Funding

The MPS in Global Development tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $44,678. Estimated living costs are not included. 

Applicants need to obtain their own funding. International students are required to show proof of funding before the Graduate School will admit them to the program.

Many students finance their education through external funding opportunities or by securing federal or private loans.

Students are responsible for obtaining their own funding for the MPS program in Global Development. The program offers a limited number of scholarships and fellowships on a competitive basis. The list we provide below includes fellowships administered by the program and other programs at Cornell. This list is not an exhaustive guide to funding sources. 

Coverdell Fellowship
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) offers one Coverdell Fellowship to a returned Peace Corps volunteer in the field of Global Development. The fellowship covers full-tuition and health insurance for one academic year. The fellowship may be split between two students.

There is no separate application for the Coverdell Fellowship. All RPCVs admitted to the program are considered for the fellowship. If you are a finalist, you will be asked to submit a Description of Service (DOS). Finalists will be notified in April. 

FLAS Fellowships

Students admitted to the MPS program may apply for a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship from the South Asia or Southeast Asia Program at Cornell.

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and fellowship deadlines are often in early March. Interested applicants are therefore encouraged to apply to the MPS program early. The Fellowship provides a nine-month stipend of roughly $15,000 plus an education allowance (towards tuition) of roughly $18,000. Fellowship recipients agree to take language and regional studies courses in both academic semesters of the MPS program (note that language credits do not count toward the 30-credit requirement for the MPS degree).

RANA Prize

The RANA Prize aims to encourage, motivate, and increase the confidence of promising students to explore unique, unusual and not “more-of-the-same” competencies and future careers. The $10,000 prize will provide financial assistance to either a matriculated Ph.D. (even years) or professional master's (MPS) student (odd years) in the Department of Global Development who is interested in studying and solving important contemporary problems and/or futuristic societal needs/wants not currently being considered or significantly addressed by others. 

Global Development TAship

The Global Development MPS program awards, on a competitive basis, one Teaching Assistantship per year, which covers tuition and provides a stipend. The TA-ship requires up to 15 hours of work per week.

Cornell Assistantship for Horticulture in Africa (CAHA)

The Cornell Assistantship for Horticulture in Africa (CAHA) invests in individuals who are committed to advancing the fields of horticulture, plant breeding, crop science, soil science, or global development in Africa. CAHA will support one year of study in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program in Global Development. At the conclusion of that program, interested students may apply to pursue a Ph.D. program at Cornell. 

Students are responsible for obtaining their own funding for the MPS program in Global Development. The list we provide below includes opportunities offered by external agencies. This list is not an exhaustive guide to funding sources. It provides information about the sources of support obtained by our students in recent years.

AAUW Fellowships

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) provides fellowships to women for graduate study. Fellowships are available to US citizens and to women who are not US citizens but wish to study in the United States.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program provides scholarships for young professionals to pursue graduate study in the United States.

James Beard Foundation 

The James Beard Foundation offers scholarships for students interested in pursuing careers in the food industry and food affairs abroad. The application period is open February 14 to April 1 and awardees are notified in May. Please note that you will create an account on the James Beard website to see opportunities. 

OAS Academic Scholarship Program

The Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students from member states to study outside the sponsoring country. Non-US citizens from an OAS member state are eligible to apply for scholarships to study in the United States.