Graduation Requirements

In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences .

Graduation Requirements for the Bachelor of Science

Non-Cornell Credit Policies

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cornell University reserve the right to determine, in their sole discretion, whether course credit earned at other schools, either secondary or post-secondary, meet the College’s and the University’s academic standards and will therefore be eligible to be applied toward Cornell degree requirements.

Applicants and matriculated students should not assume that, because a particular course taken at another school is listed as a recommended course or a foundational course, it will necessarily be eligible for Cornell credit.

   1.  Non-Cornell credit defined as:

• advanced placement credit;  
• credit earned at an accredited college or university (if the college or university is outside the United States, please contact CALS Student Services Office for pre-approval (cals_studentservices@cornell.edu);
• credit earned through the Ithaca College and Wells College Exchange Programs;
• credit earned through Cornell Abroad. Study Abroad policies are detailed here.

CALS Exchange credits are considered Cornell credits

   2.  Non-Cornell credit is accepted by CALS when:

• the credits are earned at an accredited institution;
• the credits do not duplicate course work already completed at Cornell;
• the credits have not been applied toward high school graduation requirements (Please note: A student earns credit in high school for successfully completing the AP class. If the student receives a sufficient score on their AP exam, the score on the AP exam will award the student credit/exemption out of a course.)
• the course is equivalent in rigor to a Cornell course, as judged by:

1. Course content and/or
2. The use of a textbook similar to that used in the parallel Cornell course and/or
3. The use of examinations, writing assignments, projects, portfolios, or other submitted work that is substantially similar to those required in a similar Cornell course and/or
4. Substantial similarity in meeting hours of the Cornell and non-Cornell course

• the course is completed for a U.S. letter grade of “C” or better; and
• an official transcript is sent directly to the CALS Student Services Office from the college/university where the credits were completed.

3. A student may apply a maximum of 60 non-Cornell credits toward his or her graduation requirements.
   • Advanced placement credits (this includes all non-Cornell credit earned before a student’s first semester in a college/university) are limited to 30 credits.
   • Cornell Abroad (not CALS exchange) credits are limited to 15 credits per semester, 30 per academic year.
   • If more than 60 non-Cornell credits have been completed, the CALS Registrar will work with the student to determine which credits best fulfill CALS graduation requirements.
4. Non-Cornell credits are recorded and can be applied toward CALS credits, distribution requirements, and major requirements.
   • Non-Cornell courses that are similar to courses offered in CALS are recorded as CALS credits and count toward the minimum of 55 CALS credits required for graduation.
   • Non-Cornell courses that are equivalent to Cornell courses that fulfill distribution requirements are recorded under the appropriate distribution area.
   • Non-Cornell courses that are equivalent to endowed courses can be applied toward distribution requirements or general electives.
   • If a course has no comparable course at Cornell, the CALS Registrar will determine how the credit should be applied.
   • Faculty advisors determine how non-Cornell credit will be applied toward major requirements; the CALS Registrar determines how non-Cornell credit will be applied toward CALS graduation requirements.
5. Students who plan to take courses at another institution should complete a transfer credit pre-approval form located on Chatter or directly linked through transferequiv.cals.cornell.edu/ .  It is possible that the course a student would like to complete has already been approved and is in the database.
6. Students may concurrently enroll in courses at both Cornell and another institution. However, a student must maintain the 12 academic credit minimum at Cornell to remain in good academic standing.

College Credit Earned While in High School

Cornell University does not accept credit for courses sponsored by colleges or universities but taught in the high school to high school students, even if the college provides a transcript of such work. CALS does not accept credit from College Now, SUPA, University in High School, NOLS and other comparable programs. CALS does not accept credit for programs offered to students for completion of high school degree in a college setting such as, but not limited to, Bard, TAMS, etc.

Course work completed while in high school may be considered for credit if there is sufficient evidence that:

1. The course was a standard course available to all students registered at the college/university
2. The course instructor is a faculty member (includes adjunct) at the offering college
3. The course was not used to fulfill high school requirements

Students must submit both an application for credit earned while in high school and a college verification form along with an official transcript to CALS Student Services Office, 140 Roberts Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853.

College Credit Earned by Homeschooled Students

If a student is enrolled in college or university courses during his or her homeschool experience non-Cornell credits will be awarded only if the criteria below are met. Transfer credit cannot be awarded toward courses used to satisfy secondary school requirements.

The courses cannot be used to fulfill CALS published Freshman Admissions Requirements for Secondary-School Subjects. Transfer credit will be awarded above and beyond the following secondary school requirements:

• 4 courses in English
• 4 courses in Math
• 3 courses in Science (including 1 biology, and 1 of chemistry or physics)

Additional College Requirement:

• 4 courses in Social Sciences or Humanities

Graduation Procedures

1. The progress of each student toward meeting the degree requirements is recorded each semester. Students can review their degree progress online through Chatter. Navigate to the DUST tab at the top of the screen.  Choose the Degree Progress tile then College Degree Program then click “Continue on to Degree Progress.”
2. Students who have been in residence for eight semesters and who have met the graduation requirements will be graduated. A student who wishes to either graduate early or delay graduation must complete an additional application online through Chatter.
3. A student must complete the Application to Graduate (Part I and Part II) with the CALS Student Services Office.

Submission Deadlines For the Application to Graduate:

January graduates: mid-October

May graduates: mid-December

Failure to meet these deadlines could result for May candidates a student’s name being omitted from the commencement program and/or a delay in a student receiving their diploma.

Student Responsibilities: It is the student’s responsibility to complete The Application to Graduate.

• Part I of the Application to Graduate is available online through Chatter.
• Part II of the application requires students to schedule a meeting with his/her faculty advisor(s) to complete Part II of the application. 
• Students submit a completed Part II.
• Students should seek clarification from his/her advisor and/or the CALS Registrar if graduation requirements are unclear.

Note: If a student is completing more than one major and/or a minor, the student must meet with and complete Part II of the Application to Graduate with all advisors.

Faculty Advisor Responsibilities: It is the faculty advisor’s responsibility to complete Part II of the Application to Graduate with the student, listing any outstanding requirements on the application (including courses in which the student is currently enrolled); and answer any student questions regarding major requirements.

CALS Student Services Office Responsibilities: It is the responsibility of the CALS Registrar to update the graduation summary of seniors before each student’s final fall semester. The CALS Registrar is available to review degree requirements by appointment (link accessible for current CALS students only).

Commencement Information: Commencement information will be provided to all graduating seniors directly by the Commencement Office. Information is available at www.commencement.cornell.edu.