Live, study and grow at the nexus of discovery and impact.
Our research activities and academic programs are remarkably broad, but they share one characteristic: all are curiosity-driven. Exploring the unknown is central to our mission to be the nexus of discovery and impact.
Courses offered in A&S of 4000 courses at Cornell.
Majors to choose in A&S. Design your education.
Twenty new faculty have joined the College of Arts & Sciences this year, strengthening departments and programs with their wide-ranging expertise and filling numerous leadership roles for the College and university. And this election year, the College’s new faculty bring a breadth and depth of expertise on topics important to our democracy.
The innovative undergraduate curriculum at A&S has distribution requirements that range from global citizenship to physical sciences to ethics and the mind. Classes build upon each other and cross the boundaries of traditional academic fields. Extensive work occurs outside of your major and minors, and there are no required core courses. Work closely with inspiring faculty to develop the hallmark skills of a liberal arts and sciences education – the ability to read critically, write persuasively and think broadly.
As a linguistics major, you’ll explore the fascinating phenomenon of human language. Through your coursework you’ll learn how language is structured, acquired and used in social interactions. You’ll also learn how language changes over time or how it can be modeled computationally. Coursework for the major includes foundation and core courses, leaving you the flexibility to develop programs of study that focus on your areas of special interest. Linguistics combines well with language study and related fields such as philosophy, psychology, computer science and anthropology.
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The undergraduate minor in migration studies is is a university-wide, interdisciplinary undergraduate minor that helps students understand how migration shapes our world on the move. Focused on the historical and contemporary contexts and factors that drive international migration and shape migrant experiences around the globe, the minor dovetails with Migrations: A Global Grand Challenge, part of Global Cornell.
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Cornell University's Bachelor of Science in Earth and Climate Sciences equips students to tackle critical global challenges like climate change and natural disasters. The program features small class sizes, dedicated faculty support, and a wide range of electives and extracurricular opportunities. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of upstate New York, Cornell offers an exceptional setting for the study of environmental sciences.
The Earth and Climate Sciences program is inherently interdisciplinary, integrating various fields of science and engineering. Relevant engineering disciplines include civil and environmental engineering, biological and environmental engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and electrical and computer engineering. Through this program, students engage in education and research that equips them to pursue competitive careers or advanced study at leading institutions both domestically and internationally. By exploring the complex interactions among the ocean, solid earth, atmosphere, and biosphere, students contribute to addressing society's growing needs for energy, minerals, and clean water, while also playing a role in mitigating the adverse effects of global warming, sea-level rise, natural disasters, and biodiversity loss.
Understanding human impacts on our planet provides technologies and solutions for the future. Our graduates will be able to seek careers dealing with energy, mineral and water resources, natural hazards, climate forecasting, and a host of environmental issues through employment in academia, government and the private sector.
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr. Rowena Lohman
Snee Hall, Room 3210
rbl62@cornell.edu
Undergraduate Coordinator
Annmarie Card
Snee Hall, Room 2102A
ac2666@cornell.edu
With a minor in creative writing, you’ll take five courses in creative writing, literature and cultural studies. You can concentrate in a single genre (fiction or poetry), or freely study both.
Click here for more details on the Creative Writing program, including curriculum and requirements.
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The Brittany and Adam J. Levinson Program in China and Asia–Pacific Studies (CAPS) offers a unique and rigorous curriculum in the study of contemporary China, through a set of courses on China’s language, history, politics, economy, society, and international relations, and by providing students with experiential learning opportunities, including one required semester in Beijing and one optional semester in Washington, D.C. Designed as an interdisciplinary program to train future leaders in various domains of U.S.-China relations, the Levinson Program offers both the Major and Minor in China and Asia-Pacific Studies to Cornell undergraduate students.
More information can be found on the Cornell University Registrar site and through the Levinson Program site.
