College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Learn more about Agriculture and Life Sciences Social Sciences and Humanities Requirements.
| D-AG |
Human Diversity - These courses analyze historical or contemporary marginalized communities and the culturally specific contexts that produce unequal power relations in terms of race, nationality, ethnicity, indigeneity, sexuality, disability, religion, gender, or economic status.
Definition of “marginalize”: Any groups with reduced access to social status, political influence, economic advancement, educational advancement, health care, information, or any of the goods, services, and powers of a society can be considered “marginalized.” Causes of marginalization may be related to ethnic status, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, geography, economics, and government policies. Those who exist on the furthest margins of a society are frequently subject to several of these forces.
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| CA-AG |
Cultural Analysis - Courses in this area study human life in particular cultural contexts through interpretive analysis of individual behavior, discourse, and social practice. |
| HA-AG |
Historical Analysis - Courses in this group interpret continuities and changes—political, social, economic, diplomatic, religious, intellectual, artistic, scientific—through time. |
| KCM-AG |
Knowledge Cognition and Moral Reasoning - Offerings in this area investigate the bases of human knowledge in its broadest sense, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify moral judgments. |
| LA-AG |
Literature and the Arts - Offerings in this area explore literature and the arts in two different but related ways. Some courses focus on the critical study of artworks and on their history, aesthetics, and theory. Others are devoted to the production and performance of artworks. |
| SBA-AG |
Social and Behavioral Analysis - Courses in this area examine human life in its social context through the use of social scientific methods, often including hypothesis testing, scientific sampling techniques, and statistical analysis. |
| BIO-AG |
Introductory Life Sciences/Biology Requirement for Biology majors – Offerings in the area provide a foundation for Biology majors in the field. |
| BIOLS-AG |
Introductory Life Sciences/Biology Requirement for Life Sciences majors – Offerings in the area provide a foundation for Life Sciences majors in the biological sciences. |
| BIONLS-AG |
Introductory Life Sciences/Biology Requirement for Non-Life Sciences majors - Offerings in the area provide a foundation for non-Life Sciences majors in the biological sciences. |
| OPHLS-AG |
Other Physical and Life Sciences Requirement – Offerings in this area explore additional physical and life science subjects as well as quantitative literacy (math) courses. |
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
Learn more about Architecture, Art, and Planning Approved Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning, Physical and Biological Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences Courses .
| ALC-AAP |
Arts, Literature, and Culture - Courses in this area examine arts, literature, and culture in various contexts. Students gain insights into the interplay of individual or collaborative creativity and social practice, and understand the complexities of the expression of the human condition. Topics include the analysis of artworks and literary texts, and the belief systems of social groups, cultures, and civilizations; they also focus on artistic expression itself (in creative writing, performing arts, and media such as film and video). AAP will recognize ALC classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| PBS-AAP |
Physical and Biological Sciences - Courses in this area study the physical and/or biological sciences. AAP will recognize the PBS and related science classifications by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| MQR-AAP |
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning - Courses in this area study mathematics and quantitative reasoning. AAP will recognize the MQR classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| CA-AAP |
Cultural Analysis - Courses in this area study human life in particular cultural contexts through interpretive analysis of individual behavior, discourse, and social practice. Topics include belief systems (science, medicine, religion), expressive arts and symbolic behavior (visual arts, performance, poetry, myth, narrative, ritual), identity (nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality), social groups and institutions (family, market, community), power and politics (states, colonialism, inequality). AAP will recognize the CA classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| FL-AAP |
Foreign Language - Courses in this area are offered by the following departments: Africana Studies and Research Center (AS&RC – language only), Asian Studies (BENGL, BURM, CHIN, HINDI, INDO, JAPAN, KHMER, KOREA, SANSK, TAG, THAI, and VIET), Classics (CLASS – language only), German Studies (GERST – language only, DUTCH, and SWED), Linguistics (LING – languages only), Near Eastern Studies (NES - languages only), Romance Studies (CATAL, FRROM, ITALA, PORT, QUECH, and SPANR), and Russian Studies(RUSSA, HUNGR, POLSH, SEBCR, and UKRAN). AAP will recognize the FL classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| HA-AAP |
Historical Analysis -Courses in this group interpret continuities and changes—political, social, economic, diplomatic, religious, intellectual, artistic, scientific—through time. The focus may be on groups of people, dominant or subordinate, a specific country or region, an event, a process, or a time period. AAP will recognize the HA classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| KCM-AAP |
Knowledge Cognition and Moral Reasoning - Offerings in this area investigate the bases of human knowledge in its broadest sense, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify moral judgments. Courses investigating the sources, structure, and limits of cognition may use the methodologies of science, cognitive psychology, linguistics, or philosophy. Courses focusing on moral reasoning explore ways of reflecting on ethical questions that concern the nature of justice, the good life, or human values in general. AAP will recognize the KCM classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| LA-AAP |
