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Office of Internal Transfer and Concurrent Degrees

Concurrent Degrees

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Concurrent Degrees

Concurrent Degrees Requirements by College
Concurrent Degrees Application Process

 

Concurrent Degrees:
Two distinct majors, two colleges

The goal of the Concurrent Degrees Option is to enhance interdisciplinary study at Cornell, and provide a unique opportunity for exceptional students whose interests cross conventional boundaries. In the Concurrent Degrees 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 Degrees students engage in very creative and interesting projects. You can see some highlights of their work here.

 

Colleges Participating in the Concurrent Degrees Option:

Students can pursue Concurrent Degrees in AAP and Arts and Sciences, AAP and CALS, AAP and Engineering, AAP and Human Ecology as well as within AAP, because the college offers distinct degree programs in each department. Additionally, degrees in Engineering and Arts and Sciences, as well as in CALS and Human Ecology are possible to be studied as Concurrent Degrees. There are some exclusions, detailed below.

Students can pursue Concurrent Degrees in AAP and Arts and Sciences, AAP and CALS, AAP and Engineering, AAP and Human Ecology as well as within AAP, because the college offers distinct degree programs in each department. Additionally, degrees in Engineering and Arts and Sciences, as well as in CALS and Human Ecology are possible to be studied as Concurrent Degrees. There are some exclusions, detailed below.

 

 

Exclusions

Colleges:

The Johnson College of Business (i.e., Dyson and Hotel) and the ILR School do not participate in the Concurrent Degrees Option.

 

The majors shown below are not participating in the Concurrent Degrees Option:

  • 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.

 

Additionally, the Concurrent Degrees Option cannot be used to study:

  • The same major in two colleges (e.g. Computer Science in Arts and Sciences and Engineering).
  • Two majors with significant curricula overlap (e.g., Information Science and Communication)
  • 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.

 

Important considerations

The Concurrent Degrees Option is distinctly different from a single degree with double majors (e.g., computer science and psychology, both in Arts and Sciences) 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.
  • Each major should include at least 30 credits of specialized, program-specific coursework that is unique to each degree.
  • Any overlap in specialized requirements for each degree is limited to 12 academic credits (not included in the 30 credits mentioned above).
  • When the two degrees involve a program in a licensed profession, no credits in the professional curriculum may be “double-counted” towards a different degree.
  • Significant overlap in the general, liberal arts curriculum is permissible.
  • Your GPA must be 3.3 or higher in order to apply.
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