Cornell University Registrar

Program Description

The Fiber Science major is unique in the Ivy League. The study of fibrous materials builds on foundations in chemistry, mathematics, physics, computer science or biology. Students explore the chemical and physical properties of fibers and textiles and their role in the design and fabrication of traditional and innovative products, from clothing to smart devices, life-saving medical implants, composite structures and other high performance applications.

Because fiber science has applications in so many areas, majors can tailor their studies to meet personal, academic and professional goals.

The curriculum provides flexibility for students to pursue interests in materials science, sustainability, biomedical science, performance and functional apparel, or technical fiber-based products. With its rigorous requirement of physical science courses, the major can be excellent preparation for a range of graduate and professional studies including medical school.

Within this major, students get individual attention and develop one-on-one relationships with faculty. Beyond formal course work, Fiber Science students have opportunities to participate in undergraduate research with a faculty members, whether as a member of a research team, or by conducting supervised independent research. Research and summer internships add a significant experiential component to the course of study, providing valuable practical knowledge while testing students’ academic or career interests. Many students choose to study abroad for one semester during their junior year.

Academic Standards

• A maximum of 15 credits of AP credit and in absentia credit can count towards the120 total credits. 
• A maximum of 15 credits of Study Abroad/Exchange, Cornell-In-Washington or Capital Semester can count towards total electives.​​

Student Work

All work done as part of the academic program will be held by the department until it has been released by the instructor. Certain exceptional work may be used by the department to exhibit for academic purposes. The department is not responsible for the loss or theft of student work.

Academic Advising

All Fiber Science majors are matched with a faculty advisor by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students are strongly urged to discuss their goals, course selection and sequence, electives, and career plans with their faculty advisor. Students are free to change advisors; changes must be recorded with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It is the student's responsibility to keep track of their courses and to make sure that the program meets graduation requirements for their major and college.

Career Opportunities

Recent graduates of the Fiber Science program have begun careers with fiber or textile firms, outdoor and athleticwear firms, protective apparel firms, testing laboratories, and government agencies.  Students have continued to graduate studies in polymer or materials science, engineering, and technology or to medical, business or law school.

Program Information

• Program Mode of Delivery: In Person
• Program Location: Ithaca, NY
• Minimum Credits for Degree: 120

Program Requirements

In addition to college requirements, students in the Fiber Science Major must complete specific requirements listed here.

Core Courses¹

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
FSAD 1140	Principles of Design Computing	3
FSAD 1350	Fibers, Fabrics, and Finishes	3
FSAD 1360	Fiber and Yarn Analysis Laboratory	1
FSAD 2370	Structural Fabric Design	3
FSAD 3200	Global Textile and Apparel Sustainability	3
FSAD 3320	Product Quality Assurance	3
FSAD 3350	Fiber Science	3
FSAD 4360	Fiber Materials	3
FSAD 4460	Nanotechnology in Fibers and Textiles	3
FSAD 4660	Textiles, Apparel, and Innovation	3
Total Hours		28

¹

Courses taken for this area cannot also count for Area 2 (FSAD Introductory Courses) and Area 3 (FSAD Advanced Courses).

Introductory Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Two FSAD courses at the 1000, 2000, or 3000 level		6-8

Advanced Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Take two upper level FSAD courses, at least one at the 6000 level 2		6-8

²

FSAD 4000, FSAD 4010, FSAD 4020, FSAD 4030, FSAD 4990 cannot count here.

