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

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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.

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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.

A row of lit candles in a black room.

News

James W. Lorbeer, whose research on diseases of onion and other vegetables grown in organic soils aided growers around the world, died Oct. 5, 2023, in Ithaca. A professor emeritus of plant pathology, Lorbeer was 91.

  • Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section
  • Plants
A lit candle infront of a dark background.

News

Mandayam Parthasarathy, Ph.D. ’66, whose research shifted fundamental understanding of internal plant structures, died Aug. 7 in Ithaca. A professor emeritus of plant biology, Parthasarathy was 91.

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Biology Section
Cornell professor Johannes Lehmann, center, examines the biochar kiln at Spruce Haven Farm with officials from NYSERDA and Arcadis

News

An alumnus-owned farm in Union Springs will become New York’s first commercial dairy to run cow manure through a kiln to make eco-friendly biochar – thanks to Cornell agricultural expertise.

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Global Development Section
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
Yellow Submarine tomatos in a bowl sitting on top of basil

News

Phillip Griffiths, a Cornell plant breeder, has developed an unusual tomato – with yellow flesh and an oblong shape that prompted its fans to name it “Yellow Submarine.”

  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • 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.