The capstone of Ecology and Anthropology in Tanzania is an independent study project (ISP) completed by students on a topic of their choice. These projects range from public health issues to wildlife studies. Throughout the program students will take a field methods course that introduces and teaches research methods and techniques. Later, towards the last month of the program, students will implement their knowledge and understanding of these methods to design and execute a project of their own.
Often times, students will work with existing projects and NGOs for their ISPs. Throughout the program students are encouraged to be thinking about possible projects. Students will write a proposal that explains their projects, includes a literature review, and a procedure for their data collection. Following this, students will spend the next several weeks collecting data individually or in small groups in the field.
In the past, students have stayed at hotels, Maasai bomas, and at MS-TCDC. At the end of the program, students will analyze their data, compile a final report, and present their findings to their classmates and the local community. Some, but not all of the projects include lab work throughout the data analysis. While a limited research experience, completing the ISP is a highly valuable experience, especially if you are interested in getting a sense of what research looks like or wanting more research experience.
Examples of past independent study projects include:
Anthropology
- Assessment of the Ability of WaArusha and Maasai Villagers to Purchase Grazing Alternatives: An Approach Using Focus Group Discussions to Determine the Feasibility of Buying Grass
- Perceptions of Crop Damage and Human-Wildlife Conflict in the Maasai Village of Tinga Tinga, Tanzania
- Community Perceptions, Understandings, and Indirect Beneficiaries of the Rangeland’s Guardians Education Program in Northern Tanzania
- Community Perceptions of the Rangeland Guardians Education Program in Northern Tanzania and Interaction with Local Knowledge
- Gender Dynamics, its Implementation and Resulting Community Perceptions held on Oikos’s Rangeland Guardian Program in Northern Tanzania
- Effectiveness of Conservation Education in Primary vs. Secondary Schools in Longido District, Tanzania
- A study of environmental understanding in formal and informal educational settings in the Northern Tanzania
- Traditional Medicine and Knowledge Transmission among Maasai in Loibor Siret
- Healthcare Decision-Making Among Maasai Communities in Loibor Siret, Tanzania
Ecology
- Perceptions of Climate Change and Rangeland Restoration in Mkuru, Tanzania
- A Survey of Perceptions and Adaptation to Climate Change in Tinga Tinga, Northern Tanzania
- Effect of Elevation on Density and Species Composition of Woody Species Within Rangelands: A Comparison of Two Villages Within Arumeru District, Northern Tanzania
- Factors Determining Invasive Plant Species Richness, Density, and Cover in Rangelands: A Pilot Study of Restoration Areas in Northern Tanzania
- Where do they come from, where do they go? Creating a Participatory Map of Wildlife Corridors in Northern Tanzania
- Road Transect Methods and the effectiveness of the Wildlife Roadkill Monitoring in Arusha District
- The Effect of Livestock Grazing on Soil Nutrients and Characteristics in Randilen Wildlife Mangement Area (WMA)
- Ground Cover Across Land Use Practices in Randilen WMA, Northern Tanzania
- Characterizing Presence of Dichrostachys cinerea in Randilen WMA
- A study of utilization frequency by Leopards (Panthera Pardus) in Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Quantifying the impact of dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) herbivory on Acacia growth while determining acacia preferences of dik-dik in savanna ecosystem in Northern Tanzania
- A Catalog of Sacred Plants Among Maasai near Loibor-siret in Simanjiro, Tanzania
- Management of Parthenium hysterophorus, Ipomea hildebrantii, and Prosopis juliflora on Maasai Rangelands in Loibor Serrit, Tanzania