Policies and Procedures

In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences .

Academic Integrity

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) faculty, students, and administration support and abide by the University Code of Academic Integrity.  Absolute integrity is expected of every student in all academic undertakings; students must in no way misrepresent their work, fraudulently or unfairly advance their academic position, be a party to another student’s failure to maintain academic integrity, or violate the principle of academic integrity in any other manner.  The following actions are examples of violations of the Code of Academic Integrity.  This is not a definitive list:

• Knowingly representing the work of others as one’s work.

• Using, obtaining, or providing unauthorized assistance on examinations, papers, or any other academic work.

• Buying and selling course materials through Internet Sites.

• Fabricating data in support of laboratory or fieldwork.

• Forging a signature to certify completion of a course assignment or a recommendation to graduate school.

• Unfairly advancing one’s academic position by hoarding or damaging library materials.

• Misrepresenting one’s academic accomplishments.

The Essential Guide to Academic Integrity at Cornell includes the Code of Academic Integrity. More information can be found on the CALS Academic Integrity website.

Academic Standing

CALS expects all students to maintain good academic standing, which is defined as:

• Semester GPA of at least 2.00.
• Cumulative GPA of at least 2.00.
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 12 or more academic credits per semester.
• Students must enroll in at least one CALS course each semester until 55 CALS credits have been successfully completed.
• Maintain reasonable progress within a students’ major.

The Committee on Academic Achievement and Petitions reviews the petition and determines whether the circumstances would warrant an exemption or other action.  If the committee does not believe the request warrants review, the petition will be denied. All decisions are final. Students may appeal a decision only if they can present new information or documentation.

Electronic petitions can be found in DUST. For more information, please review Information on Filing Petitions or contact the CALS Office of Student Services, 140 Roberts Hall, cals-studentservices@cornell.edu.

Academic Actions

At the end of each semester, the Committee on Academic Achievement and Petitions reviews the records of all students and takes appropriate action, including but not limited to issuing warnings, placing students in the Academic Success Program, granting students leave of absence, advising students to withdraw, or place them on required academic leave or required academic withdrawal. Students may submit a written statement explaining their academic performance for committee consideration during the student progress review process.

Leave of Absence/Return/Withdrawal

Students wishing to take a leave are required to request a voluntary leave of absence with intent to return in a future semester. A leave of absence is granted for up to five years. A leave exceeding five years results in an official withdrawal from the University. Due to changing curriculum and major requirements, readmission from a leave of five years or greater requires reapplication through CALS Admissions. Students on a leave of absence are not eligible for housing, dining, library, and transportation services. To satisfy Cornell degree requirements, courses taken at an external institution must be pre-approved.

Types of Leaves

Voluntary Leave: A voluntary leave may be taken for no less than one semester and no greater than five years.  During the semester, a student may request to take a voluntary leave of absence through the last day of the semester. Students who are in good standing with the college at the conclusion of a semester may request to take a voluntary leave to suspend their studies prior to the start of the upcoming semester.  Submitting the form serves as appropriate notification to university offices and assures the leave is reflected appropriately on the student’s official transcript. Once a leave of absence granted during the semester has been approved, the effective date of the leave is backdated to the date the student submitted the form.  

Students sometimes find it necessary to take a leave of absence at some point during the semester. These are characterized as “in-term” leaves and may have academic and financial impacts depending on the specific date the leave is officially requested (see the Proration Schedule for Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence ). Students may wish to consult with their advisor to understand their individual situations and the implications of taking an in-term leave. The CALS Office of Student Services may place academic conditions on the return based on curriculum sequencing, time-to-degree requirements, or academic actions that will be determined and communicated to the student by the end of the term.

Required Leave: Refer to the Academic Standing section for more information.

Health Leave: Students with health concerns must pursue a Health Leave of Absence through Cornell Health. The CALS Office of Student Services may place academic conditions on the return based on curriculum sequencing, time to degree requirements, or academic actions that will be determined and communicated to the student by the end of the term.