Literature and the Arts - Offerings in this area explore literature and the arts in two different but related ways. Some courses focus on the critical study of artworks and on their history, aesthetics, and theory. These courses develop skills of reading, observing, and hearing and encourage reflection on such experiences; many investigate the interplay among individual achievement, artistic tradition, and historical context. Other courses are devoted to the production and performance of artworks (in creative writing, performing arts, and media such as film and video). These courses emphasize the interaction among technical mastery, cognitive knowledge, and creative imagination. AAP will recognize the LA classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
| SBA-AAP |
Social and Behavioral Analysis - Courses in this area examine human life in its social context through the use of social scientific methods, often including hypothesis testing, scientific sampling techniques, and statistical analysis. Topics studied range from the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes of individuals to interpersonal relations between individuals (e.g., in friendship, love, conflict) to larger social organizations (e.g., the family, society, religious or educational or civic institutions, the economy, government) to the relationships and conflicts among groups or individuals (e.g., discrimination, inequality, prejudice, stigmas, conflict resolution). Please note that DEA 1500 can be applied toward the SBA requirement. AAP will recognize the SBA classification by any college at Cornell as long as the class is taken for three or more credits and a letter grade. |
College of Arts and Sciences
Learn more about Arts and Sciences College Graduation Requirements .
For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2020:
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PBS-AS
PBSS-AS
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Physical and Biological Sciences - Courses satisfying this requirement provide an appreciation of how science generates and categorizes knowledge about nature, explore the relevance of science to society, develop proficiency in techniques of the natural sciences, and assess the limitations and strengths of science as a mode of inquiry. These courses expose students to both the process and substance of science and introduce them to the frontiers of contemporary research in the natural sciences. |
| MQR-AS |
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning - Courses satisfying this requirement provide an appreciation of how science generates and categorizes knowledge about nature, explore the relevance of science to society, develop proficiency in techniques of the natural sciences, and assess the limitations and strengths of science as a mode of inquiry. These courses expose students to both the process Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning - Courses satisfying this requirement help students develop the skills to solve problems through understanding abstract, logical relationships. Such skills include mathematical analysis of data, modeling natural and manmade systems, and creating algorithms essential to computation. These courses explore specific quantitative methods, strategies for applying quantitative reasoning in diverse areas, and the intrinsic elegance of mathematics. |
| CA-AS |
Cultural Analysis - Courses in this area study human life in particular cultural contexts through interpretive analysis of individual behavior, discourse, and social practice. |
| HA-AS |
Historical Analysis - Courses in this group interpret continuities and changes—political, social, economic, diplomatic, religious, intellectual, artistic, scientific—through time. |
| KCM-AS |
Knowledge, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning - Offerings in this area investigate the bases of human knowledge in its broadest sense, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify moral judgments. |
| LA-AS |
Literature and the Arts - Offerings in this area explore literature and the arts in two different but related ways. Some courses focus on the critical study of artworks and on their history, aesthetics, and theory. Others are devoted to the production and performance of artworks. |
| SBA-AS |
Social and Behavioral Analysis - Courses in this area examine human life in its social context through the use of social scientific methods, often including hypothesis testing, scientific sampling techniques, and statistical analysis. |
For students who matriculated Fall 2020 and beyond:
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ALC-AS
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Arts, Literature, and Culture - Courses in this area examine arts, literature, and culture in various contexts. Students gain insights into the interplay of individual or collaborative creativity and social practice, and understand the complexities of the expression of the human condition. Topics include the analysis of artworks and literary texts, and the belief systems of social groups, cultures, and civilizations; they also focus on artistic expression itself (in creative writing, performing arts, and media such as film and video). |
| BIO-AS |
Biological Sciences - Courses in this area focus on understanding a wide range of life forms, from single cells to plants, animals, and their ecosystems. Topics include the molecular and biochemical makeup of life, the sub-cellular, cellular and organismal structures of life, and the evolutionary relatedness of all life forms. Students learn to describe how organisms are connected to each other and to their physical environment. Many courses address how genetic information is expressed from DNA, and how this expression leads to complex function and behavior. |
| ETM-AS |
Ethics and the Mind - Courses in this area investigate the human mind and its capacities, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to language and abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify ethical values. Courses investigating the mind may use the methodologies of psychology, linguistics, or philosophy. Those focusing on ethics explore ways of reflecting on questions that concern the nature of justice, the good life, or human values in general. Many courses combine these topics and methodologies. |
