Faculty who can chair committees for graduate students are divided up into groups (called graduate fields) based on their research interests. Hence, a graduate field is a collection of faculty with similar research areas. Not all graduate fields have a corresponding department and not all departments have a corresponding graduate field. Also, a faculty member may be a member of more than one graduate field. Some faculty in the Chemical Engineering department (who participate in biomedically related research) are members of both the Chemical and Biomedical Graduate Fields.
When you apply to graduate school, you apply to a specific graduate field. Your graduate field determines the specific requirements for graduation. For example, it determines the number of minors you must complete and what classes, if any, are required.
The graduate field system at Cornell is fairly unique among universities. It gives the university and the College of Engineering flexability, because they can create a graduate field in an up-and-coming area with less hassle and expense than would be required of a full department. If interest in the new area continues to grow, an undergraduate program and an associated department can be created later.
For a more extensive discussion of graduate fields, and a complete list and description of the Engineering Graduate Fields at Cornell, see Chapter 2.