GFP Degree Requirements

35 credit hours completed over approximately 2.5 years, comprised of three summer Earth Expeditions field courses (21 credit hours), five core online courses (14 credit hours) and completion of a Graduate Portfolio. M.A.T. students will be required to complete a teaching portfolio (adaptable for National Board Certification requirements), and M.A. candidates will develop a work portfolio suitable for their work environment. Degree candidates can focus portfolio work in a region (e.g., Africa) or on a theme (e.g., environmental education).

Project Dragonfly student taking a photograp of the Amazon river

Students in the Global Field Program may elect to pursue either a Master of Arts in Biology (M.A. in Biology) or a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in the Biological Sciences.

Apply to the M.A.T. if you fall in any of the following categories: 1) you are certified to teach, 2) you have an academic degree in education or education related field (i.e., bachelor’s or master’s), or 3) you have taught, teach, or plan to teach in a k-12 school or informal education setting (also see FAQ’s on M.A.T. vs. M.A.). Note: The M.A.T. degree does not confer a teaching license. Applicants with no education background should apply for the M.A., not the M.A.T. degree.

The M.A. is a degree option for any applicant with a bachelor’s interested in advancing their career through global leadership, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.

All Master of Arts in Biology and Master of Arts in Teaching students are required to have completed (receiving a final grade of B- or better) one university-level general biology course or its equivalent prior to completion of their M.A./M.A.T. degree. Students admitted to the program who have not previously met this requirement through their undergraduate studies will need to complete such a course before they graduate. More information may be found in the Biology Requirement FAQs and on the Biology through Inquiry webpage.

Earth Expeditions field courses are offered every summer, and core online courses are offered in the fall and spring terms.

Only the following credits may be transferable into the GFP:

7 credits from a past Earth Expeditions field course OR up to 7 credits of previously completed AIP Web+ classes.
Up to 4 credits from previously completed Core Courses.
No more than 4 credit hours of Core Courses may be transferred into the GFP. No more than 11 credit hours total may be transferred into the GFP.

Note: No other credits can be transferred into the GFP. No exceptions can be made to the transfer credit policy. See our Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.