Project Dragonfly Graduate Program | Master's Degrees in Biology

Join Miami University's Project Dragonfly and ignite ecological and social change. Our innovative master's programs and professional development opportunities blend flexible online learning with applied conservation in your community and incredible field study worldwide.

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Dragonfly by the Numbers

3000+

students, staff, and alumni making a difference globally

450+

publications authored by Dragonfly students

28+

long-term relationships with world-class zoos, botanical gardens, and NGOs globally

30+

years of experience making education more inclusive and impactful

Our Programs at a Glance

Housed in the Department of Biology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, but spanning the globe, Project Dragonfly is a transformative education initiative with master’s degree programs in biology, graduate courses, and community partnerships across the U.S. and globally. Grounded in the core values of inquiry, community, and voice, students can tailor their learning experience to their overall goals and interests.

Choose the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) for hands-on learning at top zoos and botanical gardens or the Global Field Program (GFP) for Earth Expeditions in conservation hotspots — both deliver an online master's in biology from Miami University in just 35 credits.

graphic showing the difference betweem the AIP and GFP.

Our graduate students are opening new frontiers in community innovation and education while earning their master’s degrees. They work alongside nomadic herders saving wild horses in Mongolia, citizen scientists increasing pollinator diversity in the Bronx, Maasai women pursuing equity and sustainability in Kenya, and conservationists leading the recovery of burrowing owls in California. We champion inquiry-driven learning and shared action to support a better, more collaborative, just, and sustainable future.

Students being talked to by an AIP instructor

Advanced Inquiry Program

Choose this option if you live near one of our AIP Sites and are interested in connecting locally/regionally with conservation education practitioners.

Global Field Program

Choose this option if you want to travel internationally over three summers and engage with global conservation issues.

Choose Your Degree

Project Dragonfly offers two degree paths. Not sure which fits best? No problem—you can change your target degree and major after you're admitted. Both are 35-credit, part-time programs designed to be completed in 2.5 to 5 years while you work.

M.A. vs. M.A.T.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology

This option is for anyone with a bachelor’s degree looking to advance their career through leadership, community engagement, and environmental stewardship.

While this is a non-thesis degree, it is rooted in rigorous, applied science. You’ll design and conduct original field studies, often using your own workplace—like a zoo, nature center, or nonprofit—as the base for your research.

Instead of a thesis, you'll build a robust professional portfolio. Through our Leadership Challenges, hundreds of alumni have published their research in peer-reviewed journals, presented at national conferences, and secured independent grants. This practical, hands-on experience consistently helps graduates earn workplace promotions or successfully transition into Ph.D. programs—all through a nationally ranked university with reduced tuition.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in the Biological Sciences

Designed for certified teachers, this degree provides real-world experiences that advance educational standards through research-based practices. (Please note: This degree is not a licensure program and does not confer a teaching license).

The M.A.T. track brings inquiry-driven science directly into your classroom. You’ll learn to design and run applied research studies right inside your own school or district, supported by our faculty.

As you build your master's portfolio, you'll gain practical tools for curriculum innovation and school-based leadership. By completing our Leadership Challenges, you’ll join hundreds of Dragonfly educators who have published original research, presented at major educational conferences, and won grants for their schools. It’s a unique, challenging, and inspiring path that frequently helps teachers earn district promotions or advance to doctoral studies, allowing you to elevate your career while teaching full-time.

Professional Learning Opportunities

Project Dragonfly offers a variety of Professional Learning Opportunities that can be taken independently or as part of a master's degree sequence. These graduate-level courses cover topics such as wildlife conservation, animal behavior, urban ecology, and environmental education. Course types include:

Fully Online Courses: Focused on local community engagement.
AIP Web+ Courses: Blended online and in-person experiential learning at U.S.-based AIP sites.
Earth Expeditions: Immersive international field experiences.
Graduate Certificates: Offered in global culture and applied marine conservation (see below).

Graduate Certificate Options

Don’t need a full master’s or want to earn a certificate in addition to your master’s? Project Dragonfly offers the below options, which can be earned in a little over a year.

Global Culture and Conservation

This unique hybrid, field-based certificate offers unparalleled opportunities for deep cultural immersion and engagement with the rich interplay of spiritual ecology and local/traditional ecological knowledge. Through travel to some of the most culturally and biologically rich regions of the planet (India, Thailand, Paraguay, Belize, or Guyana), students will gain practical experience in understanding how diverse spiritual, cultural, and belief systems (like Hinduism, Buddhism, Guarani, Kriol/Maya, and Makushi cultures, among others) can successfully support and integrate with conservation efforts.

Applied Marine Conservation

This unique hybrid, field-based certificate offers unparalleled opportunities to engage in applied marine conservation and stewardship across some of the world’s most critical and iconic ocean environments (Australia, Baja, Belize, Galapagos, The Bahamas). Students will gain practical experience in social-ecological methods such as coral reef ecology, marine mammal surveying, and aquatic data collection, providing skills for communicating about and protecting marine biodiversity.

Flipped Conversation: Urban Ecology and the “Pigeon Paradox” with Dr. Kevin Matteson

In a special “flipped” episode, Project Dragonfly’s own Dr. Kevin Matteson moves from the host’s chair to the guest’s seat. Interviewed by graduate student Aimee Kemp, Kevin shares his journey from the urban landscape of the Bronx to becoming a leading voice in...

The original retro title graphic from the May/June 1997 issue of Dragonfly Magazine.

Ants on the Move: How Far Will Fire Ants Go for Food?

Our class wanted to find out what kind of food fire ants prefer and just how far they would travel from their nest to reach it. Fire ants have very painful bites, so we knew we had to be careful not to disturb them. We also didn’t want them to abandon their nest...

Your classroom is a portal. By bringing international field research and global conservation issues into your daily lessons, Teacher-Conservationists expose the next generation to the wider world—and empower them to protect it.

Do You Have to Leave the Classroom to Become a Conservation Leader?

You likely chose teaching for all the right reasons: you love kids, you enjoy being an active part of your community, and you possess a deep desire to give back. Because altruistic people naturally gravitate toward education, it’s no surprise that so many teachers…