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With an international relations minor, you’ll be able to take advantage of the vast resources available across colleges and departments for studying the politics, economics, history, languages and cultures of the countries and regions of the world, adding a global and cross-cultural dimension to your major studies. This interdisciplinary program, offered through the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, is open to undergraduates enrolled in any of the seven Cornell undergraduate colleges.
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As a sociology major, you’ll focus on basic science while diving deeply into public and educational policies, investigating topics such as gender, racial and income inequality, as well as drug use, economic development and organizational practices. You’ll develop fundamental insight and understanding of sociological issues as well as advanced research skills in quantitative and qualitative methods.
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As a mathematics major, you can focus on the study of the theoretical aspects of mathematics or explore applications to other fields. You can choose one of seven different concentrations and take a rich variety of courses in analysis, algebra, topology, geometry, probability, statistics and logic to tailor a program that meets your individual needs and interests.
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As a music major, you’ll carry the study of music to an advanced level through the integration of performance, history, music theory and composition. Whether oriented toward eventual graduate or professional work in music or a more general approach, you can choose among courses from medieval chant to hip-hop, from classical-era European music to the musics of Latin America and Africa, from electroacoustic music to musical systems from around the globe. We also offer opportunities for performers through individual instruction in piano, violin, voice, percussion and other instruments, as well as through participation in our diverse instrumental ensembles.
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The pinnacle of the liberal arts experience
Students design their own interdisciplinary major, organized around a question or issue of interest, and pursue a course of study that cannot be found in an established major. Harrison College Scholars explore subjects with a broader integration of related disciplines than most students would attempt.
A deep dive into the humanities
This program offers a signature learning, research and collaboration opportunity for undergraduate students across the university who are interested in the humanities.
Shaping the future
Students in the Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity combine Cornell’s renowned liberal arts and sciences classes in Ithaca with the 21st century tech curriculum at Cornell Tech in NYC.
Funding your summer experience
Summer opportunities are crucial to student career success, but these life-changing experiences frequently offer little to no funding. That’s a critical barrier for many of our students – and one that the College of Arts and Sciences feels is vital to overcome.
The Summer Experiences Grants (SEG) do just that. They support students with living expenses, transportation, and travel so that these essential experiences are available to all of our students, who may otherwise not be able to afford them.
Curiosity is the driver for research in A&S. From the dendrochronology lab where archaeologists analyze tree-ring growth to understand climate change to the linguistics department where students created a new language for a Captain Marvel movie, our students and faculty take full advantage of all that our world-class research university encompasses.
With opportunities spanning the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, research here takes place in laboratories, museums, field sites, libraries, hospitals, greenhouses, performance spaces and archives.
Premier postdocs
This premier postdoctoral fellowship program offers opportunities for early-career scholars of outstanding talent, initiative and promise to devote themselves to frontline, innovative research without being tied to specific outcomes.
Undergraduate research opportunities
The Nexus Scholars Program in the College of Arts & Sciences provides undergraduate students with summer opportunities to work side by side with faculty from all across the college (humanities, social sciences, and STEM) on their research projects.
Open your mind
The College of Arts & Sciences’ Arts Unplugged series brings research and creative works into the public sphere for discussion and inspiration. These outreach events invite a broad audience to explore the work of scholars and faculty from all disciplines, all backgrounds and all time periods and to celebrate the impact that work continues to have on our daily lives.
Engagement for an informed society
The College of Arts & Sciences' Distinguished Visiting Journalist Program brings accomplished journalists to Cornell for extended visits. The program aims to recognize excellence in journalism and to provide opportunities for select journalists and the university community to engage with each other.
New Yorker
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George Hutchinson
Related Departments
Literatures in English, John S. Knight Institute
Newsweek
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Allen R. Carlson
Related Departments
Government, China and Asia-Pacific Studies Program
Vox
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Cristobal Young
Related Departments
Sociology
Bloomberg
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Sarah Kreps
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Government
Location: Johnson Museum of Art, Robinson Lecture Hall, Floor 2L
Location: Bailey Hall
Location: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, 320
Location: Sage Chapel