Computer Science

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
CS 1110	Introduction to Computing: A Design and Development Perspective	4
CS 1112	Introduction to Computing: An Engineering and Science Perspective	4
CS 2110	Object-Oriented Programming and Data Structures	4
AEM 2841	Python Programming for Data Analysis and Business Modeling - Non-Dyson Majors	3
AP Computer Science score of 5

Introductory Chemistry (8 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
CHEM 2070 & CHEM 2071 & CHEM 2080 & CHEM 2081	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory and General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory	8
CHEM 2150	Honors General and Inorganic Chemistry (eligible to take with an AP Chemistry score of 5)	4

Organic Chemistry

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
CHEM 2510	Introduction to Experimental Organic Chemistry	2
Select one of the following:
CHEM 3570	Organic Chemistry for the Life Sciences	3
CHEM 3590	Honors Organic Chemistry I	3

Physics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
PHYS 1112 & PHYS 2213	Physics I: Mechanics and Heat and Physics II: Electromagnetism	7
PHYS 2207 & PHYS 2208	Fundamentals of Physics I and Fundamentals of Physics II	8

Additional Approved Elective Sequence

Students choose one area to complete³. 

³

Courses used here may not apply towards the Introductory Courses or Advanced Courses requirement.

Apparel Design

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
FSAD 1450	Introduction to Fashion Design	3.5
Select one of the following:		3-3.5
FSAD 3370	Introduction to Knit Textile Structure and Design
or FSAD 3650	New Technologies for Fashion Design
or FSAD 3990	Smart Clothing: Design and Programming
or FSAD 6900	Understanding Functional Aspects of Clothing and Design

Materials Science and Engineering

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
MSE 2610	Mechanical Properties of Materials: From Nanodevices to Superstructures	4
Select one of the following:		3-4
MSE 2620	Electronic Materials for the Information Age
MSE 3010	Materials Chemistry
MSE 3040	Kinetics, Diffusion, and Phase Transformations
MSE 3050	Electronic, Magnetic, and Dielectric Properties of Materials

Environment and Sustainability

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
NTRES 1101 & NTRES 1201	Understanding Environment and Sustainability and Global Water Sustainability	6
DEA 2020 & BEE 3299	Introduction to Sustainable Design and Sustainable Development	6

Biomedical

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
MSE 4610	Biomedical Materials and Their Applications	3
Select one of the following:
ENGRI 1310	Introduction to Biomedical Engineering	3
CHEME 2880	Biomolecular Engineering: Fundamentals and Applications	4

Social Science

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ECON 1110	Introductory Microeconomics	3

Humanities (3-4 Credits)

Choose any course with Course Distribution; Historical Analysis (HA-AG, HA-HE, HST-AS), Literature and the Arts (ALC-AAP, ALC-AS, ALC-HA, LA-AG, LAD-HE), or Cultural Analysis (CA-AG, CA-HE)

Quantitative Analysis

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Statistics.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
PUBPOL 2100	Introduction to Statistics	4
AEM 2100	Introductory Statistics	4
ILRST 2100	Introductory Statistics and Data Science	4
ENGRD 2700	Eng Probability and Statistics: Modeling and Data Science	4
PSYCH 2500	Statistics and Research Design	3

Calculus

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following sequences: 4
MATH 1110 & MATH 1120	Calculus I and Calculus II	8
MATH 1910 & MATH 1920	Calculus for Engineers and Multivariable Calculus for Engineers	8

⁴

A score of 4 or 5 on AP Calculus AB fulfills the Calculus I requirement; a score of 4 or 5 on AP Calculus BC fulfills Calculus I and II requirements.

Linear Algebra

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
MATH 2210	Linear Algebra	4
MATH 2230	Theoretical Linear Algebra and Vector Calculus I	5
MATH 2310	Linear Algebra for Data Science	4
MATH 2940	Linear Algebra for Engineers	4

Ethics/Sustainability 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
DEA 4220	Ecological Literacy and Design	3
FSAD 4021 & FSAD 4022	Textile and Apparel Production in India and Textile and Apparel Production in India	5
FSAD 4025	Design for Change: Imagining Decolonial Futures	3
FSAD 4682	Fashion, Politics, and Law in the United States	3
FSAD 4800	Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change	3

Outside of Fiber Science Requirement (11 Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Students must complete a minimum of 11 total credits from the subject areas listed below: 5,6
Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA)
Human Development (HD)
Human Ecology non-departmental (HE) at the 1500 level or higher
Nutritional Sciences (NS)
Public Policy (PUBPOL)

⁵

FWS, PUBPOL 2100, PUBPOL 3120, DEA 3550 HD 2830, HE 3400, and Special Studies (4000, 4010, 4020, 4030) do not count.

