The School of Integrative Plant Science is the largest academic unit in Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It is composed of five sections with interrelated activities in the plant sciences: Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil and Crop Sciences.

Degree programs

students at dilmun hill student farm
Undergraduate

The Cornell CALS plant sciences major prepares students for careers or further study in fundamental biology, plant breeding, pest and disease management and production of plants for food, fiber and ornamental uses.

students looking at rice plants
Graduate - M.S./Ph.D.

Graduate study in SIPS is organized into five graduate fields. Collectively these fields provide unparalleled opportunities to connect disciplines, creatively solve problems and integrate complex systems. Includes graduate fields of Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil and Crop Sciences.

people driving a hemp harvester in the field
Graduate - Integrative Plant Science MPS

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree in Integrative Plant Science is a one-year, course-based master's degree, ideal for individuals who are interested in in-depth study of the issues and advancements in plant and soil sciences.

Continuing education

Our school is committed to lifelong learning, offering a wide range of programming and skill building for children and adults alike. See featured education programs to take advantage of these opportunities, including online courses and seminar, garden tours and more.

News from the School of Integrative Plant Science

Learn about the many ways we are addressing some of the world's most urgent challenges.

Graphic representing the collaborative framework of CROPPS decoding plants’ internal biological processes, STEPS improving sustainable management of phosphorus, and a two-way collaboration with diverse stakeholders.

News

Growth across fields: Scientific collaboration tackles farming challenges

A new study, published in Global Change Biology, presents five case studies that demonstrate how deep collaboration can transform crop monitoring, fertilizer use and water management to tackle the most significant challenges facing farming...

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Biology Section
  • Agriculture
Students are checking plants in a field

News

How better to learn with classmates than to soil your undies together? Students in the Cover Crops in Agroecosystems (PLSCI 4125) course learn about the importance of soil nutrient cycling by, among other things, burying a new pair of cotton...
  • Campus Area Farms
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Close up of a person's hands holding a beet.

News

New York produces 22.2% of the nation's beets, while health-conscious consumers are demanding more products that utilize the earthy root.

  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Food Science
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Close up of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C

News

Three doctoral students supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellowship Program visited Washington, D.C. to advocate for agricultural science and learn about policymaking.

  • Animal Science
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
Close up of a patch of waterhemp

News

New research confirms glyphosate-resistant waterhemp for the first time in New York state, with significant consequences for soybean growers, many of whom use the herbicide as their primary method of weed control.

  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Land Acknowledgment

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ leadership. Learn more from the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program website.