Plants in the greenhouse complex at Guterman Lab.

SIPS Degrees & Programs

Gain critical skills to advance your knowledge and address local and global challenges.

The School of Integrative Plant Science is the largest academic unit in Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It is composed of five sections with interrelated activities in the plant sciences: Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil and Crop Sciences.

Degree programs

students at dilmun hill student farm
Undergraduate

The Cornell CALS plant sciences major prepares students for careers or further study in fundamental biology, plant breeding, pest and disease management and production of plants for food, fiber and ornamental uses.

students looking at rice plants
Graduate - M.S./Ph.D.

Graduate study in SIPS is organized into five graduate fields. Collectively these fields provide unparalleled opportunities to connect disciplines, creatively solve problems and integrate complex systems. Includes graduate fields of Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil and Crop Sciences.

people driving a hemp harvester in the field
Graduate - Integrative Plant Science MPS

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree in Integrative Plant Science 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.

Continuing education

Our school is committed to lifelong learning, offering a wide range of programming and skill building for children and adults alike. See featured education programs to take advantage of these opportunities, including online courses and seminar, garden tours and more.

News from the School of Integrative Plant Science

Learn about the many ways we are addressing some of the world's most urgent challenges.

five different green and red apples on a wood slab

Spotlight

Genetic ingenuity: What does it take to put produce on your plate?
Our plant breeders are known for their innovative work in creating new varieties of fruits and vegetables. Developing these varieties is a complex yet creative process, and getting the varieties onto supermarket shelves also requires a tremendous amount of effort. Susan Brown, professor of horticulture, and Phillip Griffiths, associate professor of horticulture, explain how they bring the varieties they develop from seed to supermarket.
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Horticulture Section
A student examines plants as part of his research

News

New specializations accelerate growth of MPS programs
Gagne graduated with a degree in horticulture and a specialization in controlled environment agriculture and recently landed an apprentice grower position at BrightFarms, a company based in the Hudson Valley. Controlled environment agriculture...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Horticulture Section
  • Plants
Chelsea Specht works at a desk with two students.

News

New leadership drives diversity and inclusion initiatives at CALS
Now, as students complete the spring semester from off-campus locations, CALS’ efforts to make sure that they feel safe and supported are more crucial than ever. “It’s very important that a sense of belonging envelops our Cornellians who are now...
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Biology Section
A local restaurant chef gives current students a tour behind the scenes of his kitchen.

News

'Just Food' course broadens students' perspectives of food systems
The course, Just Food: Exploring the Modern Food System, benefits from an interdisciplinary pair of instructors: Rachel Bezner Kerr, professor in the Department of Global Development, and Frank Rossi, associate professor of horticulture in the...
  • Food Science
  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science

Land Acknowledgment

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ leadership. Learn more from the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program website.