When considering a major that is offered through two Cornell Colleges, it is important to understand that the major requirements – the core curriculum, concentrations, faculty and opportunities (research/fieldwork/internships etc.) – are the same for students in both Colleges. What is different is the College, or academic home base, that informs what surrounds your major. Thinking about fit at the College level can help you determine which will be the best academic home base for you within Cornell. Considerations include:

• The degree you earn: CALS offers a Bachelor of Science degree.
• The CALS Distribution Requirements.
• Where your interests outside of the major are offered at Cornell: Being a member of the College where many of the classes you want to take are offered is ideal – so for example, if you were interested also in plants, animals, insects, environment & sustainability, business, communication, etc. – these are other areas of focus in CALS.
• What flexibility looks like within the College: CALS requires 55 of 120 credits to be taken in CALS and typically about 1/3 of your courses are “elective” – therefore not counting towards major or distribution requirements, making for quite a bit of “free choice.”
• The overall missions/approaches of the Colleges: CALS is a premier institution of scientific learning, tackling the complex challenges of our time through purpose-driven science.