The Field Study Program allows select students to work full time or conduct full-time research in areas closely related to their academic interests. Field study substitutes for one term at Princeton. Students in the program may hold responsible positions in a government agency, private firm or nonprofit organization. The academic component of a field study proposal is as important as the job assignment itself and should constitute the equivalent of course work appropriate to a four course load.
In order to pursue field study, you must design a proposal in consultation with a departmental representative in your concentration, and with a faculty member who agrees to serve as your academic adviser for the field experience. You must secure the position, which may be salaried or nonpaying, and develop a course of study and a set of assignments or projects to supplement your work experience. Those papers or projects will analyze your experience and demonstrate your mastery of the relevant literature. The academic work associated with field study must be distinct from your thesis and be supervised by a faculty member other than your thesis adviser.
To learn more about the program, please contact the dean’s assistant who will be happy to help you schedule an appointment with Dean Elizabeth Colagiuri. Admission to the program is granted by the Committee on Examinations and Standing. Applications are due by May 15 for fall term proposals and by December 1 for spring term proposals.
Successful completion of the program appears as "Field Study" in the appropriate term on your transcript. Please note that the field study experience is ungraded.