Walter Cohen, dean

Alison G. Power, associate dean (on leave 2000)

Shelley Feldman, acting associate dean (2000)

Terry D. Plater, associate dean

Hilary Ford, assistant dean

Graduate study at Cornell is pursued through the Graduate School, which administers the many graduate fields of study, or through the various graduate professional schools and colleges.

GRADUATE SCHOOL

The graduate program at Cornell permits an unusual degree of accommodation to the needs and interests of the individual student. Degree requirements are kept to a minimum. There are no specific course or credit requirements for the advanced general degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy, but only such general requirements that best accomplish the aim of graduate study: a period of study in residence, the mastery of one subject, adequate knowledge of allied subjects, oral examinations to establish competency for presentation of a dissertation or thesis, and a satisfactory dissertation or thesis. Certain advanced professional degree programs have specific course or credit requirements that are determined by the faculty of the professional school or college in which the degrees are offered.

A close working relationship between the student and faculty members is essential to the graduate program at Cornell. Under the Special Committee system the student is guided by, and works with, at least two or three faculty members chosen by the student to represent his or her major and minor subjects. The major subject representative is the chair of the Special Committee and usually has the primary responsibility for directing the student's thesis or dissertation research.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

To be admitted to the Graduate School, an applicant should:

1)   hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent, granted by a faculty or university of recognized standing;

2)   have adequate preparation for graduate study in the chosen field of instruction;

3)   have fluent command of the English language;

4)   present evidence of promise in advanced study and research; and

5)   take the Graduate Record Examinations General Test, or other specific examinations, for those fields that require these examinations.

Before admission can be final, all applicants whose native language is not English must provide proof of competency in the English language. Acceptable proof could be

1)   a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test (higher for some fields);

2)   evidence of two or more years study in, or a degree from, a college or university in a country where both the language of instruction and the native language is English.

Information on times and places for the TOEFL examination and Graduate Record Examinations and application forms may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08541, U.S.A.

Applications for fall admission to the Graduate School should be received by the deadline of the field to which one applies. The earliest deadline is December 15. Many fields, however, have different deadlines. Applicants should consult the Graduate School's application booklet for the specific closing date for each field.

Inquiries regarding admission should be addressed to the specific graduate field office or to the Graduate School Admissions Office, Cornell University, Caldwell Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2602.

Inquiries regarding facilities for advanced study and research in a given field, special requirements for such study and research, and opportunities for fellowships and teaching and research assistantships should be addressed to the particular graduate field of interest.

More detailed information is contained in the application for admission to the Graduate School and in the Graduate School Catalog. Both may be viewed on the web at http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/. An interactive application is available at this site and application forms may be downloaded and printed directly from the web. Both the application and the Catalog may be received through the mail by contacting either the individual graduate field office or the Graduate School, Caldwell Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2602. (The application is mailed world-wide; the Catalog is mailed to addresses with the U.S.)

Note: Programs leading to the degrees of Doctor of Law (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) are not administered by the Graduate School. Information on those programs can be obtained from the Law School, the Weill Medical College of Cornell University (New York City), the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Johnson Graduate School of Management respectively.

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