Students learn about high tunnel salad green production at Main Street Farm in Cortland, NY

Plant Systems MPS Concentration

Our most flexible concentration allows you to work with faculty to develop an individualized curriculum to meet your interests & career goals.

Program overview

The Plant Systems concentration within the Integrative Plant Science MPS allows for maximum flexibility in curriculum design and project work. With nearly fifty MPS faculty advisors who offer diverse areas of expertise, you can customize a curriculum that is relevant to individual passions, interests, and career goals.

Explore facets of sustainable agriculture, food security issues, international agriculture, environmental information systems, climate change, biodiversity conservation, human-plant interactions, computational biology, garden-based learning, agricultural education and more. The options are limited only by your imagination. 

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.

Here are some of the courses you can take to fulfill the field core requirements. Courses are not necessarily offered every semester or every year. Refer to the Courses of Study website for details.

Professional Development: 5-9 credits

  • PLSCI 5050 Cultivating Community through Self-discovery and Skill Development (2 credits)
  • PADM 5431 Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying (1.5 credits)
  • NCC 5540 Managing and Leading Organizations (3 credits)
  • NBA 5690 Management Consulting Essentials (1.5 credits)
  • NBA 5670 Management Writing (1.5 credits) 
  • NBA 5640 The Business of Entrepreneurship (3 credits) 
  • NBA 5380 The Business Idea Factory (1.5 credits)
  • NBA 5150 Leadership Theory & Practice (3 credits)
  • NBA 5070 Entrepreneurship for Scientists and Engineers (3 credits) 
  • ILRHR 6640 HR Research for Executive Decision-Making (3 credits) 
  • HADM 6130 Entrepreneurial Management (3 credits) 
  • GDEV 6820 Community Organizing and Development (3 credits) 
  • COMM 5660 Science Communication Workshop (1 credits) 
  • ALS 5211 Career Readiness: Engaged Learning for CALS Professional Master’s Students (1 credit)
  • AEM 6145 Business and Management Fundamentals for STEM Graduate Students (1.5 credits) 
  • AEM 5700 MPS Management Communication (1.5 credits)
  • AEM 5110 Design and Innovation (3 credits) 

Quantitative Literacy: 2-6 credits

  • STSCI 5200 Biological Stats 1 (4 credits) 
  • STSCI 5150 Introductory Statistics for Biology (4 credits) 
  • STSCI 5120 Intro to R Programming (2 credits)
  • SOC 6310 Qualitative Research Methods for Studying Science, Technology, and Medicine (3 credits)
  • SOC 6010 Statistics for Sociological Research (4 credits)
  • PUBPOL 6040 Qualitative, Survey, and Mixed Method Approaches to Policy Research (3 credits)
  • ILRST 6100 Statistical Methods I (4 credits)
  • GOVT 6019 Introduction to Probability and Applied Statistics (4 credits)
  • GDEV 6190 Quantitative Research Methods (4 credits)
  • DEA 6560 Research Methods in Social Sciences (4 credits)
  • CRP 6201 Research Design and Qualitative Methods (3 credits) 
  • COMM 6820 Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits) 
  • CEE 5980 Decision Framing and Analytics (3 credits) 
  • BTRY 6010 Statistical Methods I (4 credits) 
  • BTRY 5090 Theory of Statistics (4 credits) 
  • BTRY 5010 Biological Statistics I (4 credits)
  • AEM 5605 Predictive Analytics for Business Strategy (2 credits) 
  • AEM 5510 Environmental Economics (3 credits) 
  • AEM 5225 Systems and Analytics in Accounting (3 credits) 

Capstone Project Courses: 2-6 credits

  • ALS 5900 Master of Professional Studies Project Development (1-5 credits)
  • ALS 5910 Master of Professional Studies Project Completion (1 credit)
  • VIEN 6700 Winemaking Theory and Practice II (2 credits)
  • VIEN 5610 Vineyard Management I (2 credits)
  • VIEN 5500 Advanced Winemaking Theory and Practice I (2 credits)
  • VIEN 5400 Wines and Grapes: Composition and Analysis (2 credits)
  • VIEN 5300 The Science of Grapevines (2 credits)
  • VIEN 5205 Growing Grapes and Making Wines Graduate Laboratory (2 credits)
  • VIEN 5204 Principles and Practices of Growing Grapes and Making Wine (Lecture) (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 7170 Quantitative Genetics in Plant Breeding (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 6831 Concepts and Techniques in Plant Molecular Biology (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6720 Nutrient and Carbon Cycling and Management in Ecosystems (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6630 Pedology (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6620 Plant Biochemistry (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6520 Berry Crops: Culture and Management (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6450 Urban Plants and Human Health (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6420 Mineral Nutrition: From Plants to Humans (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6410 Laboratory in Plant Biology (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 6250 Data-Model Fusion in Research (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6230 Equitable Crop Improvement: From Theory to Practice (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 6200 Analysis of Spatial Data: A Case-Based Approach (3 credits
  • PLSCI 6170 Advanced Analytical Methods for Plant Systems (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 6140 Weed Ecology and Management (3 credits
  • PLSCI 6080 Methods of Plant Breeding Lab (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 6070 Nutritional Quality Improvement of Food Crops (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 6010 Molecular Biology of Plant-Microbe Interactions (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5940 Skills for Public Engagement (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5850 Public Garden Management (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5825 Museum and Park Interpretation (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5660 Soil Ecology (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5600 Soil Science (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5440/ENTOM 5440 Integrated Pest Management (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5431 Laboratory in Molecular Biology and Genetic Eng (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 5430 Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering of Plants (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 5290 Remote Sensing and Modeling for Ecosystems (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5210 Soil and Crop Management for Sustainability (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5200 Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5190 Cannabis: Biology, Society and Industry (3 credits)
  • PLSCI 5150 Weed Biology and Management (4 credits
  • PLSCI 5140 Global Cropping Systems and Sustainable Development (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 5025 Hydroponic Food Crop Production and Management (4 credits)
  • PLSCI 5015 Hemp Production Systems (2 credits)
  • PLSCI 5010 Biology and Management of Plant Diseases (4 credits)
  • PADM 5410 Non Profit Management and Finance (4 credits)
  • LA 5910 Creating the Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design, and Landscape Establishment (5 credits)

