man standing in a hemp field

Cannabis & Hemp Sciences MPS Concentrations

Gain the skills to thrive in the growing cannabis and hemp industries with focuses on breeding, production, processing, and product development.

Program Overview

The Cannabis Science and Hemp Sciences concentrations within the Integrative Plant Science MPS pertain to Cannabis and Industrial Hemp, which hold great promise for their application in food, fiber and medicinal products. The 2014 and 2018 U.S. Farm Bills have progressively legalized hemp (Cannabis sativa) cultivation, generating tremendous interest in food and fiber products. Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has assembled a multidisciplinary team of researchers, faculty and extension educators who are building a program to study hemp cultivation, pests and diseases, microbiome, agroecology, biochemistry, tissue culture and transformation, production economics, and to establish a long-term breeding program to produce new cultivars.

The Cannabis Science MPS and the Hemp Sciences MPS focus on the development of specific skills to understand plant breeding and genetics; hydroponic and field crop production; processing; food, fiber and medicinal applications; and product development. Students will develop a broad-based understanding of the industry from seed to sales, exploring the legal and regulatory environment and challenges facing the cannabis industry today and in the future.

MPS Degree Requirements

The CALS MPS degree is a one-year, course-based program where students study the intricacies and in-depth questions of their field of study. Instead of a thesis or research project, MPS students complete a capstone project during their final semester. To understand this difference in greater detail, please visit our FAQ page. Students earning the MPS in Integrative Plant Science complete 30 credits of graduate level courses (5000+), with at least 20 of these credits earned through the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, and at least 18 of these credits taken for letter grade. (Note that physical education courses and language courses do not count towards degree.)

The Integrative Plant Science Master of Professional Studies program is a STEM-designated degree with coursework requirements that differ slightly from other MPS programs at Cornell. 

Specific course requirements of the Integrative Plant Science MPS Degree are as follows:

  • Core Courses (13 credits minimum):
    • Professional Development (5 – 9 credits)
    • Quantitative Literacy (2 – 6 credits)
    • Capstone Project (2 – 6 credits)
  • Concentration Courses (12 credits minimum):
    • Courses specific to your concentration
  • Elective Courses (5 credits minimum)
    • Graduate level course you choose in consultation with your advisor.

Note: 2.5 GPA required for graduation.

12 credit minimum of Primary and Secondary Concentration Courses with at least 5 credits from Primary. Refer to the Courses of Study website for details.

Primary Courses: 5 credit minimum 

  • PLSCI 5190 Cannabis: Biology, Society and Industry (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5060 Hemp Processing (2-3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5045 Chemistry and Pharmacology of Cannabis (1 credits)
  • PLSCI 5030 Hemp Breeding and Genetics (1 credits)
  • PLSCI 5025 Hydroponic Food Crop Production and Management (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5015 Hemp Production Systems (2 credits)

Secondary Courses:

  • PLSCI 6080 Methods of Plant Breeding Lab (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 6030 Genetic Improvement of Crop Plants (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6020 Plant Propagation (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5440/ENTOM 5440 Integrated Pest Management (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5110 Field Crop Systems (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5010 Biology and Management of Plant Diseases (4 credits)

12 credit minimum of Primary and Secondary Concentration Courses with at least 5 credits from Primary. Refer to the Courses of Study website for details.

Primary Courses: 5 credit minimum 

  • PLSCI 5190 Cannabis: Biology, Society and Industry (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5110 Field Crop Systems (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5060 Hemp Processing (2-3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5045 Chemistry and Pharmacology of Cannabis (1 credits)
  • PLSCI 5030 Hemp Breeding and Genetics (1 credits)
  • PLSCI 5015 Hemp Production Systems (2 credits)

Secondary Courses:

  • PLSCI 6170 Advanced Analytical Methods for Plant Systems (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 6080 Methods of Plant Breeding Lab (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 6030 Genetic Improvement of Crop Plants (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6020 Plant Propagation (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6017 Cropping Systems Ecology (1 credits)
  • PLSCI 5600 Soil Science (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5440/ENTOM 5440 Integrated Pest Management (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5025 Hydroponic Food Crop Production and Management (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5010 Biology and Management of Plant Diseases (4 credits)

Next steps

Deadline to apply: January 15*

*For regular Fall Semester start. Late applications may be accepted under exceptional circumstances.  Contact Tara Reed for more information: tln2 [at] cornell.edu (tln2[at]cornell[dot]edu).

working with hemp seedlings in greenhouse

Meet some of our Hemp Sciences Concentration faculty

Faculty spotlight

Carlyn Buckler

Dr. Carlyn Buckler is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, and is the faculty lead for the Hemp Sciences Concentration. She teaches courses on digital technologies in agriculture and skills for public engagement, as well as the overview course for the concentration, Cannabis: Biology, Society and Industry (PLSCI 4190). Carlyn chairs the college’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and serves on the SIPS Diversity and Inclusion Council. She is a member of the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA) and is also the Advisor and Faculty Mentor for the Cornell SMART group (Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency).

Carlyn Buckler
Mark Bridgen
Mark Bridgen

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Mark Bridgen
Ornamental plant breeding
Cell and tissue culture
Greenhouse floriculture
Carlyn Buckler
Carlyn Buckler

Associate Professor of Practice

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Carlyn Buckler
  • csb36 [at] cornell.edu
Science communication and digital technologies
Plant genetics
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Giulia Friso
Giulia Friso

Senior Research Associate/Senior Lecturer

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Giulia Friso
Ethnobotany, plants and health
Plant biochemistry and mass spectrometry
Cannabis
neil mattson
Neil Mattson

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Neil Mattson
Greenhouse horticulture
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
Greenhouse lighting and systems engineering
Bill Miller
Bill Miller

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Bill Miller
Flower bulbs and floriculture
Greenhouse and nursery crops
Physiology and post-harvest management
jocelyn rose
Jocelyn Rose

Director

School of Integrative Plant Science

Barbara McClintock Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Jocelyn Rose
Plant structural polymers, cell wall structure and function
Cuticles and plant surfaces
Fruit biology
Chris Smart
Christine Smart

Goichman Family Director

Cornell AgriTech

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Christine Smart
Biology and management of vegetable diseases
Host-pathogen interactions
Lawrence Smart
Larry Smart

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Larry Smart
Breeding and genomics
Industrial hemp
Willow bioenergy crops
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More information

Application fee waivers - International applicants, as well as U.S. applicants, may be eligible for an application fee waiver for financial hardship and other reasons. More information.

Questions about Integrative Plant Science MPS? Contact us:

Bill Miller
Director of Graduate Studies
Graduate Field of Integrative Plant Science (IPS)
Phone: (607) 255-1799
Email: wbm8 [at] cornell.edu (wbm8[at]cornell[dot]edu)

Tara Reed
Program Coordinator
Graduate Field of Integrative Plant Science (IPS)
Phone: (607) 255-2131
Email: sips-mps [at] cornell.edu (sips-mps[at]cornell[dot]edu)

Marvin Pritts
Student Experience Coordinator
Graduate Field of Integrative Plant Science (IPS)
Phone: (607) 255-1778
Email: mpp3 [at] cornell.edu (mpp3[at]cornell[dot]edu)