About Plant Breeding M.s. (ithaca) in Cornell University
The field of plant breeding encourages applications from students interested in crop improvement in the context of global agriculture. Faculty research areas include not only applied breeding of major crops such as cereals, forages, potato, and diverse fruits and vegetables but also molecular genetics and genomics of crop plants.
The applied breeding program deals with development of plant materials for greater yield, disease resistance, adaptability, quality, etc. and with studies of breeding methods and principles. Molecular and biochemical studies to identify and isolate agriculturally important genes seek to relate information from model species to crop plant genomes, to compare crop genomes, to assess genetic diversity, and to develop bioinformatic tools relevant to crop improvement. Conservation and evolutionary genetics of crop plants and their wild relatives is an additional topic of research. Many faculty members include both applied breeding and molecular study in their programs.
Faculty are located in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Boyce Thompson Institute, USDA Robert W. Holley Center (all in Ithaca) and in the Department of Horticultural Sciences (Geneva). Extensive greenhouse and field facilities are available. The molecular programs benefit from well equipped laboratories, the many plant-oriented programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and collaborative activities with other areas of life sciences at Cornell.
Course work available ranges from plant breeding methods to molecular breeding to intellectual property issues. Special opportunities are available for students interested in international experience. Graduate students receive a broad education preparing them for careers in many areas of plant biology and agriculture.
Prospective applicants may wish to correspond with faculty members in their area of interest. The field list of faculty gives general topics of research and/or crops studied for each field member.
Academic qualification equivalents
English language requirements
- IELTS : 7.0
- TOEFL IBT: 100
Cornell University Highlights
Type |
Private |
Campus Setting |
Urban |
Endowment |
275.9 million USD |
Cost of Attendance |
57,350 USD |
Campus Housing Capacity |
55% |
Student Retention Rate |
92% |
Cornell University Cost of Attendance
Tuition, books, fees, housing, meals, and personal things all contribute to the projected cost of attendance. The following table lists the anticipated costs for undergraduate and graduate students.
Types of Expenses |
Cost for UG Students (USD) |
Cost for Graduate Students (USD) |
Tuition |
58,586 |
20,884 - 84,909 |
Student Activity Fee |
274 |
274 |
Health Fee |
456 |
456 |
Housing and Rooms |
9,534 |
19,140 |
Meals |
6,262 |
6,262 |
Books and Supplies |
990 |
1,330 |
Personal Expenses |
1,850 |
6,748 |
Health Insurance Plan |
3,108 |
3,108 |