Policies
Academic Procedures and Policies for CALS Professional Master's Degree Programs
If you have questions about the academic policies outlined, please contact the Office of Professional Programs and Extended Learning at calsprofprograms [at] cornell.edu.
Registration
All students are required to be registered during each semester of the degree program until the degree is conferred. Any interruption of continuous registration is considered a withdrawal. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure proper registration at all times. International students should contact the International Students and Scholars Office if they have any questions about maintaining their student visa status.
- To be considered registered as full-time during a regular term, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits.
- Full-time students are limited to 20 hours of combined assistantships, hourly student appointments, and/or outside employment per week.
- If a student takes a leave of absence, they must return and complete the degree within 4 years of matriculation.
Academic Standing
Students are expected to remain in good academic standing. To remain in good academic standing, a student must:
- Maintain a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher.
- Satisfactorily complete 12 or more academic credits per fall/spring semester.
- Demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completion of College and field requirements.
Each semester, the Office of Professional Programs will review the records of students who are not in good academic standing or whose semester GPA is below 2.5 and may consult with the CALS Professional Master’s Academic Committee to determine appropriate action. Actions include but are not limited to:
- Issuing a warning to alert the student that they are not currently in good academic standing or that their semester GPA is below 2.5 and offering support for improving academic performance.
- Granting a student-requested leave of absence or placing the student on a mandatory leave of absence.
- Carrying out an academic withdrawal of the student from the degree program.
Pro-rated Tuition
Students who have successfully completed at least one full semester of coursework may be eligible for pro-rated tuition during their final semester only (if enrolled in 9 or fewer credits). To request pro-rated status, complete the pro-rated tuition form and submit it to CALS Office of Professional Programs at calsprofprograms [at] cornell.edu.
Leaves of Absence
Students may request a leave at any time for personal or medical reasons.
- Leaves are granted for a period of up to 12 months; however, they can be extended. Health leaves of absence are automatically renewed upon request of the student.
- MPS/MFS students must complete the degree within 4 years of matriculation. If the period of the leave has been exceeded, the student will be withdrawn from the program and may re-apply; however, admission is not guaranteed. If re-admitted, the student must adhere to the degree requirements in place at the time of re-admission, not original matriculation.
- MLA students are allowed a total maximum of 3 years of leave of absence status. If the period of the leave has been exceeded, the student will be withdrawn from the program and may re-apply; however, admission is not guaranteed. If re-admitted, the student must adhere to the degree requirements in place at the time of re-admission, not original matriculation.
- A student who takes a leave of absence may not receive payment in the form of a fellowship, teaching assistantship or graduate research assistantship and relinquishes access to campus facilities and personnel that normally accompanies student status.
- If a student whose original offer of admission included financial support returns from approved health leave within the four-year window, any financial support remaining is guaranteed, though the specific duties associated with that support may be adjusted.
- Time spent on leave of absence does not count toward time-to-degree limits.
Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from their program at any time. Withdrawal is appropriate for students who do not intend to resume studies or to complete an advanced degree at Cornell University. Any interruption of registration is considered a withdrawal unless the student has been granted a leave of absence.
MPS/MFS Degree Coursework Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours related to the candidate's professional interest, as agreed upon with the faculty advisor.
(a) Twenty credit hours must be taken within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and at least 30 credits must be in graduate-level courses (5000-level and higher).
(b) A minimum of 18 credit hours with letter grades.
(c) A maximum of 6 of the required 30 credit hours may be earned through the student's problem-solving project (see third bullet). - Completion of a minimum of two full-time semesters. Full time enrollment is equivalent to at least 12 academic credits.
- Satisfactory completion of a problem-solving project under the supervision of the faculty advisor. This project may be an action program, the development of a plan to address a pertinent problem, the development of materials or methodology suited to the student's situation, or the development and execution of research appropriate to the profession. A formal project report must be submitted to and approved by the candidate's faculty advisor.
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5
- Completion of the degree within four years of admission.
MPS/MFS Capstone Project Requirements
The student will prepare and submit an project report under the supervision of their faculty advisor. The content of the project will be pertinent to the subject matter of the student’s major area of concentration or specialization. Early in their first semester on campus, the student will work with their advisor to define the project opportunity. This may be the execution of a professional action program designed under the guidance of the faculty advisor; the development of a professional plan or solution to a pertinent problem; the development of professional materials; or the development and execution of a research project.
The student and faculty advisor determine the content and length of the final paper or project report. The student and the faculty advisor will determine the total number of credits to be obtained for work on the MPS/MFS project based on the expected project duration. The student will enroll in the project course (ALS 5900) each semester for the determined amount of credits, for a maximum of six credit hours for satisfactory completion of the project.
Satisfactory progress and project completion are determined by the student’s advisor. Project completion is a mandatory requirement for graduation from the MPS/MFS program.
Capstone Project Courses
To accommodate the needs across the CALS graduate fields participating in the expanding MPS/MFS programs, both courses will be offered in fall, spring, and summer terms. Project work is evolving as the degree programs are growing, and in certain fields of study, students will be actively working on their projects over the summer. For this reason, project credits earned during the summer term will be non-tuition bearing.
Up to 6 credits from the Project Courses (ALS 5900 and ALS 5910) will be counted towards the 30 credit degree requirement. Please be sure to select the course section corresponding to your advisor.
ALS 5900 Project Development:
- Variable credits per student not to exceed 5 credits total.
- Students enroll in this course when they are working on their project (any semester).
- This is a graded course (not eligible for S/U).
ALS 5910 Project Completion:
- 1 credit required for all CALS MPS/MFS students to complete their degree.
- Students enroll in the semester they intend to complete their project only.
- Students can be enrolled in ALS 5900 and ALS 5910 simultaneously.
- ALS 5910 is a graded course (not eligible for S/U).
MLA Degree Coursework Requirements
Transfer Credits
CALS MPS or MFS students may receive transfer credits for coursework completed outside the degree program.
Credits earned outside Cornell University
- A maximum of 6 credits may be awarded for coursework earned outside the program
- Coursework must be graduate-level and equivalent in content and rigor to a course offered at Cornell, and it must not be counted toward other degrees awarded
- Number of credits applied to degree requirements will not be greater than the number earned for the course at the original institution, nor will they be greater than the number for the Cornell equivalent course
- The earned grade must be equivalent to a B- or higher; the field may require a higher grade
- Coursework completed not more than five years before admission
Credits earned within Cornell University
- No limit is imposed on the number of Cornell credits allowed to be applied to MPS or MFS degree requirements; however, they must be approved by both the field and the CALS Office of Professional Programs
- Coursework must be graduate-level and not counted toward other degrees awarded
- The earned grade must be at least a B-; the field may require a higher grade
- Coursework completed not more than five years before admission
Procedure
- Student obtains official transcript and course syllabus; faculty advisor determines the Cornell course equivalent
- The CALS Professional Programs Office will post the transfer credits to the student’s Cornell transcript when the above documentation has been received and the number of credits approved