About the Mongolia Field School

Overview

Mongolia Field School (MFS) courses offer an educational travel experience that blends academic insights and discussions with hands-on, immersive travel, allowing participants to interact with local people and locations outside the usual tourist track. All courses are taught in English and no prior experience in the course subject matter is required.

All Mongolia Field School courses begin in Ulaanbaatar with an orientation to Mongolian culture, history, language, and contemporary issues. Participants will meet their instructors and classmates from Mongolia and around the world to begin their learning journey together. Class groups will then travel to selected sites across Mongolia to engage in field research that contextualizes course themes and increases subject matter understanding. All participants will have the opportunity to see important sites in Mongolia and participate in tourist activities while also gaining unique insights from their course leaders, local people, officials, and experts. Past Field School courses have covered topics including the sonic world of the steppe, public health in Ulaanbaatar and the countryside, Mongolian horse culture, and wildlife conservation, but please be aware that Field School courses vary from year to year. We cannot guarantee that a course offered one year will be available the next, so if you are particularly interested in a specific course topic, we encourage you to apply!

Tuition, Fees, and Logistics

Program tuition for full-term courses covers the costs of the academic program, travel arrangements for course-related travel within Mongolia, accommodations for all nights of the Field School, and most meals. Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Ulaanbaatar, and should budget for incidental expenses during their stay in Mongolia. While a number of merit- and need-based scholarships are available, we encourage applicants to seek outside funding, including from their home institutions (where applicable). For more details, please see the information on fellowship awards in the Mongolia Field School application once it opens in late 2024.

Tuition varies based on the program length and content, but usually ranges from $1,750 to $3,500 for non-Mongolian participants and from ₮600`000 to ₮1`200`000 for Mongolian participants. Please check each individual course page for a full cost breakdown of that program.

Tuition costs, fellowship availability, and course offerings are subject to change from year to year.

All participants must be 18 years of age or older by the start date of their chosen Field School course.

For questions about the Mongolia Field School, please contact mfs@mongoliacenter.org.