Courses of Study 2023-2024 
    
    Jun 16, 2024  
Courses of Study 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Special Academic Options


In the Brooks School of Public Policy .


Brooks School Honors Program

Health Care and Public Policy majors are eligible for the Brooks Honors Program, which gives official recognition to students who have demonstrated excellence in their academic work and their capacity for independent research. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for their major, students in the honors program will participate in an honors seminar and prepare an empirically based honors thesis. Honors students work with a research mentor in preparing for their thesis. Upon successful completion of the honors program, students will receive a B.S. degree with honors. Interested students should obtain an Honors Program application form in the Brooks Undergraduate Office (2301 MVR). For questions, contact BrooksUGProgram@cornell.edu.

Eligibility:
  • Students must maintain a 3.3 GPA to be admitted into and complete the honors program.
  • Students whose GPA drops below 3.3 will be dropped from the Honors Program. To start the program, students may not have any outstanding incomplete (INC) grades on their record.
  • PUBPOL 3120 - Research Design, Practice, and Policy  must be completed before starting the program.
Honors Program Requirements:
  • Complete a minimum of 6 credits of PUBPOL 4990 - Honors Program , under supervision of a Brooks School faculty mentor, with a grade of B or higher
  • Complete PUBPOL 4980 - Honors Seminar  
  • Complete a basic and advanced statistical software training series as approved by faculty mentor
  • Attend four professional research seminars during senior year
  • Present a poster of research during final semester in honors program
  • Defend thesis to a committee of faculty

Off-Campus Programs


Capital Semester

Combine a full semester of 12 Cornell credits with a paid internship and a reduction in tuition. Students intern directly for a New York State legislator (Senate or Assembly) in Albany to explore their policy interests in greater depth. Interns attend hearings and legislative sessions, meet with lobbyists and constituents, write reports for legislation and possible publication, and generally help conduct the work of their legislator. All Cornell students, regardless of major, are encouraged to apply. The program is available during the spring semester only, and it is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Interns benefit greatly when subsequently applying for future employment, law school, graduate school, or business school. Information is available from the Brooks School Enrollment and Student Services Office.

Cornell in Washington

Cornell in Washington is a fall or spring semester, or summer, program in the heart of Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital. This unique experience offers students in all colleges an opportunity to earn full academic credit for a semester or summer in Washington, D.C. Students take part in small seminars led by Cornell faculty, and gain work experience through an internship of their choosing. In the fall and spring semesters, students also have the chance to carry out individual research projects. Learn more about the Cornell in Washington  program.

Summer in Turin-Public Policy

The Summer in Turin program is a 3-week offering in Turin, Italy that revolves around a 3-credit course on Population Controversies in Europe and the U.S. (PUBPOL 3620 /SOC 3620 ). The course is taught in English by Brooks School faculty members and includes extracurricular activities and excursions in Turn and the Piedmont region. The program is administered by the Office of Global Learning.

Double-Registration Programs


Cornell undergraduates in the Policy Analysis and Management ; Human Development ; Biology & Society ; and Human Biology, Health, and Society ; majors are eligible to apply to the Sloan Program in their junior year for a five-year accelerated B.S./M.H.A. degree in health administration. In their senior year, these students will take the first-year Sloan courses, which will be counted twice to satisfy both undergraduate as well as graduate requirements. At the end of their senior year, students will graduate with a B.S. degree. Students whose grades are competitive will be notified during the spring semester of their senior year that they are invited to continue for the final year of Sloan as a graduate student. Those students accepted for the five-year program will participate in a health-care administrative internship during the summer after earning their B.S. degree and following the first year of Sloan academic course work. The following graduate year they will complete the second year of required Sloan courses and electives and will earn a master in professional studies, with Cornell certifying completion of the requirements for a graduate degree in health administration.

Students applying to the accelerated B.S./M.H.A. program need to complete the initial application to the Sloan five-year program through the Brooks School in their junior year. In general, at the time of application, most of their undergraduate requirements will have been met. This application must include the GRE general test score, along with recommendations from the faculty advisor and at least one other source, as well as transcripts and the statement of purpose. During their final senior undergraduate year they also will have to submit a formal application to the graduate school. 

Double-Registration Program for Law

A small number of highly qualified applicants may be admitted to the Cornell Law School after only three years of undergraduate education. The requirements for admission under these circumstances are more stringent than for acceptance after four years of undergraduate study. Applicants must present outstanding qualifications and strong professional motivation. The junior year applicant follows the ordinary application procedures for Cornell Law School admission.

Interested students should contact the Law School director of admissions (Myron Taylor Hall, 607-255-5141) to discuss the admissions criteria. Because students accepted to this program will be spending their senior year away from Brooks, they need to plan ahead to ensure that distribution and major requirements for the B.S. degree will be met. Successful applicants need the approval of the college registrar in the Brooks School (MVR 1204).