Armed with a degree in Plant Sciences, you can make an impact by:

• Finding new ways to produce enough nutritious food for a growing world population.
• Breeding plants to tolerate the heat- and drought-stress caused by climate change.
• Developing sustainable cropping practices to produce healthful food while protecting the environment.
• Investigating new methods to fight plant diseases.
• Restoring damaged ecosystems to better support those who live there.
• Conserving species, through plant collections in gardens and arboretums, for future generations.

Why Cornell?

1. Top-rated. Cornell is consistently ranked as one of the best universities for plant science in the world. Here you can learn how to make a significant impact on food security, climate change, conservation of biodiversity, sustainable living and many other challenging problems.
2. Great classes. We offer more than 130 undergraduate classes about plants, all with small class sizes. You can also choose from more than 3,000 other classes in almost every subject imaginable.
3. Integrative approaches. Plant science draws on disciplines as wide-ranging as engineering, medicine, space science, chemistry, physics, and even art, history and language to advance our understanding of the role of plants on the human condition. You’ll find all these disciplines at Cornell.
4. Caring and enthusiastic community. The plant science community at Cornell consists of more than 100 scientists, nearly 200 graduate students from all over the world, and a very diverse population of undergraduates who are bright, motivated and committed to making the world a better place. Plant science peer mentors will help you navigate issues and feel that sense of belonging, particularly during your critical first semester on campus.
5. Living laboratory. The Cornell campus features resources including state-of-the-art labs, greenhouses, herbarium, conservatory, farms, natural areas and a philosophy that the campus is a living laboratory.
6. Extracurricular activities. Cornell has more than 1,000 student clubs involving athletics, performance, philanthropy, religion, and politics. These include plant-related clubs on organic farming, horticulture, mushrooms, winemaking, hydroponics, permaculture, nature society, and beekeeping. If none of these impress, you can create your own.
7. Practical experience and service. You’ll find opportunities for community engagement, research in professor’s labs, internships, and teaching assistantships, as well as international travel through classes, clubs, and Study Abroad.
8. Natural beauty. Cornell Botanic Gardens and associated natural areas are located on or near campus, along with many historical and theme gardens, gorge walks, student-designed and installed landscapes, and hiking trails.
9. The best of all worlds. Our campus sits on a hill overlooking Cayuga Lake within the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes, with easy access to parks, lakes, wineries and bus service to New York City.
10. College town culture. Ithaca is ranked as one of the best college towns in the country, with an active social scene, fantastic restaurants, and cultural activities for every taste.