Enrollment Restrictions while on Leave:

Students on any leave of absence may not enroll in any classes offered through Cornell University including through the School of Continuing Education (summer/winter sessions). Students wishing to attend summer or winter sessions at Cornell must request a return from leave and obtain college approval. Courses taken without college permission will not count toward degree requirements.

Credit for courses completed at foreign institutions during a leave of absence from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will not be accepted for transfer credit. International students on leave of absence from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences may enroll in courses at an accredited college or university in their home country only, as such enrollment is not defined as study abroad.

Return from Leave

A student requesting to return from a Voluntary Leave of Absence must request to return through DUST. Returns from required leaves will use the same DUST petition and are additionally reviewed by the Committee on Academic Achievement and Petitions.

Students who wish to return from a Health Leave of Absence should contact the Health Leaves Coordinator to begin the return process. Students will need to have an advising conversation with their department advisors and/or CALS Student Services for academic planning and meet any conditions placed on their leave by the College before they can return from Health Leave.
The deadline to request a return from Voluntary Leave is November 30th for a spring return and July 18th for a fall return. Requests received after these dates will be denied. Refer to the Health Leaves webpage for Health Return recommended timeline.

All grading/incomplete policies are in effect during all leave types.  If you have questions concerning the make-up of incomplete grades, please speak with an academic advisor in the CALS Office of Student Services.

Withdrawal

Voluntary withdrawal. A student who decides to withdraw from Cornell University for personal reasons or matriculation in another institution of higher learning, with no intention of returning, must submit the online University Withdrawal Form.  Students not requesting a leave and who fail to become registered will be withdrawn from the university.

Required Academic withdrawal, refer to the Academic Standing section for more information.

* Subject to change.

Non-Cornell (Transfer) Credit

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cornell University reserve the right to determine, in their sole discretion, whether course credit earned at other schools, either secondary or post-secondary, meet the College’s and the University’s academic standards and will, therefore, be eligible to be applied toward Cornell degree requirements.

Applicants and matriculated students should not assume that, because a particular course is taken at another accredited institution listed as a recommended course or a foundational course, will necessarily be eligible for Cornell credit.

Non-Cornell (transfer) credit is defined as:

• Advanced Placement & Advanced Standing .

• Credit earned at an accredited college or university in the United States or the student’s country of permanent residence at the time the course work was completed.

• Credit earned through the Cornell University-Ithaca College Exchange Program.

• Credit earned through study abroad programs administered through the Office of Global Learning. *CALS Exchange credits are considered Cornell credits*.

For non-Cornell (transfer) credit to be accepted by CALS:

• The coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited, degree-granting institution in the United States or the student’s country of permanent residence.

• Courses taken outside the United States, and not through Cornell sponsored study abroad programs, may be evaluated 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.

• The coursework has been taken through a CALS approved study abroad program and approved prior to departure for a fall or spring semester.

• The credits do not duplicate or overlap course work already completed at Cornell.
• The credits have not been applied toward high school graduation requirements. (Please note: A student earns credit in high school for successfully completing the AP class. If the student receives a sufficient score on their AP exam, the student will be given credit/exemption out of a course).

Be equivalent in rigor to a Cornell course, as judged by:

• Course content and/or

• The use of a textbook similar to that used in the parallel Cornell course and/or

• The use of examinations, writing assignments, projects, portfolios, or other submitted work that is substantially similar to those required in a similar Cornell course and/or

• Substantial similarity in instructional time of the Cornell and non-Cornell course.

• The course is completed for a U.S. letter grade of “C” or better and

• An official college transcript is sent directly to Cornell University.

A student may apply a maximum of 60 non-Cornell (transfer) credits towards their graduation requirements.

