Graduate Field of Horticulture

Degrees offered: M.P.S., Ph.D., M.S., M.P.S., Ph.D., M.S.

Although emphasis is on horticultural plants and systems commonly found in areas of temperate climate, graduate study on species and cropping systems of tropical areas is also possible by use of our extensive greenhouse and growth chamber facilities, and through conduct of thesis research in tropical areas.

Members of the graduate field of horticulture reside in the Department of Horticulture on the Ithaca campus, and in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. In addition, some faculty members of other departments such as Plant Biology, Plant Breeding, Crop and Soil Science, etc., may also be members of the graduate field of horticulture.

Minor fields of study may be selected from such areas as plant physiology, pathology, anatomy, or ecology; biochemistry; botany; entomology; taxonomy; genetics; education; soils; agricultural, resource, and managerial economics; communication; agricultural and biological engineering; and landscape architecture.

All students receive experience in academic education and Cooperative Extension programs.

M.P.S.(Agriculture and Life Sciences) program. Requirements for the Master of Professional Studies (Agriculture and Life Sciences) degree are two residence units; thirty credits of mostly advanced course work related to the student's professional interests; a problem-solving project; and a minimum grade point average of 2.5. In addition, the M.P.S. (Agriculture and Life Sciences) program has a Peace Corps option in which the student undertakes two semesters of academic work at Cornell and a Peace Corps assignment. For information and instructions on how to apply, visit the M.P.S.(Agriculture and Life Sciences)/Peace Corps Web site, or contact International Programs, 33 Warren Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853; phone 607-255-3037; e-mail: mpsag_peacecorps@cornell.edu.

M.S.-M.L.A. program. In this program, students work simultaneously toward an M.S. degree in the Field Horticulture and a Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree in the Field of Landscape Architecture over a period of three and a half years. Acceptance by both fields is required. Requirements for the joint degree program are: seven residence units; course work determined in consultation with the Special Committee; a thesis; and a final examination. The thesis project must contain components of both horticulture and landscape architecture.

Research facilities.
At the Ithaca campus, research facilities include laboratories equipped for studies of all aspects of plant physiology, including photosynthesis, pre- and postharvest physiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, photobiology, analysis for chemical elements, and tissue culture. Extensive greenhouse and growth chamber facilities permit varying degrees of plant environmental control. Facilities for postharvest research include rooms for refrigerated and controlled atmosphere storage. Field facilities include two research orchards for study of fruit crops, two vegetable research farms, an outdoor nursery, turfgrass research areas, and the Cornell Plantations, an extensive botanical garden. At the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, laboratories, greenhouses and growth chamber facilities similar to those in Ithaca are found. In addition, 600 acres of orchards and 200 acres of vegetable experimental farmland are available for research purposes. A wide range of apple, grape, and vegetable germplasm is maintained by the USDA Plant Introduction Station, the National Clonal Repository and the fruit and vegetable breeders. Research is also conducted at the Hudson Valley Lab (fruit research), the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center (grape and vegetable research), and the Fredonia Grape Research Station.

Apply Now Deadline: Fall, Jan. 5; spring, Aug. 15