Information Science, Systems, and Technology (BS)

Duffield College of Engineering

Program Website

Program Description

Digital information technologies have become pervasive in science, engineering, manufacturing, business, finance, culture, law, and government, dramatically changing the way people work and live. The proliferation and significance of these new technologies demands a new focus in engineering education—one that remains rigorous and technically oriented but is simultaneously devoted to integrating engineering design, theory, and practice within the social and organizational contexts in which these complex digital information systems are employed.

The Information Science, Systems, and Technology (ISST) major studies the design and management of complex information systems. Just as structural engineers and nanofabricators use physics at radically different scales, so also there is a scale difference between the focus of the ISST major and the more traditional, look-under-the-hood majors in Computer Science and Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Rather than focusing on the computing and communication technologies that underlie digital information systems, the ISST major emphasizes information systems engineering in broad application contexts, where issues at the confluence of information science, technology, and management are the primary concerns.

Note: Students may not double major in both CS and ISST or ORIE and ISST.

The ISST major is available to students in the Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering. In addition to completing all of their ISST major requirements, ISST majors must complete all of their Duffield Engineering requirements.

Academic Standards

Major Declaration Information

Current Duffield Engineering students looking to affiliate with the ISST major, change majors to ISST, or add ISST as a second major should start taking courses to meet the admission criteria as outlined below. Once students have met the admission criteria (or final courses needed are in progress), students should apply online. Please note that the ISST major application is in addition to the Duffield Engineering major declaration form. Applications are not evaluated until all affiliation coursework is complete. 

All potential majors are reviewed on a case-by-case basis relative to the following criteria:

Note

  • Courses used for the purpose of declaring the major may be repeated if the original course grade was below a C. The most recent grade will be used for all repeated courses. Qualifying courses must be taken at Cornell.
  • Students entering or currently in their senior year of study intending to change majors to ISST or add ISST as a second major must submit a course plan to demonstrate they can complete all degree requirements by their current expected graduation date.​ Course plans must be sent to ISAdvising@cornell.edu and students must schedule a meeting with an IS advisor.

Timeline

  • Applications received between January 1st and January 31st are processed by March 1st.
  • Applications received between February 1st and May 31st are processed by July 1st.
  • Applications received between June 1st and September 14th are processed by October 15th.
  • Applications received between September 15th and December 31st are processed by mid-January.

Academic Standing 

Affiliated students must meet Duffield Engineering requirements for good standing. In addition, students in the ISST major must meet the following criteria for good standing at the end of each semester: 

  • Maintain a cumulative overall GPA of 2.3 or higher
  • Earn a semester GPA of 2.3 or higher 
  • Earn a semester GPA of 2.5 or higher in all courses used towards the ISST major and all Engineering Math courses 
  • Earn a grade of C- or higher in CS 2110CS 2110/ENGRD 2110ENGRD 2110, ENGRD 2700ENGRD 2700, and all courses used towards the ISST major. Note: If a lower grade is earned, the course must be retaken 
  • Complete a minimum of 14 academic credits per semester 
  • No failing grades 
  • Take at least two core ISST courses the first semester after affiliation 
  • Complete all core ISST courses prior to the final semester of study (students must pre-enroll, as permitted by the relevant department, in any remaining core coursework by the end of their 3-2 semester) ​

Students who fail to meet the criteria for good academic standing may be subject to one of the following academic actions: mild academic warning, stern academic warning, required leave of absence with the option to appeal, required leave of absence without the option to appeal, or withdrawal from the ISST major, Duffield Engineering, and Cornell University. When an academic action includes the option to appeal, the student must submit an appeal within seven days of notification. The academic action letter will specify any conditions the student must satisfy to return to good academic standing, where applicable. Failure to return to good academic standing by the end of the next enrolled semester at Cornell may result in a more severe academic action.

Honors Program

The B.S. degree with Honors in Information Science, Systems, and Technology is granted to engineering students who satisfy all undergraduate degree requirements  as well as the following requirements:

  • Cumulative GPA ≥ 3.5 at the time of application and maintained through graduation
  • 3 credit hours of INFO course work at or above the 5000-level (letter-graded courses only; no 1 or 2 credit seminars or 2 credit project courses)
  • 6 credit hours of INFO 4900 with an Information Science faculty member, spread over at least two semesters, with a grade of at least A– each semester

The ISST research is expected to result in a programming project or a written report (or both). The courses taken for these 9 credit hours cannot be applied to any other degree requirements.