• Students are limited to 15 advanced placement credits  (this includes all non-Cornell (transfer) credit earned before matriculation as a first-year student from an accredited college/university).
• Quarter-system credit is equivalent to 2/3 semester-credit. Only 5-credit or higher quarter-system courses can be used to fulfill a Cornell requirement (which are fulfilled only by 3- or 4-credit semester courses). 

• Global Learning study abroad program credits are limited to 15 credits per semester, 30 per academic year.

• If more than 60 non-Cornell (transfer) credits have been completed, the CALS Student Services staff will work with the student to determine which credits best fulfill CALS graduation requirements.
• CLEP, remedial, vocational, life experience credit, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) are not eligible for transfer credit.
• External transfer courses and the corresponding grades do not appear on the official Cornell transcript and are not included in the Cornell cumulative GPA. 

• During the regular fall and spring semesters, continuing students cannot simultaneously be enrolled in Cornell courses and in courses at an external institution, unless pre-approved as part of an official exchange program. These courses are ineligible for transfer credit.

Transfer credits are recorded and can be applied toward CALS credits, distribution requirements, and major requirements.

• Non-Cornell (transfer courses) that are similar to course offered in CALS are evaluated at the college level and if appropriate may be recorded as CALS credits and count towards the minimum 55 CALS credits required for graduation. They may also fulfill distribution requirements and be recorded under the appropriate distribution area.

• Applicability of non-Cornell (transfer) courses to a student’s major curriculum is determined by the academic advisor in the student’s major department. Additional course materials may be required to review the course including textbooks, syllabus, etc.

To Pre-approve Non-Cornell (transfer) Credit

Students who plan to take courses at another regionally accredited institution are required to have transfer courses pre-approved to ensure they will transfer. The form to have college requirements pre-approved can be located through the CALS Transfer Course database. Part of the approval process will require students to check with their academic advisor to pre-approve any courses for a specific major requirement. An official transcript from the offering institution (bearing the institutional seal and Registrar’s signature) must be sent to the CALS Office of Student Services before official transfer credit will be awarded.

College Credit Earned While in High School

Cornell University does not accept credit for courses sponsored by colleges or universities but taught in the high school to high school students, even if the college provides an official college transcript.

Coursework completed while in high school may be considered for credit if there is sufficient evidence that:

• The course was a standard course available to all students registered at the college/university.

• The course is taken on a college/university campus with matriculated degree students and is taught by a college/university professor.

• The course instructor is a faculty member (includes adjunct) at the college offering the course.

• The course is not listed on the high school transcript as a course counting towards the high school diploma.

Credit may be awarded only after the CALS First-Year Admissions Requirements for Secondary School Subjects criteria have been met. Students must submit the CALS application for credit earned while in High School for each class along with an official college transcript to CALS Office of Student Services.

College Credit Earned by Homeschooled Students

If a student is enrolled in college or university courses during their homeschool experience, non-Cornell (transfer) credits may be awarded only after the CALS First-Year Admissions Requirements for Secondary School Subjects criteria have been met. Transfer credit cannot be awarded toward courses used to satisfy secondary school/General Education Diploma (GED) requirements. If a General Education Diploma is awarded, students may be able to apply a maximum of 15 non-Cornell credits earned before receipt of the General Education Diploma.

Credit by Examination

CALS students can earn up to 15 advanced placement (AP) credits. These credits are awarded by achieving high scores on placement exams or completing college-level coursework that meets the guidelines for transfer while still in high school. Advanced standing at another institution does not guarantee that Cornell will accept that credit. Credits can be applied toward distribution requirements.  More information and scores can be found on the CALS Important Forms and Policies page.

Advising

Inclusive Academic Advising

The inclusive academic advising staff within the Office of Student Services supports all CALS undergraduate students, serves as the College’s central undergraduate advising office, supports the faculty advising system, and offers consultation and support for academic issues including the college petitions process. Staff members are available to assist students in understanding college/university policies as well as provide an additional network of support and referral throughout a student’s undergraduate career.

