Plant Sciences Minor

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Program Website

Program Description

The School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) offers six different minors, from a general minor in Plant Sciences to others that engage Cornell students more deeply in some of the critical areas of plant and soil science. Minors are available only to matriculated Cornell University students, and classes used for any minor requirement must be taken in person, not online. Transfer students may use approved equivalent courses towards minor requirements. Special topic courses, seminar courses, and courses without regular instruction cannot be counted towards any minor requirement. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and a grade of “C” or better must be received to count towards the minor. For more information, visit the SIPS website. 

All credits counting towards a SIPS minor must be unique. Courses being used to fulfill major requirements can not be used to fulfill a minor requirement in SIPS.

Students may not complete more than one minor in the School of Integrative Plant Science (Plant Sciences, Crop Management, Fungal Biology, Horticulture, Plant Breeding, Soil Science).

Plant Sciences majors and Agricultural Sciences majors are not eligible to complete a minor offered through SIPS (Plant Sciences, Crop Management, Fungal Biology, Horticulture, Plant Breeding, Soil Science).

How to Apply

Students must submit a Declaration of Intent form (visit the SIPS website for current link) for the minor they are interested in pursuing, and the declaration must be received no later than the last day of classes in the student’s final semester at Cornell. Students are held to the minor requirements in the catalog at the time their Declaration of Intent form is submitted.

Verifying Completion of Minor

  1. In your second-to-last semester, prior to pre-enrollment for your last semester at Cornell, meet with your minor advisor to determine if you have completed all requirements or which requirements must be completed in your last semester. 

  2. Fill out the survey emailed to you during your last semester, detailing which requirements you’ve completed and which, if any, requirements you are completing in your last semester. Your minor advisor will confirm your standing in the program.

  3. Once your last semester’s grades are posted by the University Registrar, the minor coordinator will check your transcript against your survey and notify your college whether you have completed the minor. There is no need for you to follow up separately with the minor coordinator about completing the minor or having it added to your academic record.

  4. Your minor should appear on your official transcript 2-3 weeks after your last semester’s final grades post. If you do not see it by the end of June (for May graduates), the end of September (for August graduates) or the end of January (for December graduates), please email the SIPS minor coordinator.