Degree Programs

The Field of Soil and Crop Sciences offers the Master of Professional Studies (Agriculture) [M.P.S.(Agr.)], Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.

Students admitted to the Field may choose emphasis in any of the five Concentrations. Examples of areas of specialization within these Concentrations include: crop production and physiology, forest soils, plant stress, seed reproduction and physiology, soil fertility, soil genesis, soil microbiology, soil morphology, soil physics, soil and water chemistry, and weed science. Students may apply for admission to the M.P.S.(Agr.), M.S., M.S./ Ph.D., or Ph.D. programs. Students at the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) level may apply for direct admission to the Ph.D. program only if they have had exceptional preparation or professional experience in their areas of interest.

All Soil and Crop Sciences degree programs offer students the opportunity to supplement intensive coursework in the department with coursework from related disciplines. A list of graduate and undergraduate courses the department offers is available. All graduate degree programs in the Field of Soil and Crop Sciences are individualized to suit students' interests, backgrounds, and goals. Students must, however, satisfy certain university and Field requirements, either through prior work at another institution or through work at Cornell. Each student works closely with a major professor and a graduate special committee. This group of faculty members determines Field requirements based on the student's training and career goals, and on each committee's composition.

Students must earn two units of residence credit for an M.S. degree and six units for a Ph.D. degree (2+4 for M.S./Ph.D.). One unit can be granted for each semester of full-time study, as explained in the section entitled "Requirements for Degrees." Oral or oral/written examinations are also required for all graduate degrees, according to schedules organized by the student's special committee.