The major (such as Computer Science or Biological Sciences) is exactly the same regardless of which college you attend: the major requirements, professors, classes, rigor, and research opportunities are all the same. The difference is in the requirements outside of the major, as each college has different distribution requirements.
Transfer students are admitted directly into a particular major, with prerequisites varying somewhat by major. Final decisions are made by the relevant department faculty. Transfer students are highly encouraged to state their academic interests clearly, showing how they pertain to the major they have selected.
Please note that transfer students are not permitted to apply as "undecided," nor can they apply to the Independent major. Accepted students must remain in the selected major for at least one academic year.
Course requirements will vary by each engineering major and depend on the appropriate class standing level consistent with the amount of coursework completed at the time the student begins at Cornell. To gain a clear sense of the major-specific course requirements, please review the documents on the Transfer Requirements page as well as information on each major in the Engineering Handbook.
Duffield Engineering requires the completion of the following math and sciences classes prior to high school graduation. A unit is equivalent to one academic year of study.
First-year applicants apply to the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering and not to a particular engineering major. Students may indicate an intended major of interest on the Common Application if they wish, but they will not officially select a major until the second semester of their sophomore year.
Duffield Engineering routinely offers credit for appropriately high scores on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB), and General Certificate of Education (A-level) examinations. For detailed information on the acceptable scores, please refer to the Advanced Placement Credit Table on the College of Engineering website.
Some of the undergraduate colleges at Cornell ask applicants to report the highest calculus class they will complete by the time they graduate from high school. If you are applying to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Arts and Sciences, the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, or the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, you will be required to answer this question. Here are some guidelines that may be helpful in doing so:
