Applying for a Major (Affiliation)
Students must apply to and be accepted into an Engineering major (i.e., affiliate) prior to the start of their fifth semester of enrollment (i.e., beginning of junior year for most students). Students who are not successfully affiliated by this time are withdrawn from the College and oftentimes the University, as well. Each Engineering Major has specific affiliation requirements that students must meet in order to be accepted into the major. The Engineering Undergraduate Handbook includes the affiliation requirements for each entering class for every major.
Students are encouraged to apply to their intended major during their third semester (i.e., fall of sophomore year for most students). Students will either be accepted or denied. Students who are accepted to their major will be accepted “fully” or “conditionally.” If accepted “conditionally,” students must meet specific requirements set forth by the department to continue in the major following the upcoming semester. Not all majors offer conditional affiliation; students wondering about conditional affiliation should contact their target major department to learn more.
Students who are denied affiliation have several options:
- Continue to pursue their primary major of interest.
- Consider another major in Engineering.
- Explore a major in a different College at Cornell.
- Consider transferring to another institution.
Often, departments that deny students will provide feedback on why the student was denied affiliation and what, if anything, can be done to remedy the situation and allow the student to successfully affiliate with the major following another semester of coursework. This feedback is important and will help the student develop a realistic plan and assess how best to proceed for the upcoming semester.
Students may need to adjust their intended course schedule to increase the likelihood of successfully affiliating or prepare for another option at Cornell. In addition to talking with the departments within Engineering (see Major Department Advising), students who are denied affiliation are strongly encouraged to visit with Engineering Advising to discuss options and plan their course schedule carefully.
To apply for Major Affiliation, all students must fill out the Application for Major Affiliation. This form is sent to the major department and new applications are reviewed at the end of each semester. Students applying to Computer Science (CS) or Information Science, Systems, and Technology (ISST) must also submit a supplemental application: CS/IS/SDS Affiliation Application: Computer Science for Computer Science and CS/IS/SDS Affiliation Application: Information Science, Systems and Technology for Information Science, Systems, and Technology.