Graduate Field of Soil & Crop Sciences

Students in the Graduate Field of Soil and Crop Science can select from four concentrations: Agronomy, Field Crop Science, Soil Science, and Environmental Information Systems

Master of Professional Studies (MPS)

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Agriculture and Life Sciences degree offered through the School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) 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.

Undergraduate Plant Sciences Major

With a Major in the Plant Sciences, you can:

  • Expand our knowledge of fundamental plant and soil processes
  • Find new ways to produce enough nutritious food for a growing world population.
  • Breed plants to tolerate the heat- and drought-stress caused by climate change.
  • Develop sustainable cropping practices to produce healthful food while protecting the environment.
  • Investigate new methods to fight plant diseases.
  • Restore damaged ecosystems to better support those who live there.
  • Conserve species, through plant collections in gardens and arboretums, for future generations.

Learn more about the Plant Sciences Major

Related majors

In addition to the Plant Sciences Major, Soil & Crop Sciences Faculty contribute to the teaching efforts of other related majors:

  • Agricultural Sciences - an interdisciplinary program for students wishing to pursue a broad-based education in agriculture to prepare for careers that require a scientific and integrative understanding of agriculture and food systems. Students can concentrate in one or more areas, including Animal Science, Business, Education and Communication, Crop Production and Management, and Sustainable Agriculture.
  • International Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) - Students in this major who take the Agricultural and Food Systems concentration gain an understanding of crop production in tropical systems and also economic and sociological issues in emerging nations.
  • Environmental Science and Sustainability Concentrations: Environmental Biology and Applied Ecology, Environmental Policy and Governance, Environmental and Resource Economics, Biogeochemical Sciences, An individualized concentration that is student-designed

Undergraduate minors

Minors offered by the School of Integrative Plant Science will broaden your horticulture education at Cornell:

  • Plant Sciences 
  • Crop Management 
  • Fungal Biology 
  • Horticulture 
  • Plant Breeding 
  • Soil Science 

Research opportunities for undergraduates

Are you interested in conducting research with our faculty? you can apply to one of our Research Opportunity for Undergraduate (REU) Programs or apply to one of the many labs in our section that routinely host undergraduate researchers

  • Microbial Friends & Foes REU
  • Plant Genome Internship - NSF sponsored program introduces high school and undergraduate students to state-of-the-art techniques in plant biology and trains students in scientific ethics, laboratory safety, and data presentation.
  • The Office of Undergraduate Research provides information about exploring the wealth of research opportunities at Cornell
  • The Honors Program in Biological Sciences is designed to offer advanced training in laboratory and field research through the performance of an original research project under the direct guidance of a member of the Cornell faculty.