Preferred minimal criteria for admission into the Natural Resources MPS program
The underlying principle in determining these selection criteria is that MPS students in Natural Resources will be fully integrated into our graduate field and will be an important constituent of our graduate student community. Our goal for the MPS students is to maximize their potential for professional success.
As such, considerations for acceptability of MPS students will share most of those of our current MS students, but without the expectation of a research thesis or an experimentation component to their educational experience. In addition, each prospective student will provide a clear professional objective for obtaining an MPS in Natural Resources.
Preferred criteria for admission:
1) Strong Statement of Purpose from the prospective student clearly expressing the rationale for pursuing a professional degree, including an outline of their desired professional trajectory, an articulation of their learning objectives, how they would achieve these objectives through the program, and how they would benefit by an MPS degree.
2) Strong letters of recommendation reflecting both academic and professional potential
All prospective students will be expected to provide the above, in addition to either of the following:
A) GPA ≥3.5 with evidence of strong foundational coursework and a demonstrated ability to succeed in Cornell courses
[OR]
B) ≥ 3 yr of continuous professional experience in a related professional field with evidence of strong potential to succeed in a natural-resources-oriented field.
International Student Requirements for English Proficiency
(Exempt countries are delineated by the Grad School)
a) TOEFL:
Speaking 22 = mid-level of “Fair”
Reading 20 = high level of “Intermediate”
Listening 15 = lowest level of “Intermediate”
Writing 20 = mid-level of “Fair”
b) IELTS:
Overall band score ≥ 7.0 = “ Good user”