Graduate Field of Animal Science
Approximately 40 graduate students from a variety of disciplines belong to the Department of Animal Science, most of them in the Field of Animal Science. The program offers unusual flexibility designed to accommodate individual interests and goals. There are several advantages to being a graduate student in the Field of Animal Science at Cornell, including access to Cornell’s wealth of intellectual (and other) resources and cooperation among students and faculty with common and complementary interests.
Fields and major subjects
Graduate Fields at Cornell are administrative units of the Graduate School. Graduate faculty in the Field of Animal Science include members from the Department of Animal Science, Department of Food Science, Division of Nutritional Sciences, and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
General Information
Information about the Field of Animal Science, as well as general application information and on-line forms, may be found on the Graduate School website.
Four Degree Programs
The Field of Animal Science offers four degree programs:
- MPS
- MS
- MS/PhD
- PhD
Graduate Field Concentrations
Students applying to the Field of Animal Science can choose from the following concentrations:
- Animal Nutrition
- Animal Science
- Physiology of Reproduction
- Animal Genetics
- Animal Genomics
MPS Specializations
MPS students are part of a cohort of CALS professional master’s students specializing in diverse fields of study. The program is fast-paced and rigorous. Professional master’s students have a dedicated support organization, offering career guidance and professional skill development.

Animal Health Specialization
The CALS Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program specialization in Animal Nutrition is designed for individuals interested in developing careers working with animals either in industry or the non-profit sector.
Animal Nutrition Specialization
The CALS Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program specialization in Animal Nutrition is designed for individuals who are interested in developing careers emphasizing the nutritional needs of animals.
Dairy Business Management Specialization
The CALS Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program specialization in Dairy Business Management is designed for individuals interested in gaining exposure to dairy business management in order to enhance their career potential in agribusiness.
International students
The Field of Animal Science has limited resources for international students and can rarely offer financial support to them. The Graduate School requires that international students provide documented financial support before they may be admitted. International students should seek financial assistance from their own governmental agencies or international foundations. Self-funded PhD Students are not accepted. Faculty within the Field may have funding for graduate students from grants. Students who are not offered financial support through the Department of Animal Science or other departments at Cornell are not accepted unless they have been awarded funding to provide the equivalent of a Cornell Assistantship.
For More Information
Donna Wakeman
Graduate Field Assistant
149 Morrison Hall
Phone: 607-255-2862
Email: anscigradfld [at] cornell.edu
Dr. Susan Quirk
Director of Graduate Studies
434 Morrison Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607-254-4607
Email: smq1 [at] cornell.edu