Healthy Futures (Minor)

College of Human Ecology

Program Website

Program Description

The Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures (CIHF) and the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA) offers a minor in Healthy Futures open to all undergraduate students. Most of today's healthcare spending is on clinical approaches for diagnosing and treating diseases. However, behavioral, social and environmental factors play a large role in determining overall health. Health and wellness professionals of the future must engage in an interdisciplinary effort to successfully compete and contribute to positive change. This minor provides a high caliber, transdisciplinary education in the fields of health, hospitality, and design. This innovative trans-disciplinary focus — the first of its kind — has the potential to change industry practices and professional attitudes by breaking down the silos that often undermine creative solutions. This minor may be of particular interest to students enrolled in health, wellness, policy, and hospitality related majors, or students interested in applying their education to problem-solving in the population health and wellness space.

Open to all undergraduate students, including Design and Environmental Analysis majors.

Academic Standards

Minor Declaration Information

During the semester in which the student plans to graduate, they must submit a completed Application to Graduate with a Minor in Healthy Futures. The completed form should be emailed to hf-minor@cornell.edu. After verification by DEA that all requirements for the minor have been completed, the student's college registrar will be notified and the final transcript will indicate that a Minor in Healthy Futures was earned.

Academic Standards

Grade Requirements

All courses must be taken for a letter grade. 

Each course must be completed with a grade of B- or better to count toward the minor.