MPS/International Development

Admissions

Most applicants are employed by governments, international agencies, foundations, applied research institutions, NGOs, or other action agencies concerned with problems of development. Candidates who have sufficient academic background and demonstrated capability for performing well in an institution like Cornell are admitted. Most MPS students are citizens of developing countries. Many have done some previous graduate study, but often not in fields directly related to their current career responsibilities.

It is expected that students will have personal funding or aid from outside sources, as Cornell does not have financial support available for students in this program.

Normal admissions standards of the Cornell Graduate School apply. In addition, admission criteria for this program include professional experience and performance. The field will normally only consider applicants who have at least 2 years of experience in development work, and preferably 4-5 or more, years of experience on which to build in their course work.

To be considered for admission you must submit:

A completed Cornell Graduate School Application, which should request MPS in International Development as the field of study, and also indicate the area of concentration : International Nutrition, International Planning, International Population, Science and Technology Policy or Development Policy
A statement of purpose explaining why the applicant wishes to undertake graduate studies. This is given considerable weight in admission decisions.
A minimum of 2 letters of recommendation are required. Most weight is given to recommendations by teachers who can assess ability to perform at a high academic level.
Complete transcripts from all educational institutions previously attended.
TOEFL is required for all international applicants; GRE scores are not required but useful for evaluation.
A current CV or resume should also be included with the application.
The application fee or a letter requesting a fee waiver and the reasons, if appropriate.

Completed applications and credentials should be sent directly to:

Virginia (Ginny) Montopoli
International Programs/CALS
31 Warren Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Deadline: June 30 for Fall admission and November 30 for Spring admission.