Refer to the Courses of Study website for details.

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).

two students working with hemp in greenhouse

Meet some of our Plant Systems faculty

Faculty spotlight

Yu Jiang

Yu Jiang’s research focuses on systems engineering and data analytics for specialty crops and involves interdisciplinary innovation among engineering, computer science, and plant science. His interests include agricultural robotics and artificial intelligence, image processing and high throughput plant phenotyping.

A man stands by a sunny window
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
Clare Casteel
Clare Casteel

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Clare Casteel
  • clc269 [at] cornell.edu
Plant-virus-vector and plant-insect interactions
Molecular & chemical ecology and soil microbiomes
Healthy agroecosystems, climate resilience and organic farming
William Crepet
William Crepet

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

William Crepet
Plant systematics and phylogeny
Flowering plants
Paleobotany
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
Maria Gandolfo
Maria Alejandra Gandolfo Nixon

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Maria Alejandra Gandolfo Nixon
Paleobotany
Diversification and evolution of angiosperms
Plant anatomy
Michelle Heck
Michelle Heck

Adjunct Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Michelle Heck
  • mlc68 [at] cornell.edu
Molecular interactions among plant pathogens, insect vectors, and plant hosts
Jian Hua
Jian Hua

Plant Biology Section Head and Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Jian Hua
Environmental responses; Adaptation; temperature; immunity; plants
Yu Jiang
Yu Jiang

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Yu Jiang
Agricultural robotics and artificial intelligence
Image processing
High throughput plant phenotyping
portrait of Betsy Lamb
Elizabeth Lamb

Senior Extension Associate, Ornamentals IPM Coordinator

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Adjunct Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Elizabeth Lamb
Ornamental and greenhouse integrated pest management
jason londo headshot black t shirt
Jason Londo

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Jason Londo
Fruit crop stress physiology and adaptation
Graft physiology and phenotypic plasticity
Comparative genetics and genomics
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
Guarav Moghe
Gaurav Moghe

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Biology Section

Gaurav Moghe
Evolution of plant specialized metabolism
plant natural variation; genomics
metabolomics
virginia moore
Virginia Moore

Assistant Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Breeding and Genetics Section

Virginia Moore
  • vm377 [at] cornell.edu
Breeding for sustainable cropping systems
Cover crops, intercropping, polycultures, organic farming systems
Legumes, forages, alfalfa, hemp
Teresa E. Pawlowska
Teresa Pawlowska

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Teresa Pawlowska
Evolutionary and population genomics
Innate immunity in fungi and fungal-bacterial interactions
Arbuscular mycorrhizae
man in apple orchard
Gregory Peck

Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Gregory Peck
Tree fruit and hard cider
Organic agriculture and soil health
Climate change
Headshot of Jeff Perry
Jeffrey Perry

Senior Lecturer

Department of Global Development

Jeffrey Perry
Extension Education
Teaching Methods
Youth Leadership Development
Marvin Pritts
Marvin Pritts

Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Plant Sciences Major

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Professor

Department of Global Development

Marvin Pritts
Berry crops
Season extension
Sustainable production practices
Anu Rangarajan
Anusuya Rangarajan

Senior Extension Associate and Director, Cornell Small Farm Program

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Anusuya Rangarajan
Fresh market vegetable production
Small farms and sustainable agriculture
Organic and reduced tillage vegetable production
Steve Reiners
Steve Reiners

Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Cornell AgriTech

Steve Reiners
Processing vegetables (peas, beans, sweet corn)
Vegetable production systems
Organic gardening
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
sonja skelly headshot
Sonja Skelly

Director of Education, Cornell Botanic Gardens and Adjunct Associate Professor

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Sonja Skelly
  • sms92 [at] cornell.edu
Public garden leadership
Plants and human well being
School & youth gardening, adult education, climate change education
Karen Snover-Clift
Karen Snover-Clift

Senior Extension Associate

School of Integrative Plant Science

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section

Karen Snover-Clift
Plant disease diagnosis
Plant pathology training of Master Gardeners, Extension Educators, and green industry members
Richard Stup
Richard Stup

Senior Extension Associate, Agricultural Workforce Specialist

Cornell Cooperative Extension

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Richard Stup
Agricultural workforce issues
Leadership development
Human resources and farm labor
Peter Woodbury
Peter Woodbury

Senior Research Associate

School of Integrative Plant Science

Soil and Crop Sciences Section

Peter Woodbury
Agricultural and forest ecosystems
Greenhouse gas emissions
Geospatial modeling, land use and environmental quality
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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)