Students take two types of courses: hybrid field courses that are online with summer travel to international wildlife conservation hot spots (Earth Expeditions field courses) and core online courses that occur in the fall and spring terms. Course topics include wildlife conservation, sustainability, urban ecology, pollinator biology, environmental education, zoology, botany, and more (see details below).
You will need to earn 35 credit hours total: 21 hours of Earth Expeditions field courses and 14 hours of Core Online Courses including the Master’s Capstone. Both M.A. and M.A.T. students develop a portfolio suitable for their professional environment.
These courses—the heart of the GFP—are offered every summer through fall. For current field courses see Earth Expeditions. All new GFP students begin the program by taking a GFP foundational field course in Brazil, Belize or Baja, Mexico. The course is designed to provide a solid introduction to the GFP master’s degree, to support the development of students' Master Plans, and to build interactions among GFP master’s students in an online cohort. (Note: up to seven credits of a past Earth Expeditions course can be transferred toward the GFP master’s degree.)
First-year field courses:
Second- and third-year field courses:
Core online courses occur within Canvas and cover a range of topics, such as conservation science, social change, and action research. These courses include:
3 credits – Fall Semester every year; a single section is sometimes offered in the Spring Semester
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.
3 credits – Spring Semester only
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.
3 credits – Fall Semester every year; a single section is sometimes offered in the Spring Semester
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.
3 credits – Spring Semester only
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. 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.
2 credits – Fall and Spring Semesters
A required exit course for students earning a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in the Biological Sciences. 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.
The following table shows an estimate of costs for Year 1 in the GFP master’s degree program for students taking a five-credit hour Earth Expeditions summer field course and eight credit hours of online/Core courses (13 hours total, including the fall two-credit online portion of the Earth Expeditions course). From summer 2024 through spring 2027 the per-credit hour tuition for Earth Expeditions field courses and Core Courses will be $455.
| Semester | Course | # of Credits | Estimated Tuition | Estimated Program Fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer: | Earth Expeditions Course I* (5 credits) | 5 | $2,275 | $1,250 | $3,525 |
| Fall: | Conservation Science & Community (BIO 631; 3 credits) + Inquiry & Action* (BIO 675; 2 credits) | 5 | $2,275 | -- | $2,275 |
| Spring: | Biology in the Age of Technology (BIO 632; 3 credits) | 3 | $1,365 | -- | $1365 |
| Total Credits Year 1 | 13 | $7,190 | $1,250 | $8,440 | |
| Total Credits for Degree and Estimated Degree Cost | 35 | $15,925 | $3,750 | $19,675 | |
Prices are approved on a three-year cycle. The estimates above do not include airfare. Allow extra for miscellaneous costs associated with travel to your Earth Expeditions field course site.
* The summer Earth Expeditions and fall Inquiry & Action courses must be taken in sequence. GFP students take a total of three Earth Expeditions and three Inquiry & Action courses.
In addition to covering the price for 5 graduate credits of Miami University tuition, Earth Expeditions field course costs cover all basic expenses in-country, including:
Course costs do not cover personal expenses, such as gifts, or some ancillary costs, such as passport fees, entry fees, required course readers, and any additional course texts. Certain courses also carry with them an additional cost for in-country travel and course support fees; where applicable, this is noted on the individual course webpage.
Miami University also requires all international workshop participants to purchase travel health insurance for about $40. (Successful applicants will receive more details in their Web-Based Learning Community course workshop.) In some classes an additional textbook is required. In some countries, you may have to pay entrance and departure taxes/fees at the airport.
With reduced fees as part of Miami University’s support for this program, each master’s course is offered at a fraction of actual costs. But we know students sometimes need additional help! Check out our Helping Fund Your Degree and Dragonfly Scholarships page. Below are some quotes from Dragonfly students on how they funded their degree.
“Check to see if your employer offers tuition reimbursement. I was lucky in that my employer offered $3,500 per year for graduate school. That was more than enough to cover each year of the AIP program.”
– Amy T., AIP graduate from Goshen, Ohio
“I was able to pay as I went. I charged the tuition, which I found reasonable, and then worked hard to pay it off before the next semester. The cost is drastically reduced. I did not have a single loan. Also, I was able to write it off on my taxes.”
– Perky S., GFP graduate from Dover, Idaho
“Believe it or not, I have been ‘pay-as-I-go.’ ”
– Jennifer H., GFP student from Longwood, Fla.
To qualify for federal student loans and to defer federal student loans, a degree-seeking student must be enrolled half-time (at least five credit hours at the graduate level) in an academic term. Under the current Course of Study/credit hour configuration, this means that many, but not all, semesters’ registration and enrollment can be managed in order to hit this mark.
During terms in which master’s students are enrolled for 5 or more credit hours, they can apply for a federal student loan by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is possible that they may be granted a federal loan in an amount that would cover most expenses for the 2.5- to 3-year program. Also, at any time during the master’s experience, any student may apply for loans from private financial institutions. More information can be found at Miami University One Stop for Student Success for Graduate Students.
All students who take out federal student loans qualify for only one six-month deferment for each particular loan. Students who have not previously used their one-time, six-month deferment are able to defer federal loans beginning in the term in which they are enrolled half-time. Students who have already used their six-month grace period would only be eligible for another six-month grace period on any new loans that have been borrowed.
Please see Project Dragonfly Financial Aid Information for additional details.
