Passion for Justice
International & Development Economics, MS
International Field Research
Every IDEC student completes summer field research or an internship in a developing country. You collect primary data with faculty guidance and later turn that work into a master’s thesis that can lead to publishable research.
What is the required overseas field-study internship?
A unique and key feature of the program is the overseas field-study internship. This internship is coordinated with the help of an economics department faculty adviser and takes place in the summer between semesters of study at USF. Research collected during the field study can be applied toward the graduate research project. While the department and its faculty have developed relations with partner universities in the Philippines, El Salvador, and Guatemala, students are not limited to these partnerships. Students can identify and set up an internship for their research projects and experiments at sites in other countries with the approval of their adviser.
Hear From Our Students
Here are just some of the places they go to conduct field research.
Where in the world have students gone?
Does the program cover the cost of students’ overseas field study internship?
The department provides partial travel stipends to help offset the travel expenses for summer field research. However, the program's contribution varies each year. Students are advised to factor the costs of their overseas field study internship into the total cost of their program.
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