Miami University's Project Dragonfly - Earth Expeditions Graduate Courses

Miami University’s Project Dragonfly has partnered with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) to help expand AZA’s professional development opportunities. Project Dragonfly has been designated an official AZA Learning Partner, which means that some Dragonfly graduate courses qualify as electives for one or more concentrations in the AZA Professional Development Certificate Program. The AZA Certificate Program organizes training opportunities into concentrations, such as behavioral husbandry, conservation and research, and education and interpretation.

These exceptional professional development opportunities — offered in partnership with a consortium of AZA institutions — enable participants to work directly with some of the leading projects on the planet, joining conservationists such as David Western (Maasai-wildlife interactions, Kenya), Laurie Marker (cheetahs, Namibia) and Marc Ancrenaz (orangutans, Borneo). Zoo and aquarium staff are especially encouraged to apply.

Project Dragonfly is designated as an official AZA Learning Partner, which means that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has deemed Dragonfly as a “high-quality resource for career development opportunities.”

Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad.

Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with experiential learning and field study through AIP Master Institutions in the U.S. Applications for Miami's 2022 cohorts are being accepted now for the AIP master's that includes place-based experiences at zoos and gardens in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Jacksonville, New York, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis.

Advanced Inquiry Program Web+ courses combine work in a web-based learning community with the excitement of experiential learning in person at AIP Master Institutions in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Jacksonville, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis and New York. Students taking these courses should reside near one of the following AIP Master Institutions:

Chicago: Chicago Zoological Society – Brookfield Zoo
Cincinnati: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Cleveland: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Denver: Denver Zoo
Jacksonville: Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Garden
New York: Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo
San Diego: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Seattle: Woodland Park Zoo
St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden

Contact individual institutions for additional course details and specific start dates.

Graduate tuition for all programs is reduced because of support from Miami University.

Learning Outcomes

None listed