⁶

Courses in this section may also double count with the following requirements: Humanities, Psychology, Social Science, Natural Science II, Ethics, Additional Distribution Coursework, and Free Electives.

Free Electives (Variable)

Any courses that are not taken in the above categories count as Electives.

University Graduation Requirements

Requirements for All Students

In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.

Academic Requirements

A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.

Non-academic Requirements

Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.

Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.

Additional Requirements for Undergraduate Students

The University has two requirements for graduation that must be fulfilled by all undergraduate students: the swim requirement, and completion of two physical education courses. For additional information about fulfilling University Graduation Requirements, see the Physical Education website.

Physical Education

All undergraduate students are required to take two credits (two courses) of Physical Education prior to graduation. It is recommended they complete the two courses during their first year at Cornell. Credit in Physical Education may be earned by participating in courses offered by the Department of Athletics and Physical Education and Cornell Outdoor Education, by being a registered participant on a varsity athletic team, or performing in the marching band.

Students with medical concerns should contact the Office of Student Disability Services. 

College of Human Ecology Graduation Requirements

Students are responsible for monitoring their progress toward graduation by regularly reviewing degree requirements and their official transcript. Official transcripts may be requested through the Office of the University Registrar.

Students are expected to plan their course selections carefully to ensure all major, college, and university graduation requirements are completed within eight semesters. Once all requirements have been satisfied, the College will confer the degree; students should therefore monitor their progress closely.

Minor programs, honors programs, research, and other enrichment opportunities are not considered degree requirements. Students who complete all university, college, and major degree requirements will have their degree conferred in the term in which those requirements are satisfied and may not extend enrollment solely to complete non‑degree requirements or activities.

Transfer students may be allotted fewer semesters depending on the number of transferable credits awarded at admission. Students who require additional time to complete degree requirements must meet with a Human Ecology College Advisor (1210 MVR Hall) and be approved through the formal petition process.

Credit Requirements

Cornell Credit Requirements

• To graduate, a student must earn a minimum of 120 academic credits. Physical education credits and 10XX courses do not count toward the 120 required credits.
• Of the 120 credits required to graduate, at least 60 credits must be earned at Cornell University (applicable to transfer students).
• Students who matriculate as first-years may apply a maximum of 15 non-Cornell credits earned prior to matriculation (including AP, IB, and approved college-level coursework) toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
• Transfer students may apply up to 60 non-Cornell credits earned prior to matriculation, as awarded at the time of admission. After matriculation, all students (both first-year and transfer) may apply a maximum of 15 extramural credits (coursework taken outside of Cornell) toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
• No college credit earned before matriculation and used to meet Cornell's minimum admission requirements may be counted in the 120 credits required for graduation. This policy does not apply to transfer students.
• Courses taught by a college in the high school setting or counted toward high school graduation are not allowed to count for either credits or fulfillment of requirements.
• Strict limitations exist on the number of credits that can be applied toward the 120-credit minimum for special studies courses (including but not limited to 4000, 4010, 4020), for 4030 courses, and for courses taken with an optional S–U grade. Details follow.

Human Ecology Core Requirement^1,2

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
HE 1800	Blazing Your Trail in Human Ecology (Required in the first fall semester of matriculation to Human Ecology) 1
HE 1850	Introduction to Human Ecology (Required in the first spring semester of matriculation to Human Ecology)
HE 2000	Social Justice, Thriving, and the Human Experience 2

¹

Internal and external transfer students are exempt from HE 1800.

