Program Overview
The Viticulture concentration within the Integrative Plant Science MPS pertains to the science, production, and study of grapes. In this concentration, students are exposed to every aspect of grape growing and wine making.
Cornell is home to one of the top viticulture and enology programs in the world and is internationally recognized for its expertise in breeding table, juice and wine grapes adapted to cool climate growing regions. Our scientists have been transforming how grapes are bred and grown, as well as how wine is crafted, which has helped the New York grape and wine industries to flourish. Our ideal location in New York's Finger Lakes region is home to nearly 10,000 acres of vineyards.
The Viticulture Concentration emphasizes knowledge development and hands-on experience.
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)
- ENTOM 6060 Applied Statistics: Biological Experiments in Practice (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)
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
- 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 5205 Growing Grapes and Making Wines Graduate Laboratory (2 credits)
- VIEN 5204 Principles and Practices of Growing Grapes and Making Wine (Lecture) (3 credits)
Secondary Courses:
- PLSCI 5940 Skills for Public Engagement (3 credits)
- PLSCI 5600 Soil Science (4 credits)
- PLSCI 5440/ENTOM 5440 Integrated Pest Management (4 credits)
Next steps
Deadline to apply: January 15*
- Request more information
- How to apply
- Apply now
- calsprofprograms [at] cornell.edu (subject: More%20information%20about%20MPS%20Viticulture%20admissions) (Email us with questions)
*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).
Meet some of our Viticulture faculty
Faculty spotlight
Justine Vanden Heuvel
One of the nation’s leaders in viticulture, Justine's research focuses on optimizing wine grape production using computational tools, determining how ecophysiological factors affect grape flavors and aromas, and enhancing economic and environmental sustainability of winegrape production. Her holistic approach to viticulture provides students with a hands-on, immersive experience.
Ria D'Aversa
- rd546 [at] cornell.edu
Cool climate viticulture
Soil systems and ecological farming practices
Climate change impacts on vineyards
Associate Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Horticulture Section
Cornell AgriTech
Jason Londo
- (315) 787-2463
- jpl275 [at] cornell.edu
Fruit crop stress physiology and adaptation
Graft physiology and phenotypic plasticity
Comparative genetics and genomics
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
Justine Vanden Heuvel
- justine [at] cornell.edu
Sustainable viticulture production
Ecophysiological factors and their impact on fruit and wine composition
Computational tools for vineyard management
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)