Career Development

Career development services are available to support all students and alumni of the College in exploring careers and developing strategies to reach one’s career goals. Services include self-assessment, support with career exploration, decision-making, and transition to employment as well as graduate and professional school. An active campus recruiting program connects more than 135 employers with students each year to interview for full-time positions and internships. Services are designed to assist students and alumni in developing the career planning and job search skills necessary to manage one’s career.

Faculty Advisors

Faculty advisors are a crucial resource for undergraduate students. They are the student’s principal point of contact regarding their academic progress. Faculty advisors help students with curriculum questions and major requirements.

International Engagement

To support students’ diverse interests, needs, and desires, there are a variety of international opportunities available to CALS students. The international staff within the Office of Student Services and the Office of Global Learning (OGL) supports students on all international opportunities and guide them through the application process. While a semester or academic year may be the more traditional approach to an international experience, this is not the only option. We encourage students to look at all the opportunities available to them based on their needs, interests, and goals. Having a meaningful international experience can increase a student’s independence, ability to be flexible, and marketability in the workforce.

Pre-Health Advisors

Pre-Health advisors can provide academic and career guidance and answer questions about medical, dental, and veterinary schools, health-related careers, and experiential opportunities. Additional information about pre-health programs can be found on the Health Professions Advising Center website.

Pre-Law Advisors

Pre-law advisors can provide academic and career guidance and answer questions regarding law-related careers, law school applications, and identifying experiential opportunities. Additional information about law-related careers can be found on the CALS website and/or the university Career Services website.

Peer Advisors

Peer Advisors are a vital part of the CALS Office of Student Services. These student employees provide programs, services, and leadership to the global CALS community in a supportive, inclusive, and respectful manner.

Grades

Letter Grades

See Grading Guidelines .

S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) Grades:

The purpose of the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) system is to encourage students to venture into courses outside their main areas of familiarity without great risk to the academic record.

• S means satisfactory, as defined by performance that would be graded C- or higher, and U means unsatisfactory, as defined by performance that would be graded below C-. 

• Cornell does not issue grades on a Pass/Fail basis; to earn a grade of S the threshold for successfully completing and earning credit for a course is a minimum grade of C-. 

• Grades of S and U are not given grade point values or considered in computing grade point averages.

• Students earn credit toward the fulfillment of graduation requirements for course grades of S, but not for course grades of U. 

• Students must select their grading option by the end of the drop-deadline of the semester. No exceptions to this deadline are permitted.

• Within the 120 credits required for the degree, a minimum of 100 letter credits must be earned.

More information is in the Grading Guidelines  section of the catalog.

Incompletes

The symbol of Incomplete (INC) is only appropriate when two basic conditions are met:

1. The student has substantial equity at a passing level in the course with respect to work completed; and

2. The student has been prevented by circumstances beyond their control, from completing all the course requirements on time.

While it is the student’s responsibility to initiate a request for a grade of incomplete (INC), reasons for requesting one must be approved by the instructor. The instructor will establish specific make-up requirements and deadlines for completion.

Additional Information:

• Students should not re-enroll in a course where they have received an incomplete (INC). Instead, coursework should be completed under the direction of the course instructor. 
• The deadline for completion of remaining coursework for an incomplete (INC) defaults to two successive semesters. Instructors may require shorter deadlines.
  • If a deadline is not entered, two successive semesters serves as the default deadline. 
• If the coursework is not completed within the designated time period, the notation of incomplete (INC) will be converted to a failure (F*) or unsatisfactory (U*/UX*) grade depending on the grading structure of the course.
• Students should be aware that incompletes (INC) are interpreted as credits not passed during a given semester.
• Once a degree has been conferred, no additional work can be completed toward the incomplete (INC). Refer to closure of student record .
• Evidence of an incomplete (INC) remains permanently on the official transcript; when the course has been completed, a grade is entered with an asterisk(*), indicating that it was not completed during the regular semester.
• A degree may not be conferred with an incomplete (INC) on the transcript.

