Study Abroad Programs in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Traveling and seeing the world doesn’t necessarily mean taking a break from your studies. Study abroad with AIFS and broaden your academic knowledge while learning about foreign cultures! Serving more than 1.5 million students since 1964, AIFS is a recognized provider of study abroad programs. We offer a broad range of unique programs in the Americas, South Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia. And you don’t even have to be proficient in a foreign language to join because most AIFS campuses conduct courses in English or other foreign languages across all levels. AIFS offers all-inclusive program fees, making it simple for students to experience everything the world has to offer while living and studying abroad! Most of all, we guarantee their safety and welfare anywhere they are.

Seamester is the educational adventure of a lifetime! For more than 40 years, we have offered unparalleled educational voyages where students spend a semester at sea sailing between islands, countries, and even continents. We design our programs to provide engaging learning experiences with real outcomes in ways that are impossible to replicate in the traditional classroom. Living as part of a close-knit team on an ocean-going vessel, our students learn fundamental lessons beyond academics: teamwork, leadership, and personal responsibility. They receive academic credit from the University of South Florida, along with PADI scuba certifications and IYT sailing certifications. Our programs are designed to inspire students to realize that it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters the most.

Imagine spending three January weeks in the Galápagos studying Marine Ecology and Environmental Studies. Yes, please! On this IES Abroad program, you'll study at the Galápagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS) on San Cristóbal island, a remote campus of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito established specifically to further conservation and sustainable development efforts. In true IES Abroad fashion, your learning will extend beyond the classroom. Imagine exploring flora and fauna, visiting an extinct volcano, and snorkeling...all for class.

You will live like a biologist as you explore the Amazon basin, the Andes, cloud forests, Pacific Ocean coastline, and the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador—unique climatic niches that harbor ecological treasures and a wealth of flora and fauna. Within these diverse and vulnerable settings, you will conduct fieldwork and live with homestay families in Quito and the rural cloud forest. Excursions include the Andean páramo, the Amazon, and a week in the Galápagos Islands. SIT's program in Ecuador offers the choice to do a minor in environmental science or conservation biology. MONEY MATTERS SIT has given an average of over $1.3 million in scholarships and grants to SIT Study Abroad students in recent years and is committed to ensuring you have the information necessary to apply for such funding. Our program costs include academics, excursions, accommodations, airport transfers, meals, and health insurance. Be sure to discuss how study abroad costs are handled at your school with your study abroad advisor and read the website for more specific information.

Track a tapir and Andean bears in a cloud forest. Study primates and rainforest ecology in the Amazon. Then get ready to explore the Galápagos, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, on this 20-day adventure for high school students 16 and up. Tropical ecosystems exhibit an amazing degree of biodiversity and species richness, and this program brings you into the heart of it all - the Andes Mountains, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Galápagos Islands. Conduct biological surveys while you track Andean mountain bears, jaguars, and the elusive tapir. Head into a remote part of the Amazon jungle where the world's most biodiverse region is right at your fingertips. Snorkel and explore the pristine islands of the Galápagos Archipelago, home to the widest array of flora and fauna on the planet. We are offering two sessions for 2026 (while space lasts): June 22 - July 11, 2026 July 13 - August 1, 2026

Earth Expeditions (EE) are Miami University study abroad courses designed for people looking for inspiring professional development opportunities while earning graduate credit. All courses engage with grassroots conservation and sustainability programs making a difference in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Our planned 2026 EE sites are the Amazon, Australia, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Brazil, Costa Rica, Galápagos, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Namibia, Paraguay, and Thailand. Awarding seven graduate credit hours (5 credits for the Summer Term + 2 credits for the Fall Semester), EE courses are hybrid and combine direct global study experiences with engagement in a web-based online learning community. Summer field courses typically run from mid-May through mid-August, with pre-course work beginning in April. The international field “in-country” portion of each class generally lasts 9-10 days. The 2-credit-hour follow-on fall semester course, “Inquiry & Action,” is entirely online and typically runs from late August to mid-December. This component is optional for students taking an EE course for stand-alone graduate credit outside the master’s program.

Planning to work during your gap year? Or are you just looking to better yourself? AdventureEXP’s Life Skills Foundation course is designed to equip you with critical skills necessary for both personal growth and professional success. This course blends our engaging curriculum with practical professional development, focusing on cultivating versatile skills such as effective communication, money management, and personal wellness. It is structured to transition you from academic achievement to life and career success, while supporting you in getting the most out of your current and upcoming travel and work experiences. In addition to the essential life skills developed, you can receive college credit transferrable to your university upon successful completion and contribute toward your degree. Topics covered in this course: - Personal Development - Professional Development - Adulting 101 - Mental/Emotional Health Development

The Tropical Conservation Semester offers a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Ecuador, where you will immerse yourself in Latin American culture and language, and explore some of the most pristine and wildlife-packed sites on the planet. You will experience the immense biodiversity of Ecuador from the Amazon Rainforest, to the Andes Mountains, to the Galápagos Islands. Ceiba has partnered with the University of Wisconsin to offer an unparalleled semester in applied tropical ecology, conservation, and rural community development. We join real-world conservation projects, and encourage you to blend the academic and applied realms, bridging the gap between classroom science and practical conservation. This one-of-a-kind semester is ideal for undergraduate students in biological and social fields who seek interdisciplinary training for careers in habitat protection, tropical ecology, environmental education, and international development.

Snorkel in crystal-clear waters alongside sea lions, sea turtles, and marine iguanas, and observe the iconic wildlife that inspired the theory of evolution. This unique program takes you aboard the National Geographic Islander II, an intimate expedition ship designed for daily exploration across the Galápagos Islands. Led by National Geographic Explorer and professor Dr. Alizé Carrère, you’ll experience the Galápagos both on land and beneath the waves. Each day brings new opportunities to engage with this extraordinary ecosystem—through guided hikes, snorkeling, and close-up wildlife encounters. This once-in-a-lifetime journey offers more than just travel; it’s a deep dive into one of the world’s most biologically significant regions, designed to inspire curiosity, scientific thinking, and a lifelong connection to the natural world.