Apply to Project Dragonfly

Please feel free to download and print our Applicant Checklist which will help guide you as you prepare your materials. We also highly recommend that you view recordings of past webinars. AIP applicants are encouraged to also attend an AIP site-specific information session.

• GFP applications are due January 15.
• AIP applications are due February 15.

Completing your application by the priority deadline for your program is encouraged; however, all applications received by the due date will receive full consideration. Admitted students are notified in the spring and start their studies in the Summer Term.

Note for international applicants / non-U.S. citizens: Through the Global Field Program, Miami offers courses in 16 countries within a singular graduate curriculum. Enrolling international students, many of whom come from countries where Miami sustains course partnerships, has been part of the GFP's mission for more than a decade, and the presence of these students helps make our program truly global and supports Miami's position as a globally-engaged university.

If you are an international applicant / non-U.S. citizen, please carefully review Miami University's recommendations as you consider applying for the Global Field Program, then complete the Global Field Program International Applicant Pre-Application Form.

Complete the Project Dragonfly Database Form

Please share your contact details with us via our Project Dragonfly Database form.  The Project Dragonfly Database serves us as an applicant/student information management tool.

Submit Your Application to the Miami University Graduate School

In preparation for completing your application to the Miami University Graduate School, you will want to first gather the following required items:

• Copies of your unofficial transcripts
• Your updated résumé or CV
• Names and email addresses for at least two people from whom you would like to request recommendations. Please note: Recommenders will complete a scaled rating of your attributes/characteristics and upload a recommendation letter (or type their recommendation letter directly into the form); applicants are not able to upload their own letters of recommendation.
• Your answers to these essay questions:
  • How have you translated professional opportunities, classes, or life experiences into your work? (250 word limit)
  • How do you think this experience will benefit your personal life, professional life, and your community? (250 word limit)
• Payment details for the $50 application fee
• Optional: While not required, you may include a Personal Statement to provide context or share other relevant details about your life not included in your essays, such as how you have overcome obstacles or hardships, or how your voice or experiences can offer a perspective that is not often highlighted in academia. Personal statements may be uploaded to your Graduate School application using the file upload feature accessible from your Applicant Checklist.

Then, when ready to create and complete your application, please follow these steps:

• Create your account to begin a new application to Miami's Graduate School following the steps shared, including activating and setting a password for your account.
• When prompted to "Start New Application" you will see “2026 Terms: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall,” then select "Graduate Degree Online" from the dropdown menu. Click “Create Application” then “Open Application.”
• When completing the application, please complete each field with your contact and background information. Helpful hints:
  1. Under Program Selection: For "What Program are you applying to?" select either "Biological Sciences (Project Dragonfly) (online)" if you wish to pursue the M.A.T.in the Biological Sciences, or "Biology (Project Dragonfly) (online)" if you wish to pursue the M.A. in Biology. You will then see the Advanced Inquiry Program listed under “Project Dragonfly Program Track,” and you will also be able to indicate your target AIP site affiliation. The only available start term is Summer 2026.
  2. While it is not required that you submit your Social Security Number when you complete your Graduate School application, failure to do so can cause complications when you first login to myMiami, the library, or other systems and services on the Miami University website.
  3. Under “Review,” please note that the system is set to alert you to missing required fields and potential problems with your application. When all required fields have been completed, click “Submit and Continue to Upload Documents.”
• You will then be taken to your Application Checklist, where you will:
  1. Upload your Project Dragonfly Essay Responses;
  2. Submit the $50 application fee (you must first attend one of Dragonfly’s Informational Webinars to have this fee waived); and
  3. Upload required materials, including your unofficial transcripts and résumé or CV. Please note that uploaded materials may not be immediately noted as “Received” on your Application Checklist; please allow up to 30 minutes for checklist items to appear.
  4. Optional: A Personal Statement may also be uploaded to provide context or share other relevant details about your life not included in your essays.

Need to return to an in-process application?

Login, select, and open your application to continue your application, submit remaining materials, and view your Application Checklist.

Complete the Project Dragonfly Database Form.

Please share your contact details with us via our Project Dragonfly Database form.  The Project Dragonfly Database serves us as an applicant/student information management tool. 

Share Your Earth Expeditions Course Choices

Complete the Earth Expeditions: 2026 New GFP Applicant Field Requests form. Incoming GFP students start the program by taking one of our first-year, foundational EE classes in Baja, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, or Paraguay. 

Accepted students will receive their initial Earth Expeditions course placement as part of the program acceptance letter they receive from Project Dragonfly. 

Please visit the Earth Expeditions webpages to learn more about each available course, including information on the places you'll visit and field reflections from past students.

Submit Your Application to the Miami University Graduate School

In preparation for completing your application to the Miami University Graduate School, you will want to first gather the following required items:

• Copies of your unofficial transcripts
• Your updated résumé or CV
• Names and email addresses for at least two people from whom you would like to request recommendations. Please note: Recommenders will complete a scaled rating of your attributes/characteristics and upload a recommendation letter (or type their recommendation letter directly into the form); applicants are not able to upload their own letters of recommendation.
• Your answers to these essay questions:
  • How have you translated professional opportunities, classes, or life experiences into your work? (250 word limit)
  • How do you think this experience will benefit your personal life, professional life, and your community? (250 word limit)
• Payment details for the $50 application fee
• Optional: While not required, you may include a Personal Statement to provide context or share other relevant details about your life not included in your essays, such as how you have overcome obstacles or hardships, or how your voice or experiences can offer a perspective that is often not highlighted in academia. Personal statements may be uploaded to your Graduate School application using the file upload feature accessible from your Applicant Checklist.