²

Internal and external transfer students must complete HE 2000 in their first fall semester in Human Ecology.

Human Ecology Distribution Requirement

Students must complete the college distribution requirements listed below. Each course applied to a distribution category must be a minimum of 3 credits, and the total credits in each category must meet the specified requirement (3 or 6 credits).  A list of courses that fulfill each Distribution Requirement code can be found on the College of Human Ecology Distribution Requirement Course List page of this catalog.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Natural Sciences 3		6
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Natural Sciences requirement:
BIO-AG, BIO-AS, BSC-AG, PBS-HE, PHS-AS, PSC-AG
Social Sciences		6
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Social Sciences requirement:
ETH-AG, ETM-AS, KCM-AG, KCM-HE, SBA-AG, SBA-HE, SSC-AAP, SSC-AS, SSC-HA
Humanities		3
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Humanities requirement:
ALC-AAP, ALC-AS, ALC-HA, CA-AG, CA-HE, HA-AG, HA-HE, HST-AS, LA-AG
Quantitative Analysis		3
Courses that carry any of the following distribution codes will count toward the Quantitative Analysis requirement:
DLG-AG, DLS-AG, MQL-AG, MQR-AAP, MQR-HE
First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) - Must be completed during the first two semesters at Cornell 4		6
Select one of the following options:
Two Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) courses
One Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar course and a score of 5* on AP English Language or AP English Literature
One Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar course and a score of 7* on IB English Literature or IB English Language

³

Courses with exam credit may not count.

⁴

Juniors, seniors, and transfer students may use ENGL 2880 Expository Writing to satisfy one First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) requirement. For additional information on FWS courses and guidelines, please visit the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines.

45 Human Ecology Credit Requirement^4,5,6

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits from the following Human Ecology subject areas:		45
Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA)
Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD)
Human Development (HD)
Human Ecology non-departmental (HE) at the 1500 level or higher
Nutritional Sciences (NS)
Public Policy (PUBPOL)

⁴

Courses that fulfill College Distribution or Major Requirements may not be taken S–U unless S–U is the only grading option available.

⁵

Courses taken S–U that count toward Electives may also be applied to the 45-credit requirement.

⁶

Students should refer to the S–U grading section for complete policy details.

Minimum Semester Requirements

Students enrolling in the college as first‑years must enroll in a minimum of one 3‑credit course each semester in HE for their first four semesters, excluding winter and summer sessions (i.e., fall and spring semesters only). Students must carry 12 credits each semester, excluding physical education.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement for Graduation

Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C) or better to graduate.

Degree Requirements by Catalog Year

 All degree requirements are based on the term in which the student matriculated to Human Ecology with no exceptions. If a student changes majors within Human Ecology, they should speak with the Human Ecology College Advisor or Registrar to discuss options. 

Special Studies

• A maximum of 12 credits of special study course work from Human Ecology or other colleges will count towards the 120 overall credits. Courses will be indicated on the class roster with a Component of either IND or RSC. Additional special study credits may be taken but will not be applied toward the student’s major, college, or university degree requirements.
• A maximum of 12 credits of 4000-4030 may count toward the 45 HE credit requirement.

10XX Courses

10XX‑numbered courses do not count toward graduation requirements but do count toward full‑time enrollment status.

S-U Grade Options

The S‑U grading option may not be used for College Distribution courses or required major courses unless it is the only grading option available for the course. S‑U grading may be applied to courses taken to fulfill the Outside‑of‑Major requirement and to elective courses.

Students may apply no more than 12 credits of S‑U graded coursework toward the 120 credits required for graduation. Required courses that are offered only on an S‑U basis do not count toward this limit. In addition, Honors Research (4990) taken S‑U is excluded from the 12‑credit maximum. Students may enroll in additional S‑U courses beyond this limit; however, those credits will not be applied toward graduation requirements.

Advanced Placement and Advanced Standing Credit