Advanced Inquiry Program
Web+ Courses
AIP W+ Courses combine online course instruction from Miami University with the excitement of internships, field study, and experiential learning in person at one of ten AIP sites in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis.
Students in W+ Courses are uniquely supported both online by Miami University instructors and on-site by AIP sites facilitators. Miami University instructors interact with students online and oversee university requirements and grading. AIP site facilitators work with students face-to-face at AIP sites to guide place-based experiential learning and community engagement. AIP sites, by providing invaluable community connections, expertise, and environmental leadership, are at the heart of the AIP.
Core Online Courses
The AIP Core Courses are entirely online and promote learning interactions nationwide while providing a common foundation for all students across the master’s degree program. The AIP Core Courses also support graduation requirements, including leadership challenges and writing for a professional audience.
All AIP courses are delivered online by a Miami University instructor, and two-thirds of AIP courses are Web+ courses, which also include up to five days (or equivalent) per course of experiential learning on grounds of a AIP site.
AIP students in both the W+ Courses and Core Courses submit assignments through the Dragonfly Collaborative Web Platform. Developed at Miami University with support from the National Science Foundation, the Dragonfly Collaborative Web Platform fosters learning communities through collaborative inquiry and action.
“I can’t believe the first 2 semesters have gone by so fast! So it doesn’t feel like it’s gonna take long.”
– Sarah S., AIP student from Peoria, Ariz.
“2.5 years, teaching middle school and two pregnancies!”
– Eric D., AIP graduate from Canfield, Ohio
“I completed my degree in two-and-a-half years while I continued teaching elementary school full time.”
– Kendell M., AIP graduate from Mentor, Ohio
“I will be taking 4 years to complete. Taking 2 online classes and working full time is pretty work intensive. I wanted to get the most out of it. It is all about the journey for me.”
– Lisa H., GFP student from Cincinnati, Ohio
“I’m a busy mom with two small kids and completed my degree in 2 and a half years.”
– Sarah C., AIP graduate from Bothell, Wash.
“Took me 3.5 years because I had a summer baby. It made a couple of semesters a little more doable (teaching full time).”
– Angela Y., GFP graduate from Lakewood, Ohio
“2.5 years for me, it was too fast”
– Joseph O., AIP graduate from Doylestown, Penn.
“It took me 2.5 yrs, and during this time I worked 3 jobs simultaneously, single-handedly planned both my wedding and honeymoon and still had a good time!!”
– Ashley P., GFP graduate from Hillsboro, Ore.
“I finished my degree in 2.5 years. Yes, as others have said, it was intense, but it was also amazing and so worth it. I was working full time, and during the final year I actually moved overseas for the first time to start teaching internationally.”
– Joey F., GFP graduate from Vienna, Va.
“It took me 3.5 years, beginning to end, but only because I had to postpone my second Earth Expeditions course. I was due to have our first child the same month I was scheduled to go to Namibia (August 2010). I figured that it probably wasn’t a good idea… I completed all other semesters on time, even with the baby and working full time. It was challenging but doable. And I miss it terribly.”
– Mandy R., GFP graduate from Trafford, Penn.
“Completed in 2.5 years while working full time – it was NOT easy, but I did it!”
– Heather L., AIP graduate from North Ridgeville, Ohio
“This degree is meant for working people. I worked a full-time job and (last semester only) worked part time as well. I finished in 2.5 years and miss all the learning.”
– Traci S., GFP graduate from Lake Worth, Fla.
“I started the program three months after finding out I was expecting our first baby. I had her during winter break of my first year. It was challenging at times but I was able to complete the degree in 2.5 years. Looking back, it was my fastest 2.5 years of school.”
– Courtney G., AIP graduate from Amelia, Ohio
“Worked full time and part time (2 jobs) and completed like above…2.5 yrs. flies by!”
– Natalie L., AIP graduate from Hoffman Estates, Ill.
AIP Photos
Course Sequence
Year 1
| Semester | AIP Courses | # of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer: | Web+ Course Foundations of Inquiry (BIO 654; 3 credits) |
3 |
| Fall: |
Core Course Web+ Course |
6 |
| Spring: |
Core Courses Web+ Course |
3-6 |
| Total Credits Year 1 | 12-15 | |
Year 2
| Semester | AIP Courses | # of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer: | Web+ Courses Course topics adapted to fit the mission of the AIP site and the community (typically 3-6 credits). |
3-6 |
| Fall: |
Core Course Web+ Course |
6 |
| Spring: |
Core Courses Web+ Course |
3-5 |
| Total Credits Year 2 | 12-17 | |
Year 3
| Semester | AIP Courses | # of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summer: | Web+ Courses Course topics adapted to fit the mission of the AIP site and the community (typically 3-6 credits). |
3-6 |
| Fall: |
Core Course Web+ Course |
2-5 |
| Fall: | GRADUATION |
|
| Total Credits Year 3 | 5-11 | |
Completing Your Master’s Degree
AIP Core Courses
BIO 631 Conservation Science & Community
3 credits – Fall Semester every year; also will be offered in Spring Semester 2023 (online)
This course explores the theory and practice of conservation science, including discussion of threats to biodiversity as well as methods to collaboratively address social-ecological problems. Vital to this course is a project in which students work directly with their local community to better understand and address real ecological problems.
BIO 632 Biology in the Age of Technology (BAT)
3 credits – Spring Semester only (online)
This course explores the beneficial and negative impacts of technology for conservation biology and environmental action. Topics include wildlife mapping via GPS and GIS, use of drones, satellite imagery, radio-collars, citizen/community science, social media, impacts of media on children including Nature Deficit Disorder. Through projects, students research a biological problem of interest and design a participatory media product to engage community members in that topic.
