Academics

Students work in the wood shop in Rand Hall.
Academics

Challenge Yourself

Teaching and learning, research and engagement: A Cornell education is rigorous—every aspect is geared to prepare you to improve the world.

The Cornell Experience

You'll interact closely with world-class faculty and a diverse student body, each a collaborator in learning, in research, and in service. They're here to help you push yourself and your ideas further than you could ever push them on your own.

  • 4,000
    Courses across 100 academic departments
  • 80
    Undergraduate majors and more than 120 minors
  • 102
    Graduate fields of study

In the Classroom

You'll actively explore the material before you, design a formal line of inquiry and follow it, work with various teams, and get your hands dirty. This may be the Ivy League, but we exist in and learn from the world around us.

A female and male student peer through a metal tube.
Students look through a particle accelerator
“Cornell’s extraordinary community of scholars is dedicated to solving the issues facing the world, educating the leaders of tomorrow and bettering people’s lives.”
- Michael I. Kotlikoff, President
Mushrooms.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds

From the edible and the hallucinogenic to the pathogenic, explore the Mushroom's role in nature and in shaping past and present civilizations.

Bottles of wine.
Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Introduction to Wines

Everything you wanted to know about wine - from the history of winemaking to viticultural regions, understanding the terms on a wine label, and connecting flavors to influencing production factors.

Cindy Hazan's HD3620 Human Bonding class in Bailey Hall.
Cornell Human Ecology
Human Bonding

Study such topics as interpersonal attraction and mate selection, intimacy and commitment, love and sex, jealousy and loneliness, the neurobiology of affiliation and attachment, and the role of relationships in physical and psychological health.

Produce at Anabel's grocery.
Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Social Entrepreneurship Practicum: Anabel's Grocery

A hands-on learning experience that serves as an entry point for new team members at the Student-run nonprofit grocery store, Anabel's Grocery.

Academic Excellence

Astronomy Astronomy Assistive Technology Music
Watch with audio description
Expanding the Search For Life To Purple Planets
In search for alien life, purple may be the new green. On Earth, green signifies life, thanks to chlorophyll-driven photosynthesis. But on exoplanets, Cornell researchers have found that purple could be a key color to look for. Some bacteria on Earth already use infrared light for photosynthesis and contain purple pigments instead. This discovery means that potential alien worlds with dominant purple bacteria might emit a unique "light fingerprint" detectable by advanced telescopes.
Watch with audio description
Students adapt toys and devices to bring disabled kids independent play
The Big Red Adaptive Play and Design Initiative trains Cornell students to adapt toys and devices for children with disabilities.
Watch with audio description
Long-lost Moog synthesizer finally makes it to the stage
A piece of synthesizer history has been given an unexpected second life and is now a part of Cornell’s instrument collection, after eight months of meticulous and often confounding work by a group of synthesizer builders.

In the Field

Three students pack dirt around a a sapling.
The Sustainable Landscapes team prepares to plant a wild plum tree outside Onondaga Nation School in Nedrow, New York

Service with a Purpose

Public service is a pillar of Cornell academics. It not only enriches the community—it enriches your understanding of how ideas work in the real world.

A female student works on coffee beans while others look on.
Students gain hands-on experience in traditional coffee growing at farms in Santa Ana, Costa Rica

Global Perspectives, Global Opportunities

Our office is located in Ithaca, New York, but you can study just about anywhere your academic inquiries take you.

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