Then, when ready to create and complete your application, please follow these steps:

• Create your account to begin a new application to Miami's Graduate School following the steps shared, including activating and setting a password for your account.
• When prompted to "Start New Application" you will see “2026 Terms: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall,” then select "Graduate Degree Online" from the dropdown menu. Click “Create Application” then “Open Application.”
• When completing the application, please complete each field with your contact and background information. Helpful hints:
  1. Under Program Selection: For "What Program are you applying to?" select either "Biological Sciences (Project Dragonfly) (online)" if you wish to pursue the M.A.T. in the Biological Sciences, or "Biology (Project Dragonfly) (online)" if you wish to pursue the M.A. in Biology. You will then see the Global Field Program listed under “Project Dragonfly Program Track.” The only available start term is Summer 2026.
  2. While it is not required that you submit your Social Security Number when you complete your Graduate School application, failure to do so can cause complications when you first login to myMiami, the library, or other systems and services on the Miami University website.
  3. Under “Review,” please note that the system is set to alert you to missing required fields and potential problems with your application. When all required fields have been completed, click “Submit and Continue to Upload Documents.”
• You will then be taken to your Application Checklist, where you will:
  1. Upload your Project Dragonfly Essay Responses;
  2. Submit the $50 application fee (you must first attend one of Dragonfly’s Informational Webinars to have this fee waived); and
  3. Upload required materials, including your unofficial transcripts and résumé or CV. Please note that uploaded materials may not be immediately noted as “Received” on your Application Checklist; please allow up to 30 minutes for checklist items to appear.
  4. Optional: A Personal Statement may also be uploaded to provide context or share other relevant details about your life not included in your essays.

Need to return to an in-process application?

Login, select, and open your application to continue your application, submit remaining materials, and view your Application Checklist.

For Summer 2026 admission: 

• GFP candidate screening begins on January 15. Applicants will be notified of their admission decision by March 1.
• AIP candidate screening begins on February 15. Applicants will be notified of their admission decision by April 1. 

Note: Program admittance is not final until you receive the official letter from the Graduate School.

Information to know

Accepted applicants are notified in the spring and start their studies in the Summer Term.  Applications for summer 2027 will open on or around September 1, 2026. 

Earth Expeditions international field courses may be taken individually for stand-alone graduate credit, as part of the degree requirements for the Global Field Program (GFP) or Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP), or by select Miami University undergraduate students with permission from the Graduate School.

Follow the application steps on this page if you are:

• Interested in taking an EE course for stand-alone graduate credit
• An international applicant / non-U.S. citizen
  Through Earth Expeditions, Miami offers courses in 16 countries within a singular graduate curriculum. Enrolling international students, many of whom come from countries where Miami sustains course partnerships, has been part of Earth Expeditions’ mission for more than a decade, and the presence of these students helps make our program truly global and supports Miami's position as a globally-engaged university. If you are an international applicant / non-U.S. citizen, please carefully review Miami University's recommendations (scroll to "International Students") as you consider applying for an Earth Expeditions course, then send an email to Dr. Kevin Matteson (matteskc@miamioh.edu) including your country location and a brief statement on why you are interested in joining Earth Expeditions.

If you are:

• A current GFP or AIP student
  Please follow the instructions for submitting your EE course choices sent to you via email. Current master’s students’ course choices are due prior to January 15; please see the email you received for the due date.
• Applying to the GFP
  Please follow the application steps shown on the Application Steps for the Global Field Program or the Advanced Inquiry Program Page.
• A Miami University undergraduate student
  Please visit our For Miami University Students page and follow the application steps shown.

Earth Expeditions Application Steps

Submit the Earth Expeditions Application Form

Applications to the 2026 Earth Expeditions (EE) program are now closed.  Applications for summer 2027 will open on or around September 1, 2026; to prepare, please have ready the following:

• Your updated résumé or CV
• Your answers to these essay questions:
  • In 1 to 2 paragraphs, how do you think this experience will benefit your personal life, professional life, and your community? (250-word limit)
  • In 1 to 2 paragraphs, how would you describe your ability to participate in strenuous field work and adapt under stressful situations (e.g., international travel, long work days, changing itineraries, group dynamics)? How do you function in a team, and how do you handle conflict and stressful situations? Please provide personal examples from your past experiences to support your responses. (250 word limit)

Acceptance to Earth Expeditions

For Summer 2026 admission: Candidate screening begins on January 15. Applicants will be notified of their admission decision by March 1. 

Note: Accepted students are required to apply to the Miami University Graduate School for non-degree-seeking Continuing Graduate Status (CGS) admission AFTER acceptance and placement in an Earth Expeditions course.

Join us! Our students come from diverse backgrounds and career stages, including recent graduates, mid-career professionals, and retirees. All courses are delivered online by Miami University instructors. Course topics include wildlife conservation, animal behavior, urban ecology, community engagement, environmental education, and more.

All students who wish to take graduate-level coursework at Miami University without pursuing a graduate degree do so as Continuing Graduate Status (CGS) non-degree students.

For more information, explore our Professional Learning Opportunities page.