Bachelor of Science in Engineering, B.S.E.

Admission Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (First year students who entered prior to Fall 2020 and Transfer Students Entering in Fall 2020):

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A student may become a candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering once the student has:

• completed 7 courses with a GPA of at least 2.0
• been granted course credit with a grade of at least C- (or been granted exemption or credit by exam) in EGR 131 , PHY 161  or PHY 162  , MAT 120 , MAT 121  or MAT 122 , and one other EGR course that counts towards the Engineering major.

General Requirements

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1. A minimum of 31 course credits. No more than two All-College Independent Study course credits (280/380, 290/390/490, 296/396/496) may be counted toward satisfying the minimum credit requirement for this degree. No more than two full credits in 500-level adjunct courses may be counted toward satisfying the minimum 31 credits. 

2. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

3. A major in Engineering.

4. First-year Program (these courses do not count toward the distribution requirement):

a. FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: Enrollment in any course with an “FYS” designation on the Course Schedule, during the first Block of the first year. Specific goals for these courses can be found here.

b. FIRST-YEAR WRITING COURSE: Any course with a “W” designation on the Course Schedule, taken in the first year. Specific goals for these courses can be found here.

5. Distribution Requirements: Eight courses outside Mathematics and Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, and the Natural Sciences, including the following general education requirements: [Courses in this Catalogue that satisfy, wholly or partially, general education requirements are identified by a parenthesis near the end of the course description, e.g., (Humanities) or (Social Science). Courses not so marked do not meet these requirements even though there may be other courses in the same department that do.]

a. FINE ARTS: One course (or the equivalent in half or quarter credits) chosen from the following disciplines: Art, English, Music, Dance, and Theatre.

b. HUMANITIES: Two courses chosen from two of the following disciplines: English, Foreign Language, History, Philosophy, Religion, Art History, Music, Theatre, or Education.

c. SOCIAL SCIENCE: One course chosen from the following disciplines: Anthropology, Economics and Business, Education, Kinesiology, Politics, Psychology, or Sociology.

d. FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Credit in French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Russian, or Spanish 102; international students whose native language is other than English satisfy this requirement through completion of or exemption from the English as a Second Language program

Engineering Major Requirements

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A minimum of 20 course credits distributed in the following areas:

Admission Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (First year students who entered Fall 2020 or later)

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1. Admission Requirements: A student may become a candidate for the Bachelor of Science in Engineering once the student has:

a. completed 7 courses with a GPA of at least 2.0

b. been granted course credit with a grade of at least C- (or been granted exemption or credit by exam) in EGR 131, PHY 161 or 162, MAT 120, 121, or 122, and one other EGR course that counts towards the Engineering major.

  2. Degree Requirements

a. A minimum of 31 course credits. No more than four Independent Credit Bearing courses (280/380, 290/390/490, 296/396/496) may be counted toward satisfying the minimum credit requirement for this degree. No more than two full credits in 500-level adjunct courses may be counted toward satisfying the minimum 31 credits.

b. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

c. Foundations: All-College Seminars-(First-Year Seminar cannot be double-counted with other requirements; First-Year Writing Seminar and Second-Year Seminar can also count toward an elective in a major/minor and/or as meeting an Explorations requirement)

i. First-Year Seminar: Diving In (Block 1 and Student Success Component in Blocks 1-3. 1 credit) All first-year, first-time college students will enroll in a First-Year Seminar (including those who have earned an AA degree while in high school). All transfer students with less than 7 credits will enroll in a First-Year Seminar. Credits granted to students from examinations cannot be counted towards the total credits needed to exempt a student from a First-Year Seminar.

ii. FY Writing Seminar (1 credit): Topically based courses, with some common elements, taken in a student’s first year, and focused on the further development of academic writing skills.  Through both informal and formal writing, students will focus on the process of writing, explore writing techniques and strategies, reflect on their work, and use the revision process to develop and communicate their ideas more effectively. Students are only allowed to earn credit for one first-year writing seminar.

iii. Sophomore Year Seminar Citizenship in Practice (Block 1, 1 credit) All students who will have less than 14 credits at the end of the spring semester will enroll in a Second-Year seminar. Credits granted to students from examinations cannot be counted towards the total credits needed to exempt a student from a Second-Year Seminar. Students who will have 14 or more credits at the end of the spring semester are not required to take the SYS, but may choose to take an SYS if they have not already earned credit for one. Students are only allowed to earn credit for one SYS during their time at Cornell.  

