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.

Small green plants in white pots sitting on a black plant tray

News

Discovery could mitigate fertilizer pollution in waterways
Phosphorus from fertilized cropland frequently finds its way into rivers and lakes, and the resulting boom of aquatic plant growth can cause oxygen levels in the water to plunge, leading to fish die-offs and other harmful effects. Researchers...
  • Boyce Thompson Institute
  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Agriculture
Sunflowers in the foreground of an urban green space

News

CALS strengthens NYC connections with new grant projects
These three-year projects will add to the more than 60 existing CALS initiatives in New York City, further strengthening the ties between upstate and downstate. These projects also support the broader goals of President Martha E. Pollack’s...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Department of Communication
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Female professor stands in outdoor archway

News

Gender-equality champion wins Borlaug award for ag research
Hale Ann Tufan, a leading advocate for gender equality as a central tenet of crop improvement, has won the 2019 Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application. The award, given by the World Food Prize, is the premier recognition for...
  • International Programs
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
  • Agriculture
Male hand holding black raspberries.

Spotlight

How can we protect New York state’s berry industry?
Cornell University’s berry team provides expertise in horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, agricultural economics, plant breeding and management practices for New York state’s $20 million berry industry.
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

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.