Graduate School
Overview
The Graduate School is a community of over 5300 graduate and professional students enrolled in nearly 100 fields of study with programs located on the Ithaca campus, Geneva AgriTech Campus, and at Cornell Tech in New York City.
Graduate study is cross disciplinary by design, and students experience an unusual degree of freedom and flexibility in our graduate programs. It is a culture of collaboration and interdisciplinary possibilities.
We are organized into fields of study that are independent of traditional college and department divisions. Graduate fields are formed when faculty members come together around a shared intellectual interest, and may draw from different campuses, colleges, or departments.
In our graduate fields of study, many of which offer multiple graduate degrees at both the master's and doctoral levels, students can shape a course of study that cuts across interrelated field offerings and develop a distinctive academic framework with the help of a special committee of faculty advisors chosen by the student.
We are proud of the genuine sense of camaraderie among professors and students that would be impossible in a less intimate city or campus, and our field structure encourages relationships that cross colleges, campuses, and the globe.
The Graduate School provides a stimulating, challenging, and deeply rewarding environment that aims to develop and nurture the next generation. Eligible students also have the opportunity to engage in their studies and research beyond the Ithaca campus via in absentia research, the Ivy+ Exchange program, and the linkage partnership program with Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences.
Professional staff experienced in supporting master’s and PhD students are available for 1:1 advising meetings and run workshops and experiential learning opportunities to help Graduate School students explore and prepare for a range of career options within and beyond academia. The Graduate School is committed to data transparency and captures exit survey data from all students within a month of graduation, as well as maintaining and publishing detailed career outcomes information for doctoral students.
Website: gradschool.cornell.edu
General Information
Administration
- Kathryn J. Boor, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education
- Robert S. Weiss, Senior Associate Dean
- Josephine E.M. Martell, Associate Dean for Academics
- Sara Xayarath Hernández, Associate Dean for Inclusion and Student and Faculty Engagement
- Jason Kahabka, Associate Dean for Administration
- Janna Lamey, Associate Dean for Graduate Student Life
- Colleen McLinn, Associate Dean for Professional Development
- Anitra Douglas-McCarthy, Assistant Dean for Access and Recruitment
- Merry Riley Buckley, Assistant Dean for Communications
Graduate School Admissions
A successful applicant to the Graduate School must:
- have received a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing
- have adequate preparation for graduate work in the chosen field of study
- present evidence of promise in advanced study and research
- have fluent command of the English language and
- if required by the field, take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test or other specific examinations
Deadlines
Each graduate field of study has specific deadlines for fall and spring admission. Many deadlines fall between early-December and mid-January. Applications should be received no later than those published dates.
For More Information
Applicants should contact individual fields of study for answers to specific questions about admission to their graduate programs. Contacts in the fields can also answer questions about facilities for advanced study and research, special requirements, and opportunities for fellowships and assistantships. Phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and other contact information are available online.
General questions about graduate study can be directed to Graduate School Admissions, (607) 255-5820 extension 1.
Detailed information about the admissions process, academic programs, financial aid, and student services is available at the Graduate School website. The site features links to the Graduate School’s online application, printable forms, and links to sites of interest to graduate applicants.
Research & Professional Degrees
Students interested in professional and research master's and doctoral degrees at Cornell pursue their graduate studies through the Graduate School, which administers nearly 100 graduate fields.
Fields of Study
At Cornell, graduate study is organized using a field structure. Fields are composed of faculty members from a number of departments who come together around a shared intellectual interest and may draw from different campuses or colleges. Graduate students are admitted to fields of study. Within each field, they select major and minor subjects, which are research interests or concentrations.
Fields span departments and even disciplines. It's possible for a student in the field of economics to include faculty on his or special committee from industrial and labor relations, civil and environmental engineering, and sociology, along with the more traditional economics and management.
See the fields of study webpage or download a PDF of the fields of study from that page for more information on the degree programs offered. See the Graduation Requirements tab for requirements that span all of the research degrees.
Research Degrees
Master's degree programs are designed for those who wish to obtain further education in a selected field and to develop their ability for critical inquiry, independent scholarship, and teaching.
Doctoral programs are designed for individuals who demonstrate the potential to perform original research under guidance, with a view to various careers, including those in research and teaching.
- M.S. (Master of Science)
- M.A. (Master of Arts)
- M.A./Ph.D. or M.S./Ph.D. (joint Master's/Doctor of Philosophy)
- Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
Research degrees with an original thesis or dissertation as part of the degree requirements.
- D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts), typically 3 or more years
- J.S.D. (Doctor of Science of Law)
- M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts), typically 2 years
- Creative Writing
Professional Degrees
Professional degrees prepare students to practice their profession at an advanced level, to teach the subject matter of their profession, or to pursue original investigations into its functions, administration, history, and progress.
- M.F.S. (Master of Food Science), 1 year
- M.I.L.R. (Master of Industrial and Labor Relations), 2 years
- M.L.A. (Master of Landscape Architecture), 3 years
- M.P.H. (Master of Public Health), 1-2 years; part-time option
- M.P.S. (Master of Professional Studies), typically 1 year
- Agriculture and Life Sciences (Master of Professional Studies Program)
- Animal Science
- Biological and Environmental Engineering
- Integrative Plant Science
- Global Development
- Landscape Architecture
- Natural Resources
- Applied Economics and Management
- Applied Statistics
- Human Ecology
- Fiber Science & Apparel Design
- Industrial and Labor Relations
- Human Resources
- Industrial and Labor Relations
- Information Science
- Real Estate
- Veterinary Medical Sciences, 12 months
- M.R.P. (Master of Regional Planning), 2 years
Note: The following professional degrees are administered outside of the Graduate School, but prospective students will use the Graduate School application.
- M.Arch degree administered by the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, 3.5 years
- M.Eng degree administered by the College of Engineering, typically 1 year
- M.M.H. degree administered by the College of Business, 3 semesters
- M.P.S. degree administered by the College of Business, typically 1 year
- M.S.L.S. degree administered by the Law School, 20 months, part-time