The UTSHPO Field School is an intentionally designed "CRM Finishing School" that bridges the gap between the classroom and a professional career. Our model is built on a near 1:1 field-to-office cadence, ensuring that for every hour spent in the dirt, students spend an hour in the lab or office mastering the technical "back-end" of the industry. We train students in the full lifecycle of a compliance project—from navigating Section 106 and conducting Class III surveys to geoprocessing in ArcGIS Pro and drafting legal-standard Utah Archaeological Site Forms (UASF). By the end of the eight-week program, students have moved beyond the role of a trainee to become a professional co-author on technical reports, with their work integrated directly into the state’s master database (SEGO).

What makes this program unique is its focus on "Industry Readiness" through a 1:2 mentor-to-student ratio and a "Quantity and Quality" production standard. Students are trained to operate at a professional pace while maintaining a foolproof standard of documentation, ensuring they exit the program as highly competitive candidates for federal agency and private consulting positions. This commitment to professionalization is reflected in our compensation model and our mentorship in professional dissemination, including support for conference presentations and portfolio development. By treating students as professional colleagues from day one, the UTSHPO is creating a sustainable pipeline of technically proficient, ethics-grounded archaeologists ready to lead the next generation of cultural resource stewardship in the West.

Find out more at: https://ushpo.utah.gov/