For additional information, please refer to University guidelines on incompletes found under Grading Guidelines .

Changes in Grades

To avoid the influencing of grades by improper consideration or student pressure, a grade, once given, may only be changed if an error in the original grade is confirmed by the instructor.  The instructor should be willing to review the basis of an assigned grade with an inquiring student and correct the grade if an error is found. As a matter of equity, grades must not be changed after the end of a semester based on a student’s subsequent completion of additional work. Upon degree conferral, all courses and grades on a student’s transcript are frozen and may not be altered.  For additional information, see Grading Guidelines  and faculty legislation regarding Grade Changes.

Dean’s List

Each semester, students are recognized for academic excellence by inclusion on the Dean’s List. The following criteria determine eligibility for the Dean’s List in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

1. a minimum enrolled course load for the semester of 12 letter-graded credits.

2. achievement of a semester GPA of at least 3.50; and

3. achievement of an S grade, or a “C-” or better grade in each course (including physical education), with no “Incompletes (INC),” “Withdrawals (W),” or “NGR” grades.

Registration and Course Enrollment

University Record Holds

The University assumes certain legal responsibilities for persons who participate as students in the University environment. As a result, specific requirements must be met in order to be eligible to remain enrolled for a current term or enroll in a subsequent term. For more information, refer to University Record Holds .

Enrollment Procedures 

New first-year and transfer students will participate in pre-enroll in the summer prior to their arrival on campus. Students will be contacted by the advising office with details about the enrollment process. Please visit the New Student Information webpage.

• Entering first-year students can enroll in a maximum of 18 credits in their first semester (including non-academic credits such as PE or review/supplemental courses.) On average, students take 5 academic credits a semester to stay on track to graduate within 4 years. 
• First-year students are limited to one academic course with an SU grade option per semester.

Continuing Students

Students should discuss their course selection and long-range goals with their faculty advisors prior to enrollment.

• Continuing students select and enroll in up to 18 credits during the pre-enrollment period through Student Center and up to a maximum of 22 credits during Add/Drop.

General Enrollment Information

Instructions regarding course enrollment are available at Course Enrollment and Credits , Classes and Enrollment, and Academic Policies.

• The official enrollment platform for Cornell University is Student Center.
• The Class Roster can be used to search available courses by semester. Please note: some courses may have add/drop deadlines seperate from the University dates.
• Students may add and drop classes during the specified enrollment periods (pre-enrollment and add/drop) of each fall and spring semester. 
• Pre-enrollment is an enrollment request; it is not a guarantee of enrollment. Before the beginning of each semester, course requests are evaluated by the offering college department.
• At the beginning of the Add/Drop period, it is the student’s responsibility to confirm their schedule in Student Center.
• Students must enroll in at least one CALS course each semester until 55 CALS credits have been earned.

Enrollment Changes

A student is held responsible for and receives a grade for enrolled courses unless the student officially changes their enrollment. Both the university and college provide calendars with key academic dates for add, drop, and withdrawal deadlines each semester. It is your responsibility as the student to be aware of and abide by these deadlines.

All changes in courses, credits, grading options, or sections must be made by the student. Approval of the faculty advisor may be required to change course enrollment. Department or course instructor approval may be required for select courses. Contact the Office of Student Services for more information.

• Students may add courses and change credit hours, if applicable, during the first 15 days of the semester (with the exception of specific courses with special deadlines).

• Students may drop courses and change grading options through the 57th calendar day of the current semester. Dropping a course removes it from the academic transcript.

• Deadlines for short courses will be adjusted according to the length of the course.

• Requests to add a course to previous semester’s enrollment is not permitted.

• Requests to withdraw from a course in a previous semester is not permitted.

• After the academic drop deadline (57th day), through the withdrawal deadline for a given semester, students may request to withdraw from a class by submitting a form to the CALS Office of Student Services, if there are no pending academic integrity violations.

