Graduate Fields, Minors, and Concentrations
Proposals for a new or minor field, to change a field name, or to add, revise, or remove research concentrations within a research degree require approval by the General Committee of the Graduate School. Proposals undergo a rigorous review examining the quality of the program, competitiveness, attraction to students, and administrative oversight.
Please note that concentrations that are linked only to research degrees (Ph.D., M.S., M.A.) generally represent sub-specialties within the broader academic discipline where any unique degree requirements are usually determined by the special committee. In these cases, differentiated concentration requirements are seldom explicitly described by the graduate field or program. These do not usually require registration with NYSED/SUNY but do require review and approval by the General Committee (see process and form below).
These are distinct from concentrations that establish explicit degree tracks within a graduate field or program. These other types of concentrations are most often associated with course-based master’s degrees and the curriculum of each track within the degree may be highly differentiated and reflected on the program’s outward-facing websites and marketing materials. These usually require registration with NYSED/SUNY and proposals to add or revise these concentrations must be submitted through the University’s online submission form and are NOT submitted to, or reviewed by, the General Committee.
General Committee Process Overview and Deadlines
Proposals regarding research degree programs for consideration by the General Committee are due by the 10th of each month. Within three business days, the Graduate School will determine on which month’s agenda the proposal can tentatively be reviewed by the General Committee and will communicate that to the proposer.
During this time, proposers are strongly encouraged to share their proposal drafts with the Graduate School (gcproposals@cornell.edu) for review by leadership, and they will communicate any needed revisions prior to the General Committee meeting. Incomplete or poorly developed proposals may be returned to the proposer for further development. If you have any questions, or have a unique situation, we strongly encourage you to schedule a preliminary meeting with the Graduate School leadership for early review and so we can assess any administrative impacts. Please contact us to schedule a meeting at gcproposals@cornell.edu.
Once proposals and all support materials are received in their final form, the proposal will be placed on the next available General Committee agenda. Placement on the agenda is dependent upon a number of factors, including complexity of the proposal, the time needed for discussion, the number of other items already on the agenda, and the completeness and quality of the proposal.
Proposal writers attend the General Committee meeting to provide an overview of the proposal and answer questions the Committee may have. The General Committee meets monthly during the academic year.
Proposal Submission Requirements
For all proposals, please follow the instructions in the relevant form to complete your submission (see below), following page limits. Please include a cover page with a one-page table of contents. These items are not included in the page limit. Please submit as one PDF document to gcproposals@cornell.edu.
Proposals should be submitted to gcproposals@cornell.edu.
Forms
Please download the appropriate form for the change you are proposing:
- New Field (PDF)
- Changing a Field Name (PDF)
- Creating a Minor Field (PDF)
- Add, Revise, or Remove a Research-Degree Concentration (PDF)
For any new field inquiries, please request a meeting with Graduate School leadership by contacting gcproposals@cornell.edu.