Frequently-Asked Questions
Application/Admissions
1. What is an Earth Expeditions course?
Earth Expeditions courses provide direct study experiences in Africa, Asia, Austraia and the Americas. See country-specific course information via the navigation links on the left. In addition to the international experience, all Earth Expeditions students also engage in a Web-based learning community during the fall semester.
2. Do I have time to apply?
Please see Admissions.
3. Who is eligible to apply?
Please see Admissions.
4. Sounds great! How do I apply?
The Earth Expeditions application is usually available on the Web from fall to the January 28 due date.
5. By what criteria will I be evaluated?
After you submit your Web application, a selection committee will review your application materials. The selection committee will be looking carefully at your entire application. Of particular importance are your essays. The committee is looking for a wide cross-section of people -- different levels of experience, different ages, different kinds of educators from school and non-school settings -- to accept into the program.
6. Must I have had a long and outstanding teaching career and/or have previously traveled abroad to be considered?
No. You need not have won any awards or traveled at all. The selection committee is looking for a wide cross-section of people -- different levels of experience, different ages, different backgrounds, different kinds of educators from school and non-school settings -- to accept into the program. Our courses are also open to select undergraduate and graduate students from Miami University. Please also see Admissions.
7. Are there physical requirements?
Yes. Earth Expeditions courses have physical requirements.
Please see Admissions.
8. Must I submit my application and resume on the Web?
We highly recommend applying via the Web-based application. The Earth Expeditions application is usually available on the Web from fall to the January 28 due date. If you cannot apply via our Web site, please contact us at earthexpeditions@muohio.edu.
9. I'm not a classroom teacher/I'm not a science teacher. Am I still eligible for the program?
Absolutely. Please click here to see who is eligible. We strive for individuals from all disciplines and backgrounds.
10. When will I be notified if I'm accepted?
Successful applicants will be notified by March 15 of each year.
11. If I am selected for an Earth Expeditions course this year, may I reapply next year?
Yes. However, participation in an Earth Expeditions course does not guarantee a spot in future courses.
12. I teach in a financially strapped school where few staff have computers. And I don't have a computer at home. Will this affect my chance of being chosen? How will it affect my completion of course work?
All Earth Expeditions students are required to have a valid email address and access to a computer with Internet connection. The reason is that all students also interact via an easy-to-use Web platform. From home or work on their own schedule, students work on the Web with course instructors and classmates to discuss course assignments, develop and present projects, and exchange ideas.
Although our courses have technological requirements, lacking email and a computer with Internet access will not hinder your chance of being accepted to the program. If you are accepted to Earth Expeditions, we can help you establish a free email address. Remember that the Web component of this course is on your own time, so you may be able to use a computer with Internet access in your school's library or a public library. Don't let the technological requirements bar you from applying. But remember that you'll need to have access to a computer with Internet capability from one to three hours a week.
13. I don't live in Ohio or near Cincinnati. Will this affect whether I'm chosen?
No. Whether you live in Cincinnati, Nepal, or Honolulu, your place of residence does not affect whether you are accepted to any Earth Expeditions course. It does not matter where you live or work.
Also, as part of its support of Earth Expeditions, Miami University has reduced the tuition costs for Earth Expeditions courses.
14. Do I have to have taken classes at Miami University to apply?
No. You need not have taken classes or be a graduate of Miami to apply. Please click here to see who is eligible.
15. Will age be a factor in the selection process?
No. Miami University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veterans' status in its education programs, activities, admissions, or employment policies. All Earth Expeditions applicants will be considered based on their application materials.
Grades/Credit Hours
1. Will I receive a letter grade? Would it be possible for me to audit an Earth Expeditions course or take it Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit?
Earth Expeditions courses are taken for a letter grade and cannot be taken on a non-credit or pass/fail basis.
Earth Expeditions students must complete both parts of the course: the international field experience in the summer and the Web-based learning community in the fall. Earth Expeditions participants' final grades are based both on the field and Web-based portions of the course.
2. How many graduate credit hours will I receive for completing this course?
Please see Admissions.
3. Do you offer a master’s degree program?
Yes, Project Dragonfly and Miami University's Departments of Botany, Microbiology, and Zoology have partnered to offer the Global Field Program (GFP) master's degree where you can choose to enroll in either a Master of Arts in Zoology (MA) or a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Biological Sciences. For more information, visit our Global Field Program web page.
4. Can I apply my Earth Expeditions course credits to a master’s degree program?
Yes, you can apply up to 7 Earth Expeditions credits toward a Master of Arts in Zoology (MA) or a Master of Arts in Teaching in Biological Sciences (MAT) at Miami University. For more information, visit our Master's Programs web page.
5. Will this Earth Expeditions class count toward my teaching licensure/certification?
It depends. Each state has different requirements for certification. Please check with your local university's college of Education or similar department to find out the details for your area.