• If a withdraw results in a student going lower than 12 academic credits or there are pending academic integrity violations, the student will be required to meet with a CALS Student Services Advisor before the form is processed.

• Courses with “no drop” policies or early drop dates are not eligible for this process.

• Courses officially dropped after the academic drop deadline will be permanently noted on the official academic transcript with a “W” where the grade would normally appear and there is no impact to the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). This is a matter of record and is permanent.

A meeting with a CALS Office of Student Services advisor is recommended if there are questions about the above criteria. 

Minimum number of credits per semester

Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 academic credits per semester to be considered full-time in good academic standing. Students are encouraged to enroll in an average of 15 academic credits per semester to be on track to graduate in 8 semesters.

• Review or supplemental courses (1000 to 1099 level courses and Physical Education (PE courses) will not count towards the 12/credit minimum required for full-time status 

Maximum number of credits per semester

CALS undergraduate students may enroll in up to 22 credits maximum (22 credits are allowed only when add/drop begins). We strongly urge ALL students to limit their semester enrollment to 18 credits. All undergraduate CALS students in good academic standing may enroll up to 22 credits maximum.

Petitions to exceed 22 credits up to a max of 25 credits will not be considered, except for students expecting to graduate in the current academic year. Petitions will be considered based on meeting all of the following criterium if applicable: 

• Case-by-case review showing strong academic performance with a heavy credit load.
• GPA of at least 3.3 for the previous 3 semesters.
• No grades of incomplete (INC).
• The course is required for graduation with confirmation by the Academic Advisor.
• Timely petition submission (available in DUST). Petitions will not be accepeted after the University add deadline. 

Taking a course more than once (repeated)

Repeated courses are courses taken a second (or subsequent) time, even if a passing grade was earned. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the CALS Office of Student Services and the faculty advisor that they are planning on repeating a course. For more information about how repeated coursework may impact financial aid, see the Course Repeats and Financial Aid Eligibility website.  More information about University policy can be found in the Course Enrollment and Credits  section. 

Note:

• Both classes and both grades are included on the official transcript (i.e., if a course is repeated, the second course does not replace the first course on the official transcript) and calculated as part of the cumulative GPA.

• If a student retakes a course in which a passing grade was earned, both grades will be recorded and calculated accordingly as part of their cumulative GPA (grades of U and UX have no impact on a GPA).

• Credits earned from repeating a course do not count toward the minimum number of credits required for graduation.
  • Some courses, such as research or independent study, may be repeated more than once for academic credit. For more information please see Course Enrollment and Credits .

• Repeated course credits count toward the minimum of 12 credits per semester required for good academic standing and full-time status.

• If a student repeats a course with a non-Cornell (transfer) class after the course has previously been passed at Cornell, the course will not transfer onto the academic student record in CALS.
• Completing a forbidden overlap course will increase the number of credits required for graduation by the number of credits in the class.

Time Conflict

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) does not support class time conflict requests, as students are expected to attend classes according to the federal credit hour regulations. Students are expected to participate in each class in the format in which the class is offered. Generally, students cannot enroll in courses that meet at the same time or at overlapping times. Time conflict overrides are NOT available for a student to attend one class and arrange to watch asynchronous lectures and complete the coursework for a second class outside of the course time.

In rare circumstances, CALS will consider a time conflict override form, contingent on meeting all the following criteria:

• The student must be in good academic standing in CALS.
• The time conflict, including travel time, cannot be greater than 10 minutes of a single class meeting for either class.
  • Classes that overlap by more than 10 minutes, including travel, will be automatically denied.
• Permission is required from both instructors of the two conflicting classes.
  • Instructors and/or departments have the discretion to deny these requests.
  • Consideration may be given if the student has extenuating circumstances, such as needing to meet degree requirements/graduate on time.
• On-time submission of the Time Conflict Override form (available in DUST), opening ahead of the add/drop period.
• If the class is closed or at the enrollment cap, students must obtain a permission code and add the code to the override form.
• Requests will not be accepted after the University add deadline.

