Concurrent Degree Requirements by College
Concurrent Degree Application Process
Concurrent Degree:
Two distinct majors, two colleges
The goal of the second degree option is to enhance interdisciplinary study at Cornell, and provide a unique opportunity for students whose interests cross conventional boundaries. In the Concurrent Degree Option, a student pursues two unrelated majors and is enrolled in two colleges or schools, each of which has a unique perspective and academic focus. Concurrent Degree students engage in very creative and interesting projects. You can see some highlights of their work here.
Colleges Participating in the Concurrent Degree Option:
Cornell offers nearly 80 formal major fields of study, and over 350 students have graduated from the Concurrent Degree Option (formerly Dual Degree), with over 280 unique degree options.
Please note that the Johnson College of Business and the ILR School do not participate in the Concurrent Degree Option.
Use the list of Majors offered at Cornell to help you search for the major that best fits your academic interests and future goals. In the Courses of Study you will find comprehensive information about academics, including information about majors, and each college and school maintains web pages about their majors.
Exclusions
While Cornell offers majors across a vast range of fields, certain majors are excluded from the Concurrent Degree Option. Some majors cannot be concurrently studied with specific majors in other colleges.
A Concurrent Degree cannot be used for:
- The same major in two colleges (e.g. Computer Science in Arts and Sciences and Engineering).
- Two majors with significant curricula overlap.
- Pursuing a major where it is unfeasible for the student to finish on time (i.e., would need more than 10 semesters). This might be the case for majors where a specific curriculum is followed and many courses or studios are given in sequence.
Additionally, the majors shown below are not participating in the Concurrent Degree Program:
- Agriculture and Life Sciences: Biology and Society, Global and Public Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies.
- Architecture, Art, and Planning: Architecture.
- Engineering: Biomedical Engineering, Independent Major.
- Human Ecology: Global and Public Health Sciences.
Note: Students interested in Pre-Med studies in the College of Human Ecology should apply for Internal Transfer – not Concurrent Degree.
A successful Concurrent Degree Plan will allow for each major to consist of at least 30 distinct credits, with a maximum overlap of 12 credits between the two majors. If the concurrent degree involves a licensed profession, no credits are allowed to overlap. Before selecting a major for your second degree, you should check the current options for your home college or speak to the advisor at the Office for Internal Transfer and Concurrent Degrees, or an advisor in your home college to be sure your preference is viable.
Important considerations
The Concurrent Degree Option is distinctly different from a single degree with double majors or majors and minors, and it requires at least a year of additional study and 30 credits more than the credits normally required to graduate from a regular degree. Your GPA must be 3.3 or higher in order to apply.