SIPS MS/PhD Graduate Fields

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Agriculture and Life Sciences degree is a one-year, course-based master's degree, ideal for individuals who are interested in in-depth study of the issues and advancements in plant and soil sciences. Learn more about the MPS degree program. If you have questions about MPS degree, contact Tara Reed, Plant Science MPS Program Coordinator: (607) 255-2131 or tln2 [at] cornell.edu (tln2[at]cornell[dot]edu)

MS/PhD degrees typically take 2-5 years and involve a combination of coursework and original research. A written thesis based on original research is an important element of MS/PhD degree programs.

At Cornell, graduate study leading to an Masters or Science (MS) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is organized using a field structure.  Fields are composed of faculty members from a number of departments or sections (in the case of SIPS) who come together around a shared intellectual interest, and may draw from different campuses or colleges.  Graduate students are admitted to fields of study.  Within each field, they select major and minor subjects, which are research interests or concentrations.

Fields span departments and even disciplines.  It’s possible for a student in the field of economics to include faculty on his or special committee from industrial labor and economics, civil and environmental engineering, and sociology along with the more traditional economics and management.

The concentrations listed under each field and topics of recent MS/PhD theses can help you decide which Field is a good fit for you.

Go to the complete list of SIPS faculty. The short profiles list the Graduate Fields of which they are a member.  Note that many faculty are members of more than one field.

Correspondence is welcomed from potential applicants who have a well-informed interest. Be sure to briefly describe your experience and your interests and how they relate to the research program of the faculty you contact. Inquire about the recruiting goals of those faculty for the coming year. Faculty input about individual applicants is extremely important to the decisions of our admissions committee.

No. Also, admitted M.S. students can later petition to change to the Ph.D. program, and vice-versa

Many criteria are considered when evaluating a student for acceptance. A strong background in life sciences is important; as evidenced by grades, coursework, and research projects undertaken. A high motivation for graduate study is essential. We look carefully at the student's statement of purpose and experiences related to their areas of interest for graduate study; the more in-depth the experiences, the better. Applications from non-traditional students are welcome as are applications from students coming directly from their undergraduate degrees. Letters of recommendation are also extremely important. We are interested in getting all the information we can about the students' motivation and aptitude for graduate research.

See Application pages for individual fields for more testing requirements and other specific criteria for evaluation.

The Graduate School requires that all doctoral students have a full special committee no later than the end of the 3rd semester and all masters students no later than the end of the 2nd semester.

What Constitutes a Special Committee?

A minimum of three members of the graduate faculty for a doctoral student and a minimum of two members for a master's student constitute a special committee.

1. One member, the chair of the committee (major advisor), represents the major field and concentration.
2. One member must represent a minor outside the student's major field.
3. The third member can either represent another minor outside of the field or be in the major field but represent a different concentration from the major one.

Please note that most faculty members are members of several fields. A student can add additional members and ad hoc members depending on the circumstances (an additional member would be another member of the Cornell Graduate Faculty; an ad hoc member is generally someone from another institution such as a collaborator on a project who is not a member of Cornell's faculty).

The Philosophy

The selection of the special committee is up to the student in consultation with his/her major advisor. Theoretically, minor/s can be in any field (Russian Literature, anyone?); however, in practical terms, students will want to select faculty who will, in some way, contribute to or support their research goals.

The Power of the Special Committee

The faculty member who represents a particular subject/concentration on the committee determines the specific requirements for that student (e.g. coursework needed). The committee, as a whole, evaluates the student at the time of exams and determines whether they have met the appropriate standards for original research contributing to the knowledge base of the field (approving the thesis or dissertation). Students are encouraged to meet with their full committee at least once a year to ascertain that everyone is in agreement regarding progress toward degree completion.

Acceptable Committee Formations

Chair, Minor, Minor
Chair, Minor, Additional Member
Chair, Minor, Field Appointed Minor Member
Chair, Co-Chair, Minor Member

Nomination Process

Committee members are nominated through student center (link in advisor box to 11Special Committee"). The GFA is the first approver so if the distribution among fields/concentrations is not correct, the GFA should not approve the committee nomination.

A range of financial support and internal grants are available to graduate students in the five graduate fields affiliated with Cornell's School of Integrative Plant Science. Financial assistance is available to MS and PhD students on a competitive basis and includes tuition, a stipend, and health insurance. Admitted PhD students and funded MS students are guaranteed a stipend during the academic year (~$30,000 for 2022-23) as well as a summer stipend (~$10,000) if they do research in the summer, as most do. If you are considering a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree be aware that the MPS is self-funded with MPS candidates responsible for all costs associated with the degree (i.e. tuition, insurance, living expenses).

More information.