Although video recordings may be available, they are not intended to replace in-class participation. If the classes are offered on the same day/time, students will not be permitted to enroll in both classes, regardless of delivery method.

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 .

Students are not prevented in enrolling in a course that is an overlap. However, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the CALS Office of Student Services and the faculty advisor that they are planning on enrolling in a forbidden overlap course.

• Forbidden overlap courses count toward the minimum of 12 academic credits per semester required for good academic standing and full-time status.

• Both courses and both grades are included on the official transcript (i.e., if a class is repeated, the second course does not replace the first course on the official transcript) and calculated as part of the cumulative GPA.

• Completing a forbidden overlap course will increase the number of credits required for graduation by the number of credits in the class.

• Credits earned from a forbidden overlap course do not count toward the minimum number of credits required for graduation.

Audit

Undergraduate and professional students may not audit courses.

Double Majors in CALS

Students are admitted into a single major. Completion of one major is required for graduation. Some students choose to complete more than one major. Completed majors are posted on the official transcript. Students are not allowed to continue their studies past their eighth (or equivalent) semester to complete additional majors or minors. Students interested in declaring a second major can find more information on the CALS website. Students who pursue a second major must choose a major within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

• Cornell students are not allowed to double major across colleges. This includes CALS Biological Engineering and Environmental Engineering with any other Engineering majors. AEM majors/Dyson School Students may double major with a CALS major. 

• Please be advised: It may prove difficult for students majoring in CALS Landscape Architecture to double major (within CALS). Due to the specific nature of Landscape Architecture coursework (studio based) we do not expect that more than 12 credits of coursework will overlap with any other CALS major and these 12 credits would likely be electives. 

• Please be advised: It may prove difficult for students majoring in CALS Biological or Environmental Engineering to double major (within CALS). Due to the specific nature of engineering degree coursework, we do not expect that more than 12 credits of coursework will overlap with any other CALS major and these 12 credits would likely be electives.

Academic Honors

University Honors

Beginning with the December 2026 conferral date, Cornell University will institute a standardized Latin Honors system based solely on final cumulative undergraduate GPA. The Latin Honors categories include: Summa Cum Laude (top 5%), Magna Cum Laude (next 10%), and Cum Laude (next 15%).

The student’s cumulative undergraduate GPA percentile at the time of degree conferral will be computed with respect to the student’s particular college/school degree program (e.g., B.S. in CALS, B.A. in A&S, B.S. in ILR, B.F.A. in AAP). 

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Honors

Bachelor of Science with Honors

Students must meet one of the following sets of criteria to receive a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors:

1. Students receiving a cumulative Cornell GPA of 4.00 or higher will graduate “Summa Cum Laude.”
2. Students receiving a cumulative Cornell GPA of greater than or equal to 3.75 and less than 4.00 will graduate “Magna Cum Laude.”
3. Students receiving a cumulative Cornell GPA of greater than or equal to 3.50 and less than 3.75 will graduate “Cum Laude.”

Note, this college specific Latin Honors system will be discontinued at the end of Summer 2026. 

Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Research.

A Bachelor of Science degree with “distinction in research” is conferred upon those students who, in addition to having completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree, have satisfactorily completed the honors program in their area of major interest and have been recommended for the distinction by the honors committee. Program requirements are outlined in the Research Honors Program  section of this catalog.

Dean’s List

Each semester, students are recognized for academic excellence by inclusion on the Dean’s List. The following criteria determine eligibility for the Dean’s List in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

1. A minimum enrolled course load for the semester of 12 letter-graded credits.
2. Achievement of a semester GPA of at least 3.50; and
3. Achievement of an “S” grade, or a “C-” or better grade in each course (including physical education), with no “Incompletes (INC),” “Withdrawals (W),” or “NGR grades.”