BIO 634 Issues in Evolution
3 credits – Fall Semester every year; also will be offered in Spring Semester 2023 (online)
An understanding of evolution is critical for those seeking to better protect life on earth. In this course, students learn and discuss foundational evolutionary concepts as well as emerging topics. Students design a project that presents information on an evolutionary topic of choice in the form of a lesson plan, infographic or review paper.
BIO 636 Science Leadership & Media Workshop
3 credits – Spring Semester only (online)
This course focuses on science writing for many purposes, including peer-reviewed literature, grants, and general community outreach. Students provide critical peer review of others’ work and are challenged to explore a leadership dimension within their professional careers.
The cornerstone exit course for students earning a Master of Arts in Biology as part of the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master’s degree from Miami University. Students reflect on the projects and artifacts they have created throughout their master’s experience and how those projects have helped lead them to a deeper understanding of the master’s program core tenets of local, regional and global understanding; inquiry; environmental stewardship; and community participation/voice.
BIO 639 Master’s Capstone: M.A.T.
2 credits – Fall and Spring Semesters (online)
A required exit course for students earning a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in the Biological Sciences as part of the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master’s degree from Miami University. Students review, analyze, and synthesize their own work throughout the degree and create a master’s portfolio. They share their portfolio with peers and discuss their academic and personal progress through their master’s experience. Student portfolios must demonstrate relevance to learning and teaching in formal education settings in addition to the master’s program core tenets.
For summarized information on the topics, themes, and assignments in these courses, please also view the Overview and Details of Foundational Web-based Coursework.
AIP Web+ Courses (Partial List)
Not all courses below are offered through every AIP site. Check with Miami’s Project Dragonfly and the local AIP site for details.
BIO 654 Foundations of Inquiry
3 credits
This course engages students in exploring the scientific method and inquiry-based learning and teaching. Through devising investigations to answer questions and communicating results, participants experience the full process of inquiry and learn how to guide this process with their own students and in their own communities.
BIO 662 Animal Behavior and Conservation
3 credits
This course provides a foundation for understanding ethological research methods that can be applied to promote animal welfare and wildlife conservation. The course involves a community -based research project and direct observation of diverse animal species in a variety of settings such as zoos, botanical gardens, parks, and more.
BIO 694 Habitats, Adaptations and Evolution
3 credits
This course explores the biology and conservation of species and habitats. Students implement a research project and investigate how local environmental conditions shape species’ adaptations.
BIO 696 Primate Behavior & Conservation
3 credits
This course investigates primate behavior, research methods, and conservation. Through direct observations of prosimians, monkeys, and apes in zoological settings, students gain a comprehensive view of topics ranging from social structure to communication.
BIO 656 Environmental Stewardship in My Community
3 credits
Students in this course investigate environmental stewardship, research science, and conservation opportunities and solutions in their local communities, practice inquiry-based learning, develop a conservation project to be used in their classroom or community, and reflect on ecological and carbon footprints.
BIO 638 Climate Change
3 credits
In this course, participants study the science of climate change, the diverse causes of climate change, and the impact of climate change at local, regional, and global scales. Topics include global warming’s effect on weather and climate, ice caps, deforestation, and species conservation.
BIO 659 Great Lakes Ecosystems
3 credits
The focus of this course is the study of the biology of the Great Lakes watershed, combining classroom work with field science inquiry and research. In addition to exploring the general function of watersheds, students become familiar with historical and contemporary human influences on ecosystems within the watershed basin, and they discuss and understand negative human impacts including point and non-point source pollution, multiple-stressors, “urban stream syndrome,” and local sewage treatment and its relationship to the basin.
BIO 657 Regional Ecology
3 credits
Through both zoo-based and field-based experiences, this course explores regional wildlife conservation issues, as well as field investigation techniques that scientists and citizens can use to study and conserve local ecoregions and wildlife.
BIO 658 Ecophysiology
3 credits
Students in this course will explore the ways in which humans can (and do) emulate systems and designs found in nature to create materials, medicines, social systems, computers and so much more. Students will fine tune their observation skills and complete a design challenge using nature as their guide.
BIO 627 Global Biomes
3 credits
A bioclimatic zone, or biome, is a region broadly defined by the relationship between and among an area’s temperature patterns, annual precipitation and living organisms. This course will introduce the biomes of the world through explorations of the characteristic vegetation and wildlife of biomes represented at this Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) site and current conservation issues relevant to each.
BIO 667 Conservation Research at Living Collection Institutions
3 credits
This course provides students with an overview of conservation research conducted in zoological, reserve, aquaria and other ex situ settings. Students will explore key science concepts within the contexts of wildlife conservation, the imperative of in-situ conservation, the multi-disciplinary nature of science, and hands-on conservation research.
BIO 663 Project Design & Assessment
3 credits
This course addresses one of the most important scientific endeavors: evaluation to indicate whether their own work or the work of others is showing a trend and, thus, having an impact. The course is focused on two main sets of evaluation, natural science and social science studies. The course will review statistical thinking and discuss how to construct successful studies that will open students to accurate and effective evaluation.
BIO 623 Human Dimensions of Conservation
3 credits
Conserving wildlife is a complex endeavor that requires the integration of sound science from both the social and natural sciences. This course explores how social sciences can inform conservation. Students consider how current conservation issues can be addressed through an understanding of human thought and action.
Apply to the Advanced Inquiry Program
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