The Cornell Graduate Program in Public Garden Leadership (PGL) is an intensive one-year Master of Professional Studies program focused on public garden professionals wishing to advance their knowledge and career preparedness at an internationally recognized research university. The program provides an educational and experiential framework emphasizing strategic decision making, leadership, and financial/business management that prepares students for managerial and leadership roles in the public garden field.
The program co-directors work with each student to develop a course of study and to identify an MPS action project topic and approach. Students enroll in Cornell coursework during the fall and spring semesters and conduct the majority of the work on the action project between the end of the spring semester and the completion of the program.
The PGL group travels each spring break for an in-depth study at a number of public gardens. Opportunities also exist for each PGL student to work one-on-one with a Cornell Plantations staff member on a one semester project. Each student is also matched to a leader in the public garden field who serves as that student’s mentor, counselling him or her on action project, public garden issues, and career development.
Individuals accepted into the PGL program are responsible for paying the tuition and fees required of all CALS MPS programs, but partial scholarships are available on request.