Note, Dean’s List will be granted retroactively if a student meets all the criteria due to a grade change or makeup of an incomplete. It is the student’s responsibility to contact CALS Student Services to have Dean’s list posted to their record. Dean’s List cannot be granted once a degree has been awarded. Cornell University is phasing out individual school and college Dean’s Lists. The Dean’s List designation will not be applicable to undergraduate students matriculating in Summer 2023 and beyond. The Dean’s List will be discontinued for all students at the end of the Spring 2026 semester.

Graduating Early, Late or Elsewhere

Graduating Early

Students may elect to graduate in fewer than 8 (or equivalent) full-time semesters if they can complete all graduation (college, major, and university) requirements.

Requests will be considered under the following conditions:

1. College Residency Requirement: Students must satisfy the college residency requirement.

2. Official Request for Early Graduation: Students may request to graduate early and officially change the degree date immediately following the pre-enrollment period for the anticipated final semester.

3. Pre-enrollment in required classes: Students must pre-enroll in the classes required to meet graduation requirements (major, college and university) by the requested date.

4. Application to Graduate: Once the graduation date has been updated, you must complete Parts I and II of the application to graduate found in DUST.

Graduating Late

The Bachelor of Science degree is expected to be completed in eight academic full-time semesters (or equivalent). Limiting students to eight semesters is important for two reasons.

• This limit encourages individual students to complete their undergraduate degree at an appropriate time.
• It ensures that university resources are allocated equitably, used effectively and efficiently and that federal financial responsibilities are met.

In the rare event the degree requirements cannot be completed in eight (or equivalent) terms, students may request permission to delay their expected degree date under the following conditions:

1. College Residency Requirement: Students must satisfy the college residency requirement.

2. Official request to delay graduation: Requests will only be granted for students who have found themselves in emergent circumstances beyond their control which have prevented them from completing the degree requirements in eight terms.

3. Requests cannot be made until the student’s final expected graduation term and will not be reviewed without confirmation from the student’s major department.

Students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress on graduation requirements (college, major, and university) each semester and complete the requirements for graduation within eight (or equivalent) terms. If degree requirements cannot be completed in eight (or equivalent) terms, a student may seek permission to continue their studies. Requests will be considered for students who have found themselves in emergent circumstances beyond their control, which prevented them from completing the degree in eight (or equivalent) terms.

Study beyond the eighth (or equivalent) term will not be approved for the following reasons (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list).

• The purpose of changing a major.
• Requests to add an additional major, minor, or specialized coursework.
• To complete pre-requisite courses for a graduate or professional program
• To raise the GPA
• To maintain other benefits, such as insurance.

Finish Elsewhere

In some cases, students need an additional course beyond their expected graduation date and are unable to complete this course at Cornell University. In this situation a student can request to complete their coursework elsewhere (up to eight academic credits). To do this a student must complete the form to Complete the remaining coursework/credits at another institution.

• Step 1: Attain pre-approval of the course the student would like to take by completing a transfer pre-approval form.
• Step 2: Navigate to DUST, choose ‘Student Petitions’, select Petition to ‘Complete remaining coursework/credits at another institution’, and submit the request.
• Step 3: After the petition to Finish Elsewhere is approved, submit a request to update the expected degree date through DUST. Choose ‘CALS Application to Update Degree Standing’ and complete the application.

Graduation

Graduation

Degrees are conferred three times each year, in May, August, and December. These dates are published on the university’s Academic Calendar.

In their senior year, students are prompted by an email from the CALS Office of Student Services to complete an online application to graduate. The application is intended to help expected graduates identify academic issues early enough in the final year to make any necessary changes in course selection to satisfy those requirements. Meeting graduation requirements is the student’s responsibility; if a problem is discovered, it must be resolved before the degree can be conferred. Students are responsible for checking DUST degree progress and official transcripts each term and should seek clarification from their major advisor and/or the CALS Office of Student Services if major and/or college graduation requirements are unclear or if there are problems with the academic record. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the Application to Graduate, located in DUST, by the given deadlines.