Course Travel/Meeting Dates
1. What are the travel dates for Earth Expeditions courses?
Earth Expeditions: Please see each course page for specific dates -- Amazon, Australia, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Costa Rica, Guyana, Kenya, Mongolia, Namibia, Thailand, and Trinidad. All Earth Expeditions students will also join a Web-based learning community from September to early December.
2. What is the approximate cost of airfare for Earth Expeditions international courses?
Airfare costs change frequently. To estimate fares to any of our locations, interested applicants may wish to visit an online fare finder (such as Travelocity, Expedia, or Orbitz), or call a travel agent. Bear in mind that airlines have seasonal fluctuations in fares and many factors may influence your final airfare pricing. Earth Expeditions allows you the option of flying on your own, and not as a group, to assist you in saving on airfare costs. Upon acceptance, you will receive details on your instructor's flights should you be interested in finding a similar airline itinerary.
3. If I am accepted to a Earth Expeditions course, is it my responsibility to arrange my own airfare?
Yes; however, accepted applicants will receive further information about traveling to their course destination. If you are accepted to a Earth Expeditions course, you are responsible for making your own travel arrangements to the specified city within the country of your Earth Expeditions. It is also each student's individual responsibility to meet the class at the specified time and location. Due to the complexities of group travel and logistical constraints such as hotel and transport reservations, the class cannot wait for tardy students. We require that students arrive in their destination country by our designated meeting time to ensure that they join the class at the specified time and location.
4. What about visas/passports/travel insurance/other Earth Expeditions trip details?
If you are accepted to a Earth Expeditions course, you will be provided with a wealth of information you'll need to travel abroad with the program. Miami University requires that students traveling outside the U.S. purchase travel insurance, which costs about $22, and carry a valid passport. But again, if you're accepted to a course, you'll be provided with all the necessary information.
For information about passports, visas, travel advisories, and other detailed travel information, check out the U.S. State Department's Web site at www.state.gov/travel/.
To access information about traveler's health and vaccines, take a look at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Web site at www.cdc.gov and under the heading "Health and Safety Topics," click on "Travelers' Health" or "Vaccines & Immunizations."
5. What are the accommodations like during the international experience?
Please see Admissions page.
Costs
1. How much do Earth Expeditions courses cost?
Miami University offers a reduced tuition rate for Earth Expedition students who hold bachelor's degrees and who are not full-time students at Miami University.
Cost: $1290 + Airfare
Tuition for 7 graduate credits and all basic expenses in the field are covered in the course costs, including:
- Meals (incidental snacks and drinks not included)
- Lodging
- Field station fees
- Field equipment (as needed)
- Ground transportation (van, boat, train, etc., as needed)
- Park entrance and guide fees
Course costs do not cover personal expenses, such as gifts, or some ancillary costs, such as passport fees and course texts. Certain courses also carry with them an additional cost for in-country travel; 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 $22. (Successful applicants will receive more details in their acceptance packet.) Students will be required to purchase a course reader, and in some classes an additional textbook. In some countries, you may have to pay entrance and departure taxes/fees at the airport, which usually do not exceed $20 U.S.
Once you arrive with the class in-country, you will have no additional charges for hotel, food, or transportation. You are responsible for purchasing incidentals and gifts, and for tipping at your discretion.
2. Is financial aid available?
To support involvement by a broad range of individuals worldwide, Miami University currently offers a reduced tuition rate (included in the price above) for all Earth Expeditions participants who are not full-time students at Miami Unversity.
Earth Expeditions recommends that accepted applicants to the program check with their school district or employer to see if professional development funds are available to further offset costs. Additionally, you may find our grant tips to be useful in getting you started.
3.What if I am unable to attend my Earth Expeditions course?
If you decide you cannot participate in an Earth Expeditions course for which you have paid and you notify the Earth Expeditions program in writing by April 15th, your course costs may be applied to a later course within the next 12 months, subject to acceptance. Additional administrative costs may apply.
If you decide you cannot participate after the April 15th due date, your course costs are forfeited and cannot be used for a future Earth Expeditions experience. After April 15th, it is highly unlikely we can fill an empty space in our course.
Miscellaneous
1. What is a "Web-based Learning Community"?
As a feature of every Earth Expeditions course, students join their colleagues and instructors on Dragonfly Workshops' Web-based Learning Community. Topics, discoveries, and ideas that arise from face-to-face encounters within your Earth Expeditions experience are extended through semester-long learning communities on the Web. From home or work on their own schedule, students interact with each other and with Earth Expeditions instructors in a seminar-style discussion in this collaborative, Web-based learning community. For a few hours a week, students discuss course assignments, develop and present projects, and exchange ideas on the Web.
To get an overview of the Web platform, visit www.dragonflyworkshops.org.
2. Who is teaching the Earth Expeditions courses?
Click here to see brief biographies about each of our core faculty members.
3. May I contact someone directly?
If you can't find your answers on the Earth Expeditions Web site or here in the FAQs, please feel free to email your questions to earthexpeditions@muohio.edu.