Enrollment options for international M.Eng. students

Dear Incoming and Continuing Students in MEng Programs,

Earlier this week, President Martha Pollack announced the university’s plan for the upcoming fall semester. The information provided below pulls together what you will need to know as you prepare to begin or continue your M.Eng. study in Fall 2020.

  • Residential instruction for the Ithaca campus will begin on Wednesday, September 2.
  • Classroom instruction can be online, in-person, or a hybrid approach with remote accessibility available.  
  • Students will be required to wear face masks and to sit in assigned seats while in class. Classroom capacity will also be reduced, and seats will have appropriate distances between them with faculty required to wear masks or face shields.
  • A mandatory virus screening program will be put into place, including screening prior to and upon arrival to campus, and ongoing, frequent screening, with isolation/quarantine/contact tracing as needed.
  • All dining halls will provide to-go service, and tables will be properly spaced. In-person dining options will be available using a reservation system.

Given current travel restrictions and visa delays, we would like to offer a couple of unique enrollment options for our international M.Eng. students for the fall semester. Please note that the Department of Computer Science will not be offering these options.

Online Coursework Based on 6-12-12 Option

This option for incoming MEng students allows you to complete your program across three semesters via a 6-12-12 credit format: 6 credits (virtual) in Fall 2020, 12 in Spring 2021 (on-campus), and 12 in Fall 2021 (on-campus). Taking advantage of this option also will make you work eligible in the U.S. after Fall 2021. Tuition would be per credit (or partial tuition) for Fall 2020, followed by full tuition for both Spring 2021 and Fall 2021. There will be a number of online elective courses from which to choose, including professional development (i.e. ENGRG 5350), computer science and business courses. Each MEng program has the flexibility to accommodate a different number of online courses for the fall, and thus please consult with the MEng Director in your program for details.

Study Away

You may have the option to participate in Study Away at one of 15 third party or partner university sites. This option provides students with a residential, on-campus experience at a local campus in their country or region. Students will take a minimum of 12 credits of Cornell online courses as well as attend some in-person classes. Additionally, students will also be provided the chance to participate in co-curricular activities. To see if you are eligible to participate, please visit the Study Away website on eligibility requirements. Participation in this option does not count towards fulfilling the requirements for the work eligibility in the U.S. (OPT and CPT). The Cornell Experience site will serve as the application portal. The application deadline for this Study Away program is Friday, July 10, 2020.

We believe that these options provide MEng students unique Cornell experiences with maintaining the quality and integrity of Cornell University’s Master of Engineering degree. We will continue to share additional information as it becomes available.

Sincerely,

Yong L. Joo
Associate Dean of Masters of Engineering Programs