• Topically based courses encouraging citizenship in practice by focusing on informed, creative problem-solving of real-world issues through disciplinary or multidisciplinary approaches.These courses may include community engagement and/or hands-on experiences such as field trips, off-campus study, service learning, simulations, performances, installations, exhibits, or lab work.SYS courses do not have prerequisites.

d. Explorations: All students will complete five courses within the following designations (Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences), including at least 1 course from each of the designations.

e. Essential Abilities

i. Writing -1 credit Intensive course and 1 credit Encounter course; or 3 credits Encounter courses. At least one course must be within one of the student’s majors.  In addition to the All-College Seminars that emphasize writing, students must also either take one Writing Intensive and one Writing Encounter course or take three Writing Encounter Courses. Students must take one of these designated Writing courses (either an intensive or encounter) within one of their majors.

ii. Intercultural Literacy-1 credit Intensive Course or 2 credits Encounter Courses

Intercultural literacy is the possession of knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to appropriately and effectively include, communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with diverse individuals in a variety of settings.In Intercultural Literacy-designated classes, students focus on developing intercultural literacy, communication and critical thinking abilities, and understanding power structures, in order to prepare them for local and global citizenship.Courses focus on identifying and comparing cultural patterns and the relationship between experiences, ideologies, and culture; focusing on cultural self-awareness, cultural knowledge, and intercultural communication.

f. Foreign Language-Demonstration of foreign language competency at the 102 level or above.  (Students who take the language placement test and place into the 103 level or above have demonstrated competency at the 102 level and are considered done with the foreign language requirement).  International students whose native language is other than English satisfy this requirement through meeting the admissions requirements.

1. The Essential Abilities requirements are slightly adjusted for students who enter Cornell College with more than 7 transfer credits (not counting credit by examination). These requirements are listed below. Transfer credits can be used to fulfill all or part of these requirements:

	Writing	Intercultural Literacy	Foreign Language
0 - 6.75 transfer credits	1 Intensive and 1 Encounter, or 3 Encounters (1 within the major)	1 Intensive or 2 Encounters	Competency at 102 level or above
7 - 13.75 transfer credits	1 Intensive, or 2 Encounters (1 within the major)	1 Intensive or 2 Encounters	Competency at 102 level or above
14+ transfer credits	1 Intensive or 1 Encounter within the major	1 Intensive or Encounter	Competency at 102 level or above

1. Ingenuity in Action - 2 Experiences among 6 Categories
   1. The Ingenuity in Action program encourages students to apply their knowledge and understanding, to expand their education beyond the classroom walls, and to find connections among the many activities they engage in. Students must complete two experiences selected from different categories (Civic Engagement, Creative Expression, Global Connections, Leadership, Professional Exploration, and Research). The Ingenuity in Action program requires a reflective component to encourage students to be intentional and form connections among their educational experiences.
   2. Students transferring in at least 14 credits are required to complete one Ingenuity in Action experience.

4. Ingenuity ePortfolio

All students will develop an ePortfolio to curate and reflect on their Cornell experiences.Development of the portfolio is an ongoing process and embedded in curricular and co-curricular work. Metacognitive reflection on learning encourages students to take ownership over their education and to embrace opportunities for improvement in an ongoing, developmental way. The expectations for the portfolio aim to reinforce the college’s educational priorities, as well as students’ ongoing progress throughout their Cornell education.

5. Engineering Major Requirements

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A minimum of 20 course credits distributed in the following areas:

a. NATURAL SCIENCE: PHY 161  and PHY 162  ; CHE 121  or CHE 161 ; one additional science course chosen from one of the following departments or majors: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Geology, or Physics. All of the courses used to fulfill the requirement must be designated Science, Laboratory Science, or Mathematics and be acceptable for the minimal major in the offering department.

b. MATHEMATICS: Completion of the calculus sequence (through MAT 122 ), MAT 221  and MAT 236 .

c. COMPUTER SCIENCE: Completion of CSC 140.

d.ENGINEERING: A minimum of twelve EGR courses, including EGR 131 , EGR 231 , EGR 235 , EGR 271 , EGR 270 , EGR 311 , one elective EGR course (any level), four additional 300-level courses, and the capstone course, EGR 385 .

​​6. Note: Students are not allowed to earn both a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Sciences.