Program Overview
The Geospatial Applications concentration within the Integrative Plant Science MPS focuses on the use of modern tools to geographically map and analyze the Earth and human societies. This concentration provides education in geospatial applications, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to develop data management and decision-making skills for a wide range of geographical data.
Geospatial applications have many relevant and useful applications, such as:
- Effective collection of data – such as soil data and seasonality of topography – can help take the guess work out of agricultural planning
- Mapping of areas, especially areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters, can help protect food supplies
- Urban and regional planning
At Cornell, students have used geospatial applications to study a wide breadth of topics, such as:
- Vegetation responses to drought conditions
- Analyzing the influence of landscape context on the efficacy of sustainable agricultural practices in Kenya
- Flood exposure due to poor infrastructure, and its relation to social vulnerability in Kolkata
- Understanding bike sharing activity patterns of NYC Citi Bike
CALS MPS program details
Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Master of Professional Studies (MPS) program is an accredited, course-based, one-year master’s degree program that emphasizes professional development and intellectual investigation in the areas of agriculture, life sciences and global development. (The Integrative Plant Science MPS program is STEM-designated degree program.)
Though similar to a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in its academic rigor, the MPS degree differs from a traditional M.S. degree in its structure and focus. An M.S. is research-based, with students building a thesis over the course of two or three years. In contrast, the 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.
MPS students are part of a community of diverse students and faculty who share common goals, connecting research and practice to solve complex problems.
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.
Field of Integrative Plant Science MPS Degree Requirements:
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.)
Specific course requirements of the Integrative Plant Science MPS Degree are as follows:
- Core Courses (13 credits required):
- Professional Development (5 – 9 credits)
- Quantitative Literacy (2 – 6 credits)
- Capstone Project (2 – 6 credits)
- Concentration Courses (12 credits required):
- Courses specific to your concentration
- Elective Courses (5 credits required)
This project may be an action program, the development of a plan to address a pertinent problem, the development of materials or methodology suited to the student's situation, or the development and execution of research appropriate to the profession. A formal project report must be submitted to and approved by the candidate's faculty advisor.
Next steps
Deadline to apply: February 15*
- Request more information
- How to apply
- Apply now
- calsprofprograms [at] cornell.edu (subject: More%20information%20about%20MPS%20Geospatial%20Applications%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 Geospatial Applications faculty
Faculty spotlight
Ying Sun
Ying's research focuses on understanding fundamental processes governing interactions between agroecosystems and climate at various scales. She is working with a team of researchers using NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) to more accurately measure photosynthesis – with implications for creating more reliable estimation of crop productivity and global carbon uptake in the face of increasing climate change. “Our population and food demand growing. But we only have limited land and water resources. My goal is to provide sustainable solutions to increase food productivity while reducing negative impacts on the environment. Using this novel data set and state-of-the-art modeling tools, I feel confident about being able to help solve these systemic agricultural problems.”
Assistant Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Horticulture Section
Cornell AgriTech
- (315) 787-2220
- yj522 [at] cornell.edu
Assistant Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- (510) 207-9928
- dsk273 [at] cornell.edu
Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
Professor
Department of Global Development
- (607) 254-1236
- cl273 [at] cornell.edu
Assistant Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- ll928 [at] cornell.edu
Associate Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
Associate Professor
Department of Global Development
- ajm9 [at] cornell.edu
Adjunct Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- dgr2 [at] cornell.edu
Adjunct Associate Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- dss326 [at] cornell.edu
Associate Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- (607) 255-4255
- ys776 [at] cornell.edu
Professor
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- (607) 255-5629
- hmv1 [at] cornell.edu
Professor and Section Head
Horticulture Section
School of Integrative Plant Science
- justine [at] cornell.edu
Senior Research Associate
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- (607) 255-1448
- pbw1 [at] cornell.edu
Senior Research Associate
School of Integrative Plant Science
Soil and Crop Sciences Section
- dw433 [at] cornell.edu
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:
Dan Buckley
Director of Graduate Studies
Graduate Field of Integrative Plant Science (IPS)
Phone: (607) 255-1716
Email: dhb28 [at] cornell.edu (dhb28[at]cornell[dot]edu)
Tara Reed
Program Coordinator
Graduate Field of Integrative Plant Science (IPS)
Phone: (607) 255-2131
Email: tln2 [at] cornell.edu (tln2[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)