cohort: Summer Term 2017
Placement: Gordon Neighbourhood House
As a third year student going into fourth year, UEFS provided me with a great opportunity to connect with the community on a different level. It allowed me to reach out to communities and organizations in Vancouver which I would not have been aware of. The best part of UEFS was that we all grew together within the six weeks, creating valuable bonds between our community partners and the peers that we were learning with. Plus, it was a fun way to earn six credits within six weeks! At my placement, Gordon Neighbourhood House, I actively partook in growing crops and selling locally grown food to the downtown West End community. Since, I don’t live in that area, it was an eye opening experience to know how a neighbourhood house runs, which principles run the place, and how similar organizations can positively (or negatively) influence or affect the community members in the area. Overall, this class taught me to think, analyze, observe, and share in a new perspective. It was an invaluable experience for me.
Veronica Cho
Cohort: Summer Term 2017
Placement: Atira Women's Resource Society
UEFS was an amazing experience. It was an opportunity to be truly hands-on with my sociological education, in the sense that we were learning theories inside the classroom and applying them in our community placements. After the six-week course was over, I continued to volunteer at my placement. The value of fostering connections in the community, professors and students was invaluable and I would recommend applying to this program for any student who is interested.
"Learning by Doing Good" is an interactive StoryMap researched and created by Field School alumnus Sophie Roth. The StoryMap provides a snapshot of the work of students in the Summer 2021 cohort of the UEFS. The full-page version of the StoryMap, can be found here.
"Field Work" is a UEFS podcast hosted by Field School alumnus Bryan Leung. Every episode of the series provides insight into different aspects of the UEFS' past and present through interviews with members of the field school.
Episode 1: Kerry Greer. Listen here.
So what the heck is UEFS all about and what exactly is "ethnography"? This podcast features Kerry Greer - UEFS Instructor and Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at UBC. Kerry provides insight into why UEFS is such a unique course for students and how it will benefit them in their academic career. She also explains to us, what exactly an "ethnography" is and why it's so important to have in your toolkit as a student and researcher.
Episode 2: Amir Shiva. Listen here.
Covid-19 has changed our lives forever and it also has changed how UEFS, which is usually a course offered in person at the UBC Learning Exchange in Chinatown, has been delivered in the past 2 years. Amir Shiva - previous UEFS Instructor and Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at UBC - joins us today to talk about how UEFS has adjusted to being online. We also talk about what exactly a "digital ethnography", how it has been introduced to students, and whether this kind of methodology will be used more in future research due to the pandemic changing how research is done in the social sciences.
Episode 3: Pat Moore. Listen here.
Food insecurity has become a top of mind issue especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pat Moore - Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UBC and UEFS Instructor joins us today to talk about how the UEFS Course interacts with the topic of food insecurity and how students contribute with assisting community organizations with their missions.
Episode 4: TomKemple. Listen Here.
UEFS has a rich history with community involvement. The program has learned and adapted itself with community input into how the program should be structured, so that it does not replicate the historically extractive relationship academic institutions have with communities. Tom Kemple - Professor in the Department of Sociology at UBC and UEFS Instructor joins us today to talk about this storied history with the creation of the program to its present day standing.