| GLC-AS |
Global Citizenship - Courses in this area examine the history, culture, politics, religion, and social relations of peoples in different parts of the world, as well as their interactions. They encourage students to think broadly about the global community and their place within it, beyond the boundaries of their particular national or cultural group, and cultivate skills of intercultural engagement that are vital to their role as global citizens. These courses introduce students to global challenges such as war and peace, social and economic inequalities, international migration, and environmental sustainability, and encourage students to think critically about international responses to these challenges. |
| HST-AS |
Historical Analysis - Courses in this area train students in the analysis of documentary, material, and oral evidence about social phenomena, institutions, events and ideas of the past. Students learn to evaluate and critically assess differing analyses and interpretations of former times so that they may acquire a better understanding of the origins and evolution of the present. Questions addressed in HA courses include why and under what circumstances changes have occurred in how people have interacted with one another and with the environments in which they live. |
| PHS-AS |
Physical Sciences - Courses satisfying this requirement provide an appreciation of how science generates and categorizes enduring knowledge of our physical world. This includes the physics, chemistry, and technology involved, of everything from light, to atoms, DNA molecules, Earth science, our Solar system, and to the Cosmos. These courses expose students to both the process and some of the substance of science. By learning the universal aspects of scientific enquiry, students will be better equipped to form opinions on scientific issues that affect the world. |
| SCD-AS |
Social Difference - Courses in this area examine social differences relevant to the human experience. Social categories include class, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, nationality, language, religion, gender, sexuality, and ability as objects of study. Students develop a deeper understanding of these categories and their intersections. Topics may include: how hierarchies in power and status shape social differences; how social, economic and political systems can impact the interpretation of social differences; and how differences attributed to various groups are explained. |
| SSC-AS |
Social Sciences - Courses in this area examine social, economic, political, psychological, demographic, linguistic, and relational processes. Topics include understanding how different social contexts, for example neighborhoods, families, markets, networks, or political organizations, shape social life. Students learn to identify, describe, and explain the causes and consequences of social phenomena using quantitative and/or qualitative evidence based on systematic observation of the social world. They also learn to link evidence to theory through rigorous and transparent reasoning, and/or reflect critically on the concepts through which people make sense of the social world. |
| SDS-AS |
Statistics and Data Science - Courses in this area develop data literacy, essential to be an informed citizen in today’s world. Students learn and apply statistical and computational techniques to effectively collect, visualize, analyze and interpret data, and present conclusions. Applications span a wide variety of contexts: providing a better understanding of the communities in which we live, guiding and enriching our lives, and driving forward scientific inquiry. Students gain an appreciation of how to ask the right questions, and how statistics can depend on the context, assumptions, and limitations of data. |
| SMR-AS |
Symbolic and Mathematical Reasoning - Courses satisfying this requirement help students develop the skills to solve problems through understanding abstract, logical relationships. Such skills include mathematical analysis of patterns and phenomena, modeling natural and technological systems, and creating algorithms essential to computation. These courses explore specific quantitative and symbolic methods, strategies for applying logical reasoning in diverse areas, and the intrinsic elegance of mathematics. |
College of Engineering
| CE-EN |
Communications in Engineering - The primary aim of courses in this area is to provide students with the opportunity to practice performing a range of engineering related communications skills within specific genres. |
College of Human Ecology
| PBS-HE |
Physical and Biological Sciences - Courses meeting this requirement include those in Introductory Life Sciences and Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Physics, Quantitative Literacy, Other Physical and Life Sciences, Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning, and Physics and Biological Sciences. |
| MQR-HE |
Statistics and Calculus courses that satisfy the Quantitative and Analytical distribution requirements. |
| D-HE |
Human Diversity - These courses address several of the college’s stated goals for undergraduate education, specifically, the expectation that in the course of earning a degree, students will enhance their abilities to communicate with people of different cultural perspectives; to listen carefully and respectfully to the views of others, especially views with which they disagree; and to employ ethical reasoning in judging ideas, actions, and their implications. These courses explore the challenges of building a diverse society, and/or examine the various processes that marginalize people and produce unequal power relations in terms of race, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, gender, age, or economic status. For transfer credit to be awarded a petition must be completed. |
| CA-HE |
