man in vineyard

Viticulture MPS Concentration

Master every aspect of growing grapes and making wine to prepare to join the growing viticulture industry in New York and beyond.

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. 

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. 

Browse recent projects.

Next steps

Deadline to apply: February 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).

Class learning techniques to quantify leaf cover in vineyard

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.

Justine Vanden Heuvel holding drone in vineyard
ria d'aversa
Ria D'Aversa

Lecturer, Viticulture

School of Integrative Plant Science

Horticulture Section

Ria D'Aversa
  • rd546 [at] cornell.edu
Cool climate viticulture
Soil systems and ecological farming practices
Climate change impacts on vineyards
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
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
Justine Vanden Heuvel
Justine Vanden Heuvel

Professor and Section Head

Horticulture Section

School of Integrative Plant Science

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:

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)