Marine Biology Study Abroad Programs in Western Europe

My experience with the college year in Athens through the Heritage Greece Programme was truly unforgettable. The programme gave me the opportunity to learn about Greek history, culture, and identity while experiencing everything firsthand throughout Greece. Instead of only learning in a classroom, we attended lectures and discussions at historical and archaeological sites such as the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Pnyx Hill, Delphi, and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion.One of my favourite parts of the program was seeing how ancient Greek history connects to modern Greece, particularly in areas such as democracy, business, politics, and cultural identity. We also had opportunities to meet and learn from leaders in government, business, and academia, which made the experience especially meaningful to me as a business student interested in international opportunities.Beyond the academics, I formed amazing friendships, became more connected to my Greek heritage, and experienced Greece in a way I never had before. CYA created such a welcoming environment and made learning feel immersive and exciting. I would absolutely recommend this program to students looking for an educational experience that combines academics, culture, travel, and personal growth. It is an experience I will always remember.

My time in Italy was one of the most amazing, life-changing, and enjoyable experiences I have ever had. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to visit Italy for the first time, especially since it was also my first time flying on an airplane. I loved how affordable the program was for everything that was included. We traveled throughout Central Italy, enjoyed amazing food and accommodations, and were guided by caring faculty and tour guides who truly wanted us to have the best experience possible. This trip gave me unforgettable memories, new friendships, and experiences that I will always be grateful for.

I had an unforgettable time in Italy with Molise Italian Studies. It was my first time visiting a country outside of the United States, so I was a little worried at first. However, the program was so well run and smooth that I soon had no worries whatsoever. Our guide, Andrea, was excellent and our trip would not have been what it was without him. I would highly recommend Molise Italian Studies to any one who is interested in Italian culture, history, or exploring another country.

My study abroad experience to Italy was incredible. I had met so many new amazing people and new connections. Our tour guide, Andrea, was very helpful, patient, and kind throughout the whole trip. I am very grateful to be chosen to attend this trip.

I studied with CYA in an immersive 2 week program through Heritage Greece. The CYA staff were so welcoming, supportive, and truly made my experience unforgettable. From lessons with Professor Eve to the cooking staff and field trip assistants, each person I encountered during my study abroad enhanced my time. I can not reccomend CYA enough! I hope to return again.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewSeptember 12, 2026

Hi Alyson, thank you for sharing your experience with CYA! We love to hear that you found the Heritage Greece program to be impactful and educational. We hope you can visit again soon!

Studying abroad through CYA was an experience I will always be grateful for. Living in Athens allowed me to immerse myself in Greek culture, explore incredible historical sites, and connect what I learned in the classroom to the world around me. I also made amazing friendships and became more independent and confident. CYA gave me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, experience a new culture, and create memories that I will carry with me for years to come.

Studying abroad through CYA was an experience I will always be grateful for. Living in Athens allowed me to immerse myself in Greek culture, explore incredible historical sites, and connect what I learned in the classroom to the world around me. I also made amazing friendships and became more independent and confident. CYA gave me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, experience a new culture, and create memories that I will carry with me for years to come.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewSeptember 12, 2026

Hi Hailey, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love hearing you had an unforgettable experience and had the chance to immerse yourself in the culture during your course. We hope you can visit again soon!

My summer study abroad with CYA was amazing. I learned so much in the class I took, and my professor was outstanding. Outside the classroom, the people and cultural experiences were very fun and engaging. CYA made my time in Greece unforgettable, and I'm so happy I did this program.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJuly 24, 2026

Hi Owen, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love hearing you learned so much in your course and had a great experience with your professor. We hope you can visit again soon!

About the professor: Katia is wonderful. She was the most patient, understanding, and knowledgeable professor I've had. You'll learn so many fun facts with each lesson, and finish the class day feeling so enriched! I really hope she never stops teaching this class. She was so caring and made my time abroad better than I expected it to be. About the course: Don't let the syllabus scare you, it doesn't really match the experience you'll have, aside from the locations visited and the two assignments you'll complete. Your experience is what you make of it! I also recommend this course to any student willing to learn about medicine in antiquity. My class was mainly pre-med students, or aspiring Classicists like myself. We learned about (and visited) the many different archaeological sites that were significant to this subject matter (the Acropolis, the Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron, and the Asklepieion at Kos, to name a few) along with what constituted "ancient healing". Lastly, its a lot of standing and walking, but insanely rewarding nonetheless. Museum access is completely free with the activation of your ICOMOS card, which is provided to you by CYA and is valid until December 31st of the year it was issued to you. If you love historic sites like me, this may be the highlight of your trip. In Kos, you will also taste lots of honey and briefly visit the greatly-anticipated Asklepieion! You also get housing and your flight ticket accommodated for, and free meals from CYA Monday through Friday! This was the highlight of my summer.

College Year in Athens responded to this reviewJuly 24, 2026

Hi Janna, thanks for sharing your experience with CYA! We love hearing you had a great experience learning from Katia, traveling around Greece, and diving into ancient medicine. We hope you can visit us again soon!

My experience studying abroad in Molise Italy was absolutely life-changing. I learned so much about culture, made lifetime, friendships, and endless memories. Getting to experience the culture and beauty of Molise was the absolute highlight of my summer.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 21, 2026

Grazie, Breanna! Colli really is beautiful and it's such a great partnership!

