Academics

Big Red Adaptive Plan and Design group works on a rewiring event
Academics

Challenge Yourself

Teaching and learning, research and engagement: A Cornell education is rigorous—every aspect is geared to prepare you to improve the world.

The Cornell Experience

You'll interact closely with world-class faculty and a diverse student body, each a collaborator in learning, in research, and in service. They're here to help you push yourself and your ideas further than you could ever push them on your own.

  • 4,000
    Courses across 100 academic departments
  • 80
    Undergraduate majors and more than 120 minors
  • 102
    Graduate fields of study

In the Classroom

You'll actively explore the material before you, design a formal line of inquiry and follow it, work with various teams, and get your hands dirty. This may be the Ivy League, but we exist in and learn from the world around us.

A female and male student peer through a metal tube.
Students look through a particle accelerator
“Cornell’s extraordinary community of scholars is dedicated to solving the issues facing the world, educating the leaders of tomorrow and bettering people’s lives.”
- Michael I. Kotlikoff, Interim President
An owl.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Introduction to Captive Raptor Husbandry

Study natural history and adaptations of various bird of prey species, safe handling of captive raptors, nutritional requirements, health care, behavior and training, and the ethics of maintaining captive raptors.

Produce at Anabel's grocery.
Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Social Entrepreneurship Practicum: Anabel's Grocery

A hands-on learning experience that serves as an entry point for new team members at the Student-run nonprofit grocery store, Anabel's Grocery.

nebula and stars
Engineering
Introductory Oceanography

Study contemporary public issues regarding the health of the ocean, global warming and a sustainable future.

Bottles of wine.
Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Introduction to Wines

Everything you wanted to know about wine - from the history of winemaking to viticultural regions, understanding the terms on a wine label, and connecting flavors to influencing production factors.

Academic Excellence

Music Music Materials Science Fiber Science and Apparel Design
Watch with audio description
Long-lost Moog synthesizer finally makes it to the stage
A piece of synthesizer history has been given an unexpected second life and is now a part of Cornell’s instrument collection, after eight months of meticulous and often confounding work by a group of synthesizer builders.
Watch with audio description
Can the study of bones and seashells shed light on breast cancer research?
An interdisciplinary project is looking at calcium mineral deposits (called microcalcifications) associated with breast cancer and using materials science approaches to “fingerprint” the calcifications to look for clues about their pathology.
Watch with audio description
How can upcycling polyester help to curb textile waste?
In a fast-fashion, throw-clothes-away world, textile expert Juan Hinestroza (Human Ecology) and a group of scientists have new ways to recycle wasted polyester into new useful products..

In the Field

A male and female firefighter practicing using a firehose.
Dyson students carry a handmade canoe donated to Haudenosaunee youth to the water for its inaugural journey

Service with a Purpose

Public service is a pillar of Cornell academics. It not only enriches the community—it enriches your understanding of how ideas work in the real world.

A group of people in the middle of ancient ruins.
Studying wheat's resistance to rust in Tamil Nadu, India

Global Perspectives, Global Opportunities

Our office is located in Ithaca, New York, but you can study just about anywhere your academic inquiries take you.

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