Graduate School
My Cornell Story
When I was about four years old, living in Cuba, I often played with my dad’s fur-lined gloves while he told me strange stories about a far-off frigid place called Ithaca where he studied poultry science and where I would follow—amid Eskimo, walruses and polar bears, I imagined.
Fourteen years later, trudging up the hill as a freshman, I was glad for the gloves.
previous entriesFrom the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Cornell’s Strategic Plan sets an ambitious goal: wide recognition as a top-ten research institution. Key to attaining this aspiration is strong support for our graduate students and for Cornell’s unique system of graduate education.
When we think about innovative university-level research, we often envision faculty in a lab. But, in fact, the chief engine of that forward motion is often graduate students who conduct experiments in labs and integrate and synthesize knowledge from different disciplines. They bring a passion and energy that fuels intellectual inquiries and propels scientific advances.
Our Strengths
With nearly $700 million in research expenditures, one of the ten largest academic research libraries, top-ranked graduate fields, and some of the best facilities in academia, Cornell University is ranked consistently as one of the most comprehensive universities in the world.
Many of our graduate programs rank in the top ten on both the National Research Council (NRC) Report and the annual U.S. News and World Reports rankings, and all of our programs hone our student’s intellectual and creative leadership skills.
Cross-disciplinary and integrative by design, Cornell’s system of graduate education is unique among our peers and organized around two key foundational elements: graduate fields and the special-committee system.
Our Goals
Top faculty, working alongside excellent graduate students, drive the research, scholarship, and creativity that enhance Cornell’s reputation. In part, faculty are attracted to Cornell because of the opportunities to work with excellent students in an intellectually stimulating research environment; students are attracted by the quality of our programs.
Our goals are to:
- Fund every first-year research Ph.D. student with a graduate fellowship
- Match the duration of merit-based fellowship support offered by peer institutions
- Provide attractive funding packages to encourage the best and most diverse students to accept an offer of admission to Cornell
Our Priorities
Only a fraction of Cornell’s graduate students are funded through external sources of support, with the majority of graduate students receiving direct, merit-based aid from the university.
The university seeks to raise $88.8 million in endowed funds and $11.2 million in current-use funds in support of graduate fellowships and professional school scholarships. Cornell welcomes gifts of all sizes to support graduate fellowships.
Graduate Education in News & Video
Additional Information
Contacts
| Communications | Administration |
|
Elizabeth N. Ellis |
Barbara A. Knuth |