Ph.D. Studies
Same Cornell PhD program. Different location.
PhD students at Cornell Tech in New York City pursue the same degree programs as their peers in Ithaca. They belong to the same PhD programs, are members of the same graduate fields, follow the same application process, and have the same course and research requirements. They graduate with PhD degrees from Cornell University. The location of a student is determined by the location of their advisor; a Cornell PhD student whose advisor is located at Cornell Tech is located in New York City and, in addition to their degree affiliation, is considered a PhD student at Cornell Tech.
Why, then, do some PhD students pursue their degrees in NYC?
The PhD students in NYC are those who do their research with Cornell Tech faculty advisors. Cornell Tech faculty belong to the same departments and fields as their Ithaca counterparts, and their research similarly spans a rich range of topics from theory to applications. Students can spend time on both campuses, joining Ithaca-based classes, faculty, and graduate colleagues through a combination of remote and in-person means.
For PhD students, how does New York City compare with Ithaca?
New York City has long been a global economic and cultural hub; it is now a leading city for tech innovation. Just like other top universities located in tech hubs, such as Silicon Valley, the students at Cornell Tech are in a unique position to engage with the community and explore opportunities for impact outside academia. However, such engagement solely depends on the student’s interest, and is not part of the degree program or requirements, which are identical across campuses. The application requirements remain the same whether the student intends to finalize their research in Ithaca or NYC.
While other fields and departments are represented, the Cornell Tech campus mainly supports PhD students in five Cornell University PhD programs:
- Computer Science
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Information Science
- Operations Research
- Operations, Technology, and Information Management
Ready to apply?
PhD students at Cornell Tech are part of the Cornell PhD program, and are admitted through Cornell’s PhD admissions process. A PhD student is affiliated with Cornell Tech when their thesis advisor is a Cornell Tech faculty member.