This is a student and staff-run blog dedicated to documenting the diverse range of research fieldwork conducted by our master’s students in the MS in International and Development Economics at the University of San Francisco around the world. Occasionally, our students in the MS in Applied Economics choose to do a master’s thesis and conduct field research alongside our IDEC students.
- During their first year, students narrow down research topics, come up with research questions, and design data collection methods with the help of their faculty advisors.
- During the summer, our students form a small group with fellow students to collect primary data and access secondary data as part of an internship. Their field research will be the basis for their master’s thesis, developed through directly working with a faculty advisor 1:1 over the course of two years.
- In their 2nd-year of study, students analyze the data collected from their field research to formulate their thesis and defend their research in the spring before they graduate.
The fieldwork is usually conducted during the summer between students’ first and second year of study. Occasionally, our students travel overseas during winter or spring break.
In the past, our students have traveled to Uganda, Mexico, India, China, Colombia, the Philippines, El Salvador, Guatemala, Pakistan, Italy, Iran, and more to conduct field experiments.
You can read the master’s thesis written by our past students here. For questions, please email idec@usfca.edu
