PhD in Agricultural Engineering

This doctoral program sits in the Graduate School's field of biological and environmental engineering and is delivered in person in Ithaca. Candidates write a dissertation and select a minor subject from a discipline other than their own field. Research areas range from bioenergy and energy systems to environmental engineering, food systems, industrial biotech, nanoscale biology, sustainability and synthetic biology. Progress reviews start in the second year, the admission-to-candidacy exam takes place in spring of the third year, and the dissertation defense follows in spring of the fourth year. Research training and an ORCID identifier are both required. Prospective applicants should check with the graduate field office and the Cornell Graduate School about admission requirements, funding and application timelines, because this catalog entry concentrates on the academic content and milestones of the degree rather than on costs or deadlines.