Course Enrollment and Credits

Students use Student Center to request classes for the upcoming semester during the pre-enrollment period and to add or drop classes for the current semester during the add/drop period. See registrar.cornell.edu for more information about enrolling in classes.

Classes and Campus Activities During the Fall 2021 Semester

Absent certain medical and religious exemptions, Cornell will require vaccination for all students returning to Ithaca, Geneva, and Cornell Tech campuses for the Fall 2021 academic semester. With mandatory student vaccination and the widespread availability of a vaccine for most adults, the University hopes to operate in the Fall under conditions in which the degree of herd immunity is sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the community. If the science indicates that the extent of immunity of the Cornell community provides for safe campus operation, and relevant regulations allow for in-person classroom instruction, classes normally taught in person will return to that mode of instruction, without any routinely scheduled online option. Therefore, Cornell students should plan on in-person learning for the Fall 2021 academic semester and should make suitable arrangements to make themselves available for such participation for the entire semester.

At the same time, Cornell students must understand that the University may still need to begin the semester with a mixture of online, hybrid, and in-person course modalities (and may need to adjust course modality over the course of the semester based on a variety of scientific, health, and regulatory factors). When Cornell publishes the course roster for the Fall 2021 semester, the instruction mode for many classes will be listed as “planned for in-person.” Information regarding specific course modality will be updated prior to the start of the semester when Cornell is better able to determine the feasibility for holding in-person classes. The University’s goal is to transition most courses to in-person instruction as soon as it is practicable and safe, either at the start of the semester or soon thereafter.

By enrolling in my classes for the Fall 2021 semester, I understand and acknowledge the following:

1. It is my responsibility to review all course information prior to the start of the semester, including but not limited to any updated information concerning the format in which and duration for which courses are anticipated to be offered;
2. Other than when isolating or quarantining because of health and safety concerns, I will be expected to participate in each course in the format in which the course is offered (even if that format changes over the course of the semester);
3. At any time, Cornell may change the format or duration of my courses based on factors including but not limited to health or safety concerns, the judgment of the instructor, instructor status, pedagogical needs, or student enrollment numbers;
4. It is my responsibility to make course enrollment changes (e.g. drop, withdraw, adjust credits, or change grading basis, if available) if I do not think I can participate fully in a course in the format in which it is offered;
5. Students, including me, are expected to take exams in person, absent compelling circumstances. It is the responsibility of students, including me, to timely obtain approval and coordinate exemptions to in-person exams with the appropriate university unit, college and/or instructor;
6. Students, including me, may have limited or no access to certain Cornell University-maintained facilities;
7. There may be disruptions or cancellations of campus services, programs, activities, or events for the Fall 2021 semester;
8. Students, including me, must follow all applicable university policies or rules (including the Campus Code of Conduct, all campus health and safety requirements, and any specific behavioral compact for the 2021-2022 academic year), and by failing to abide by all such policies and rules, students, including me, may have their access restricted to Canvas, university- maintained facilities, enrollment activity, campus services, programs, activities, or other campus events;
9. Cornell may be required to shift all classes to an online or hybrid format, or modify the duration of the semester, if Cornell or the government (at the local, state, or federal level) determines for any reason that continued in-person instruction is unsafe during the Fall 2021 semester.

Finally, I understand, acknowledge, and agree that in no case will there be a tuition or fee refund if I remain enrolled through the Fall 2021 semester. The only eligible tuition and fee refunds are those that take place in accordance with the published schedule of early withdrawal dates from the Fall 2021 semester.

Credit Hours

The Cornell academic year follows a semester system with a minimum of thirty weeks of instruction. Instructional periods include fall, winter intersession, spring, and summer.

Full time undergraduate students are expected to enroll in a minimum of twelve (12) academic credit hours of college-approved coursework per semester. Exceptions are granted only at the discretion of the student’s college.

Cornell adheres to United States Department of Education, New York State Education Department, and Middle States Commission on Higher Education guidelines pertaining to the definition of a credit hour. For more information, see the updated policy on Defining and Assigning Credit Hours , which is effective July 1, 2021. The University will be working to fully implement the updated policy over the course of the upcoming academic year.

Transfer Credit

In order for transfer credit to be accepted by Cornell University, the coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited institution.  A list of the six recognized accrediting bodies accepted by Cornell is available on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s website.

For courses taken outside of the United States, academic coursework may be evaluated for Cornell University credit provided that the coursework is taken at the college level and recorded on an official transcript. Additionally, students who wish to transfer credit(s) from outside of the United States may be requested to submit an international credential evaluation or proof of accreditation for the institution where the coursework was completed.

Beyond what is stated above, transfer credit policies vary by college and not all colleges accept transfer credit. Students wishing to transfer credits from another institution should consult their college registrar’s office.

Pre-Enrollment

Students pre-enroll during the fall for the upcoming spring semester, and during the spring for the following fall semester.  Dates are announced in advance and are posted on Student Center and on registrar.cornell.edu.  Course offerings for a given semester are viewable and searchable on the Class Roster, which also includes a scheduling tool for planning purposes. Students are expected to meet with their academic advisors before pre-enrolling to affirm that the courses they intend to take will ensure satisfactory progress toward a degree.

New students pre-enrolling over the summer should follow the guidelines sent by their college about choosing classes.  New students will have an opportunity to meet with their advisors when they arrive on campus.

Course Add/Drop

During add/drop periods at the beginning of each semester, students may adjust their schedules using Student Center. Courses may be added, dropped, or swapped; see the Class Roster for up-to-date course offering information and the Enrolling in Classes page for assistance with the enrollment process.  Professional schools, the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, the Department of Physical Education and Athletics, and First-Year Writing Seminars may have different course enrollment and add/drop policies. Address questions about permission-only courses and adding or dropping a specific course to the registrar’s office in the college offering the course. Students are responsible for reviewing and verifying their enrollment in courses prior to the end of the add/drop period. Students are responsible for all registration activity and must follow published deadlines.

Repeat Coursework

Students wishing to pursue research opportunities may enroll in courses such as research, honors research, or independent study. Some students enroll in research-focused courses for more than one semester. While the course number may be the same, these courses represent a progression of research and scholarship and are not a repetition of the same material. Students are expected to demonstrate positive forward development in their knowledge and scholarship.

Some topics courses, colloquia, and seminars carry the same course number and title. These courses, from semester to semester, focus on a different topic or area of study. Although students may enroll in the same course more than once, the content of each offering varies.

Students wishing to take a course more than one time to improve a poor or failing grade should consult their college registrar prior to enrollment. For more information about how repeat coursework may impact financial aid, see the Course Repeats and Financial Aid Eligibility site.

Forbidden Overlaps

The university offers a broad range of diverse courses. Many of these courses have overlapping content, and students must make their selections carefully to ensure that they will receive credit for each course they take. Students who enroll in courses with overlapping content will only receive credit for one of those courses. Please refer to the list of courses with overlapping content .

Auditing Classes

Colleges or departments determine which classes are available for audit. Note that undergraduate and professional school students may  not audit any classes. In addition, Physical Education classes may not be audited. Graduate students and students taking classes through Continuing Education and Summer Sessions may choose to audit eligible classes. Classes taken as audits, and grades for those classes, will appear on a student’s official transcript.

Closure of Student Record

A student’s academic record is closed to revisions of enrollment, grading, and academic actions once a degree has been awarded. Students are responsible for requesting a review of their academic record prior to degree conferral. Changes requested by a student after the awarding of a degree are considered by the student’s school or college, and only under extraordinary circumstances. Supportive documentation is required.