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, Provost

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.

College of Arts & Sciences

Better Decisions for Life, Love, and Money

Explores research on the principles of sound judgment and decision making, and on the ways in which people’s judgments and decisions are prone to bias and error.

Engineering

Introductory Oceanography

Study contemporary public issues regarding the health of the ocean, global warming and a sustainable future.

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.

Faculty Stories

Lisa Kaltenegger

Associate Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Carl Sagan Institute

College of Arts and Sciences

Probing distant worlds, Lisa Kaltenegger and fellow Cornell scientists uncover evidence that organisms could find ways to evolve on nearby exoplanets despite harsh environmental conditions, a critical step in the quest to find life beyond Earth.

Ariel Ortiz-Bobea

Assistant Professor of Applied Economics
and Policy

Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

By modeling the effects of rapidly changing climate on U.S. agricultural production, economist Ariel Ortiz-Bobea’s research provides a blueprint for growers around the globe seeking to adapt their practices to rising temperatures.

Jenny Sabin

Arthur L. and Isabel B. Wiesenberger Professor in Architecture

College of Architecture, Art and Planning

Architectural designer Jenny Sabin stretches the boundaries of her field by collaborating with scientists, engineers and artists to develop structures that respond to human inhabitants and surrounding natural environments.

In the Field

A male and female firefighter practicing using a firehose.

Student volunteers of the Cayuga Heights Fire Department during a training session

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 group of people in the middle of ancient ruins.

Students touring the ruins of Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli

Global Perspectives, Global Opportunities

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