College Expeditions

Alaska Endeavour -- in partnership with the Institute for Field Research -- runs 12-day expeditions for college students 18 or more years old. Each expedition is led by an accomplished professor or researcher, and each expedition is specific and different depending on the professor's field of study. It could be volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula, birds on Afognak Island, bears in Katmai, walruses in the Bering Sea, fossils on the Lost Coast, whales in the Aleutians ... or something else entirely.

Each expedition has a week-long online class before boarding the Endeavour for the field work. Students earn six college credits for the expedition.

As with our other student expeditions, students in teams of two are responsible for specific tasks: galley duty (cooking and cleanup), deck duty (fenders, lines, maintenance), and watch duty (weather and tide check, helm watch, and logbook). The teams rotate through the different duties every three days.

Students sign up online with the Institute for Field Research. Use the links below to reach course listings on the IFR website.

Our college expeditions for the 2026 season are:

Paleontology of Southeast Alaska

Join this fossil-hunting expedition led by Dr. Paul C. Murphey, Science Director at the Moab Giants Museum and founder of two mitigation paleontology companies.

Join this exciting expedition to explore the geology and paleontology of southeast Alaska. The program starts with one week of online coursework to give you a foundation in geology and paleontology, as well as learning about Alaska’s ancient environments and climates.

We will then explore Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago aboard the research vessel Endeavour, where you’ll spend the next two weeks exploring and prospecting areas for fossils while learning how to formulate field research questions.

You will learn how to identify previously recorded fossil localities and document newly discovered localities using geological cues, and both traditional and new technologies. You will also become familiar with techniques for collecting, preserving and identifying fossils. The expedition’s results will contribute to future research into the paleontology and ancient environments of southern Alaska.

We will study and live aboard the ship, whose smaller shore boats give us access to some extraordinary locations and opportunities for exploration. This program is limited to 6 students.

Onboard: May 15 - May 26
Faculty: Dr. Paul C. Murphey
Credits: 6 semester (12 quarter)

Flights are into Ketchikan and out of Juneau.

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Glaciers of Prince William Sound

Join this expedition led by Dr. Bruce Molnia, an expert on Alaska glaciers and author of more than 500 publications, including the monumental 550-page Alaska ‘chapter’ of The Satellite Image Atlas of The Glaciers of the World.

You’ll start with a one-week online course covering glacier dynamics, techniques for documenting landscape changes, and the geography and geology of Alaska. Then you’ll board the research vessel Endeavour, where you’ll spend the next two weeks exploring glaciers around Alaska’s Prince Williams Sound.

You will learn to use repeat photography, which compares images you’ll collect with historical photographs taken in the same location, to show changes in the landscape. You’ll see different kinds of glaciers and learn about how they shape the environment. Using smaller shore boats, we will approach the terminus of several glaciers and explore the coastline on foot. This program is limited to 6 students and features communal living onboard the ship.

Onboard: July 1- Jul 12
Faculty: Dr. Bruce Molnia, US Geological Survey (ret)
Credits: 6 semester (12 quarter)

Flights are into Cordova and out from Seward/Anchorage.