The UConn Interdisciplinary Ethnography Field School in Mauritius is targeted towards students across all fields in the humanities and social sciences. In particular, it is of interest to students looking for hands-on field experience and interested in interdisciplinary social scientific research.

The program is based on experiential learning. Students will have the opportunity to conduct their own projects as well as to participate in faculty-led research. The program follows a problem-focused approach and instruction moves beyond traditional disciplinary lines, drawing from a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, from interviews and surveys to behavioral experiments and physiological measurements.

This program is immersive. In contrast to most other study abroad programs, this program does not consist in taking classes at another university. Instead, lessons are held in a variety of locations related to the course material. Students will have the opportunity to interact with the local community, participating in their rituals, meals, and other activities, and get a first-hand experience of the Mauritian way of life.

This program takes place in a truly unique setting. Mauritius is one of the most diverse societies in the world, where members of numerous ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups live and interact in close proximity. Due to its history and human geography, and as a prime example of multiculturalism, it provides an exceptional case study in issues such as colonialism, slavery, globalization, development, environmental challenges, religious pluralism, and societal change.