Science Study Abroad Programs in Ecuador

Earn 3 credits studying the 2-week environmental science program in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador with AIFS Abroad. The course, "Ecosystems and Biodiversity in the Galápagos", at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, introduces the major ecosystems in the Galápagos Islands and their ecological complexity. Students will participate in academic field excursions to learn about the environmental characteristics, biodiversity, ecological niche, and environmental issues of the archipelago. Stay in hotels in Quito and Santa Cruz and a homestay while on San Cristóbal Island. Visits and field trips are a key part of your academic study in the Galápagos, while social and cultural activities in Quito give you a better understanding of Ecuador – the South American country governing the islands. In the Galápagos, students visit La Lobería Beach, La Galapaguera, Kicker Rock, and Frigate Bird Hill. USFQ was founded in 1988, one of Ecuador's top-ranked universities and the only private, liberal arts university in the country. USFQ opened its extension campus on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, in 2002 to promote conservation in the archipelago through education and research.

IES Abroad offers 140+ programs in more than 35 locations worldwide for undergraduate students. We're a little obsessed with study abroad, and not at all ashamed to admit it. We are a highly-charged force of study abroad enthusiasts. Every day we have the privilege of witnessing how study abroad changes our students' lives. That's the reason we do what we do: to provide once-in-a-lifetime educational adventures. Everything we do is about the IES Abroad student. Our goal is to provide personal support and guidance throughout your application and enrollment process. Whether it's housing or cultural events or field trips, our job is to make sure you have the most authentic study abroad experience possible. Study with us for a summer, semester, or year. No matter the term, our world-class faculty and courses will engage you as you discover new ways of learning both inside and outside the classroom. How will study abroad redefine you? We can't wait to find out.

The Galápagos Islands are a spectacular natural treasure and one of the best places on Earth to appreciate change. To biologists, a trip to the Galápagos is something of a pilgrimage to sacred evolutionary ground, for it was here in 1835 that Charles Darwin witnessed how giant tortoises, finches, and other taxa each varied from island to island across the archipelago—observations that, among many others, shaped Darwin’s ideas on evolution. For this course, we will be working with Ecology Project International (EPI), which championed inquiry-driven field science and sustainability for many years and made tremendous progress working with the Galápagos National Parks Service and others on ecological education. This course is also offered in partnership with the Houston Zoo. Students in this course should be prepared to explore the forces of change in the Galápagos and contribute directly to sustainable solutions to current issues. Before and following the field experience in Galápagos, students will complete coursework via Dragonfly Workshops' Web-Based Learning Community as they apply these experiences to their home institutions.

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.