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The application process involves two main steps: 1) Fill out our "My Project Dragonfly” form and 2) submission of the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Graduate School application (including transcripts, essays, CV/résumé, and recommendations). More information is on the Apply page.

For the AIP: Yes. While coursework is online, the AIP requires on-site experiential learning and fieldwork at affiliated institutions located in specific cities (Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville, St. Louis, San Diego, New York). Applicants must be able to travel to and engage with these locations.

For the GFP: Generally, no. Students can reside anywhere in the U.S. International applicants should review specific recommendations and contact Dr. Kevin Matteson at matteskc@miamioh.edu. All GFP program costs are the same regardless of where you reside.

Federal student loans and loan deferment are possible for degree-seeking students enrolled at least half-time (5+ graduate credit hours) per term. Complete the FAFSA to apply. Private loans are also an option. A single six-month deferment is typically allowed per federal loan. Payment plans are available. Washington State residents have specific loan advocacy resources. More information can be found at .

• “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.” – 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.

Yes, students complete various projects, including an Authorship ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúhip Challenge. A list of student-authored publications is available.

Yes, an Advanced Field option allows taking the same course in different years with Project Dragonfly Graduate Committee approval and specific educational objectives.

No, taking two Earth Expeditions simultaneously is not permitted to encourage reflection and integration of the experience.

Yes, you are responsible for booking your own travel to the specified city within the course country and for arriving at the designated meeting time and location. Flying independently is permitted. Accepted students receive instructor flight details for potential itinerary matching.

Our Core Competencies reflect the knowledge and skills gained by Project Dragonfly graduates throughout their time in the program. Students develop these competencies through their coursework, through interactions with peers and instructional team members within their online learning communities, and from their field experiences and/or experiential learning days.

• Action - Ignite positive ecological and social change.
• Collaboration and Engagement - Work with and for others to achieve shared, mutually beneficial goals.
• Communication and Storytelling - Translate information into meaningful messages that are relevant to intended audiences.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving - Analyze issues and design solutions using multiple ways of knowing and interdisciplinary, evidence-based approaches.
• ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúhip - Leverage your own and others’ strengths to create spaces for engagement and turn understanding into action.
• Local and Global Understanding - Recognize and consider the complex, interconnected nature of human and ecological systems at multiple scales.

Our Students: Project Dragonfly students are adult learners, located across the United States and around the globe. Many are informal science educators, classroom teachers, community or non-profit leaders, established or emerging conservationists, and career changers seeking work to improve ecological and social communities. These students use inquiry to drive positive ecological and social change in innovative ways grounded in relationships. Throughout their time in the program they work with some of the world’s most renowned zoos, botanical gardens, and local and global conservation organizations to learn effective ways to lead and support positive change efforts—becoming part of an alliance of leaders working to make the world more habitable and humane.

Our Instructional Team: Project Dragonfly faculty, instructors, facilitators, collaborators, and community learning leaders seek to meet the unique needs and motivations of adult learners and create spaces where instructors and students work together to co-create knowledge and ignite positive change. These educators understand that students bring varied and valuable experiences to their coursework, and they champion self-directed learning while working to build community through discussion and dialogue. Above all, they respect that students hold a variety of responsibilities outside of school and provide individualized support to help students reach their full potential.

Connected to the Core Values of inquiry, community, and voice, Project Dragonfly’s approach to learning is centered on the principles that learning is participatory and extends beyond the classroom, both in terms of where it happens and the impacts that it should have. Project Dragonfly students develop the Core Competencies through the following interconnected methodologies: 

Inquiry-driven Learning

Students actively drive their own learning through the process of inquiry, which is seen as a means of engagement and dialogue.

• Student-centered: Students lead their learning journey by asking questions and seeking solutions to the environmental and social issues around them. 
• Knowledge Construction: Students build their own understanding of and generate new knowledge about the world through the inquiry process, which includes observation, questioning, investigation, critical reflection, collaboration, and communication.

Experiential Learning

Students learn through hands-on engagement while participating in a cycle of experiencing the world around them, reflecting on what they learned, and applying knowledge.

• Learning Through Doing: Students learn by actively engaging in inquiry, research studies, and community projects. 
• Learning Beyond the Classroom: Students learn in real-world, community contexts, where the knowledge they gain can be directly applied. 
• Participatory Learning: Students are involved in the learning process. They collaborate, discuss, reflect, and problem-solve to construct their own knowledge.

Community of Learning 

Students learn through a collaborative process within a diverse community context, where all members contribute to the educational experience.

• Peer-to-Peer Learning: Students enhance their learning by sharing their insights and experiences with each other.
• Collaborative Learning: Students join with instructors, facilitators, colleagues, community members, and peers to examine multiple ways of knowing.   

Applied Learning

Students apply what they learn to a real-world context to ignite positive change both in themselves and their community.  

• Applied Focus: Knowledge and skills aren't just gained, but applied to real-world practice. 
• Focus on Transformation: Learning leads not only to knowledge gain but also to personal growth, transforming the learner into a leader of change.

Project Dragonfly’s approach to education and our work are based on these foundational readings. They introduce and reinforce the importance of inquiry, community, and voice in education—the values at the heart of our program.

Freire, P. (1970). Chapter 2. In Pedagogy of the oppressed (pp.71-86). Bloomsbury.

Kimmerer, R. (2011) Restoration and reciprocity: The contributions of traditional ecological knowledge. In Egan, D., Hjerpe, E.E., & Abrams, J. Human dimensions of ecological restoration: Integrating science, nature, and culture (pp. 257-276). Island Press.

Knowles, M. (1984). The adult learner: A neglected species (4th Edition). Gulf Publishing Co.

Myers, C. Myers, L.B., & Hdson, R. (2009) Science is not a spectator sport: Three principles from 15 years of Project Dragonfly. In R. Yager (Ed), Inquiry: The key to exemplary science (pp. 29-40). NSTA Press.

Nelson, T.H. & Moscovici, H. (1998, January) Shifting from activitymania to inquiry. Science and Children. 35:4, pp 14-17. 

Orr, D.W. (1994). Chapter 1: What is education for? In Earth in mind (pp. 7-14). Island Press.