Overall Rating	Platinum
Overall Score	86.35
Liaison	Lisa Kilgore
Submission Date	March 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Cornell University
AC-4: Graduate Program

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	3.00 / 3.00	Mark Lawrence Communications Mgr ACSF

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for graduate students?:

Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program:

Civil and Environmental Engineering (Ph.D.)

A brief description of the graduate-level degree program:

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree are expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in a specific subject area in Civil and Environmental engineering and to synthesize and create new knowledge, making original and substantial contributions to their discipline in a timely fashion. The program includes concentrations in Environmental Processes, Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology, Environmental and Water Resources Systems Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Systems Engineering. Students will become specialists in the protection and management of the quality of the environment for the benefit of society. Research projects include evaluation of engineering projects, groundwater contaminant modeling and remediation optimization, water supply systems management, and groundwater systems planning and operation, and sustainable development.

Website URL for the graduate-level degree program:

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/subject/civil-and-environmental-engineering/civil-and-environmental-engineering-phd-ithaca

Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (2nd program):

Landscape Architecture (M.P.S.)

A brief description of the graduate degree program (2nd program):

MLA students will be admitted to a 2 or 3 year degree track. All MLA students must complete the core curriculum, consisting of Studio, Technical, and History and Theory requirement courses. The core of the degree program is the design studio that introduces students to fundamental design methodologies and they are asked to pursue and develop their design process and learn about research methodologies. Studio classes emphasize the creative and artful adaptation of the land and human infrastructure and prepares students who will be on the front lines of adapting land use (especially coastal land use) to the changing climate and the various implications for human and non-human life. The MLA degree allows the option of a design thesis, a capstone studio, or a written research thesis, and students must construct a concentration which can focus on human-environment relations.

Website URL for the graduate degree program (2nd program):

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/subject/landscape-architecture/landscape-architecture-mps-ithaca

Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (3rd program):

Soil and Crop Sciences (M.S.):

A brief description of the graduate degree program (3rd program):

Students in the Field of Soil & Crop Sciences work on projects ranging from advancing management practices for sustainable field crop production, soil biogeochemistry in relation to climate change and environmental concerns, geospatial land processes, and molecular genomic aspects of crop plants and soil microbes. Degrees typically take 2-5 years and involve a combination of coursework and original research. A written thesis based on original research is an important element of the degree program. Students must choose a concentration based on agronomy, environmental information science, field crop science, or soil science. The curriculum focuses on methods to improve crop productivity and quality, both nationally and internationally, and to identify physiological factors that could be improved through plant breeding or genetic engineering. Coursework also emphasizes improving the suitability of soil for crop growth while preserving its value as a natural resource by using ecologically sound approaches.

Website URL for the graduate degree program (3rd program):

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/subject/soil-and-crop-sciences/soil-and-crop-sciences-ms-ithaca

The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused graduate-level degree programs:

Does the institution offer one or more graduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates?:

Yes

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate:

Sustainable Energy

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:

All students enrolled in the minor are required to take a minimum of nine credit hours in three or more energy-related courses or modules, including Sustainable Energy Systems, Energy Sources and Technologies for a Transition to Sustainability, and related to Environmental, Policy, Economic, and Business Consequences. This minor is intended to integrate scientific and engineering principles that focus on the creation, analysis, and improvement of energy technologies, with knowledge of environmental systems potentially impacted by energy production, and with an understanding of human systems that are intertwined with energy-related decisions. The ultimate goal is to provide affordable, clean energy that is both secure and sustainable by the participation, ingenuity, and hard work of people from a great range of specialized activities working collaboratively

Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/sustainable-energy-minor/

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):

Environmental Quality

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):

This minor field offers qualified engineers and scientists an opportunity to broaden their knowledge in physical, chemical, and biological areas related to environmental-quality problems and their control. It is intended to encourage interdisciplinary study. The objective is to understand human interaction with the environment.

Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/environmental-quality-minor/

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):

Water Resources

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):

The minor in water resources provides an opportunity for students in M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs to complement their major subject area with studies related to water resources. Course selection is the prerogative of the student and Water Resources committee member; the courses should relate to some aspect of water resources and provide the student with an interdisciplinary experience.

Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):

https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/water-resources-minor

The name and website URLs of all other graduate-level, sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:

(1) American Indian and Indigenous Studies - https://cals.cornell.edu/american-indian-indigenous-studies/academics-research/aiis-graduate-minor
(2) Civil and Environmental Engineering concentrations: Environmental & Water Resources Systems Engineering, Environmental Fluid Mechanics & Hydrology, Environmental Processes - https://www.cee.cornell.edu/cee/programs/graduate-programs/meng-civil-and-environmental-engineering/environmental-engineering
(3) MS/PhD Field of Soil & Crop Sciences concentrations: Agronomy, Environmental Information Systems, Field Crop Sciences, Soil Science - https://cals.cornell.edu/school-integrative-plant-science/degrees-programs/msphd-graduate-fields/msphd-field-soil-crop-sciences
(4) Master of Public Administration concentrations: Environmental Policy, Human Rights and Social Justice, International Development- https://www.human.cornell.edu/cipa/academics/curriculum/concentrations/home
(5) Water Resources- https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/water-resources-minor
(6) Peace Studies - https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/peace-studies-and-peace-science-minor
(7) Urban Studies- https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/urban-studies-minor
(8) Risk Analysis, Communication, and Policy- https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/risk-analysis-communication-and-policy-minor/#section-4
(9) Environmental Quality - https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/environmental-quality-minor/
(10) Environmental Policy - https://www.human.cornell.edu/cipa/academics/curriculum/concentrations/environmental
(11) Sustainable Energy - https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/sustainable-energy-minor/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

All information is provided by https://gradschool.cornell.edu/cugradfos/

Data source(s) and notes about the submission

All information is provided by https://gradschool.cornell.edu/cugradfos/

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STARS v2.2

Cornell University AC-4: Graduate Program

Cornell University
AC-4: Graduate Program