Field Experience Requirement

All IDEC students must gain field experience to graduate.  This is an essential part of the educational experience.  It generally takes place during summer after the first year of courses.

A field experience plan should be worked out in consultation with your advisor and must receive the advisor's approval.

There are two options.

• Field research experience. Travel outside the United States to a less-developed country to conduct field research.  This involves collecting primary data and accessing secondary data that will form the basis for your master’s thesis. Students generally conduct this research in teams under the supervision of a faculty advisor. This is the most common choice for students working on microeconomic topics.
• Internship. Work for an organization (public, private, or governmental) in a field related to your research interests and career goals. Students choosing the internship option write a thesis based on data that does not require direct field collection, such as from secondary sources. This option is chosen most often (although not exclusively) by students focusing on macroeconomic/international phenomena. Students choosing this option must work at least 160 hours for the organization.