The Molise Italian Studies program was a wonderful way to be immersed in the Molise region, some of the Puglia region, and Rome. By visiting some of the smaller, lesser-known areas in these regions, I got to see firsthand how people live, work, and support their communities through the activities and social work experiences. I can say I grew as a person and have a new outlook on my everyday life at home. It was evident that Italians in these regions value community and connection. I appreciated the opportunities to participate in activities at some of the agencies, such as at LAI and in Capracotta, rather than simply observing the activity. Our tour leader, Andrea, was kind, patient, organized, and knowledgeable throughout the entire trip.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Maggie! We are so glad to hear this trip made such an impact on you, and we can't wait to hear about your plans moving forward!

I had an absolutely amazing time; I made so many incredible memories that I truly won't ever forget. The friendships I made were so awesome, and the opportunities to experience true culture were life-changing. Both of my professors were absolutely wonderful, and our guide was incredible. Everyone was so amazing and truly tried their best to give us the most rewarding experience possible, and they exceeded my dreams.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Alex!

Myself and my colleague brought a group of ten university students on a trip with Molise, and we could not be happier! Our guides were knowledgeable and kind. Every single person we encountered along the way as we traveled was welcoming and gracious. So many laughs were shared amongst our students and the Italian community, and we never once felt as if we were not in steady, capable hands with the company. Upon returning home from Italy, we immediately arranged our next trip with Scott and Megan, and plan to continue this trip regularly to allow students to continue to experience all the amazing things our first group did.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Thank you, Jen! Looking forward to working with Wilkes again in 2027!

As a student who dreamed of going abroad for years, I never considered a trip like this would be at my fingertips. Many know that traveling abroad is a big decision because it involves location costs return of investment and with being in school of the timeline of when it’s going to happen. I decided to make my minor Hotel restaurant management sophomore year of college, but wasn’t sure of how I was still going to make my broad dream come true. Fall semester of 2024 when I was in one of my HRM studies I wondered what options there could be to study the subject abroad. That’s when I discovered the Molise Italian Studies program NAU in Italy: Economics of Gastronomy. After promptly siding up, I was introduced to a fully guided program with pre-arrival meetings that fully explained the details and necessary precautions of going abroad. Which included an itinerary of the daily activities the lessons that would be focused on and places of accommodation. All details, which transferred extremely well into the actual trip. Each lesson was fully in depth and offered different opportunities. My favorite day was probably the day we visited Di Iorio Tartufi - Italian Truffle where we learned how truffles were safely found and made into a meal. I came home with at least 5 jars!! I highly enjoyed the environment, the greenery, and absolutely the delicious assortment of truffle products. At the end of the day, this program offered me a week of excitement and verity of locations across molise. I couldn’t have asked for a better program to introduce me to the world of traveling.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Cialyn! So glad to be a part of your HRM journey (& we dream of truffles too)!

I had a pretty great semester at UL. I thoroughly enjoyed the classes and the professors, but also learned a lot about myself and the Irish people. I joined the Christian Union pretty early on and was welcomed into fellowship with that group. I accompanied some friends of that group into smaller towns I may not have otherwise visited and helped lead churches playing piano. I was welcomed into homes and I really felt loved. I also got to see much of the countryside and felt it easy to travel around to sight see. My time in Ireland is a time where I grew in knowing myself but also my understanding of the world. I loved learning Irish traditions, culture, and history, and I know that I could never know nearly as much by staying home.

In my time here, I learned so much about what I am capable of and what the world has to offer. This is largely due to the support of the study abroad team and resources like the writing, counseling, and health centers. I am so proud of all I have accomplished, be it in academics and the things I learned, and in stepping out of my comfort zone and exploring more about Ireland, Irish culture, and how I immerse myself in it. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this possible for me.

I loved learning to sail on Vela, exploring every new place we sailed to like devils island with no inhabitants was pretty cool too. Meeting some of my new favourite people in the form of my crew was pretty sweet too. I’m going to miss it<3

It was honestly the best experience it could have been - Great organization of the study abroad program, easy module selection, broad offer of modules, fun and regular campus activities, a bunch of reserved housing spaces for international students (be fast though) and a great study abroad team that helps with all your worries! I made so many good friends and enjoyed the spring semester immensely. 10/10 would recommend. the only negative part is that Ireland is a pretty expensive country as it is... UL offers a lot of cheaper food options though, that helped!

Studying abroad was more than travel, it was learning how to exist between languages, cultures, and systems of power. Coming from a background shaped by migration, the experience felt deeply personal. Walking through new cities, I began to notice not only differences in culture, but in how societies are organized, who has access, and how opportunity is distributed. It made me reflect on policy beyond textbooks—how decisions made in offices translate into real lives, real barriers, and real possibilities. I saw how history, governance, and identity intersect in everyday spaces, from public institutions to conversations with people from different backgrounds. There were moments of uncertainty, of not fully belonging, but also moments of clarity where I understood that navigating these spaces is itself a form of political awareness. I didn’t just learn about the world, I learned how to read it, question it, and imagine how it could be better. This experience didn’t just expand my perspective it gave me a deeper sense of purpose. It reminded me why I chose to study political science, and why I want to be part of the conversations and decisions that shape our global future. https://www.instagram.com/huerta_mmx/

I have definitely had a great time studying with UDC and Linguistic Horizons. The arrangements and trips provided by Nicole are always very fun, safe, and great new experiences to have. My host family is very nice and caring, and I have greatly improved my Spanish speaking, learning, and understanding skills through communicating with them daily. Nicole is very easy to reach and helpful in answering all questions. Would highly recommend!

Linguistic Horizons responded to this reviewMay 05, 2026

Muchas gracias, Charles :)