Cultural Analysis - These courses study human life in particular cultural contexts through interpretive analysis of individual behavior, discourse, and social practice. Topics include belief systems (science, medicine, religion), expressive arts and symbolic behavior (visual arts, performance, poetry, myth, narrative, ritual), identity (nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality), social groups and institutions (family, market, community), and power and politics (states, colonialism, inequality). |
| HA-HE |
Historical Analysis - These courses interpret continuities and changes—political, social, economic, diplomatic, religious, intellectual, artistic, scientific—through time. The focus may be on groups of people, dominant or subordinate, a specific country or region, an event, a process, or a time period. |
| KCM-HE |
Knowledge, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning - These courses investigate the bases of human knowledge in its broadest sense, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify moral judgments. Courses investigating the sources, structure, and limits of cognition may use the methodologies of science, cognitive psychology, linguistics, or philosophy. Courses focusing on moral reasoning explore ways of reflecting on ethical questions that concern the nature of justice, the good life, or human values in general. |
| LAD-HE |
Literature, the Arts and Design - These courses explore literature, the arts, and design in two different but related ways. Some courses focus on the critical study of artworks and on their history, aesthetics, and theory. These courses develop skills of reading, observing, and hearing and encourage reflection on such experiences; many investigate the interplay among individual achievement, artistic tradition, and historical context. Other courses are devoted to the production and performance of artworks and design (in creative writing, performing arts, media such as film and video, and design of physical settings and apparel). These courses emphasize the interaction among technical mastery, cognitive knowledge, and creative imagination. |
| SBA-HE |
Social and Behavioral Analysis - These courses examine human life in its social context through the use of social scientific methods, often including hypothesis testing, scientific sampling techniques, and statistical analysis. Topics studied range from the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes of individuals to interpersonal relations between individuals (e.g., in friendship, love, conflict) to larger social organizations (e.g., the family, society, religious or educational or civic institutions, the economy, government) to the relationships and conflicts among groups or individuals (e.g., discrimination, inequality, prejudice, stigmas, conflict resolution). |
Nolan School of Hotel Administration
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ALC-HA
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Arts, Literature, and Culture - Courses in this area examine arts, literature, and culture in various contexts. Students gain insights into the interplay of individual or collaborative creativity and social practice, and understand the complexities of the expression of the human condition. Topics include the analysis of artworks and literary texts, and the belief systems of social groups, cultures, and civilizations; they also focus on artistic expression itself (in creative writing, performing arts, and media such as film and video). |
| ETM-HA |
Ethics and the Mind - Courses in this area investigate the human mind and its capacities, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to language and abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify ethical values. Courses investigating the mind may use the methodologies of psychology, linguistics, or philosophy. Those focusing on ethics explore ways of reflecting on questions that concern the nature of justice, the good life, or human values in general. Many courses combine these topics and methodologies. |
| GLC-HA |
Global Citizenship - Courses in this area examine the history, culture, politics, religion, and social relations of peoples in different parts of the world, as well as their interactions. They encourage students to think broadly about the global community and their place within it, beyond the boundaries of their particular national or cultural group, and cultivate skills of intercultural engagement that are vital to their role as global citizens. These courses introduce students to global challenges such as war and peace, social and economic inequalities, international migration, and environmental sustainability, and encourage students to think critically about international responses to these challenges. |
| HST-HA |
Historical Analysis - Courses in this area train students in the analysis of documentary, material, and oral evidence about social phenomena, institutions, events and ideas of the past. Students learn to evaluate and critically assess differing analyses and interpretations of former times so that they may acquire a better understanding of the origins and evolution of the present. Questions addressed in HA courses include why and under what circumstances changes have occurred in how people have interacted with one another and with the environments in which they live. |
| SCD-HA |
Social Difference - Courses in this area examine social differences relevant to the human experience. Social categories include class, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, nationality, language, religion, gender, sexuality, and ability as objects of study. Students develop a deeper understanding of these categories and their intersections. Topics may include: how hierarchies in power and status shape social differences; how social, economic and political systems can impact the interpretation of social differences; and how differences attributed to various groups are explained. |
| SSC-HA |
Social Sciences - Courses in this area examine social, economic, political, psychological, demographic, linguistic, and relational processes. Topics include understanding how different social contexts, for example neighborhoods, families, markets, networks, or political organizations, shape social life. Students learn to identify, describe, and explain the causes and consequences of social phenomena using quantitative and/or qualitative evidence based on systematic observation of the social world. They also learn to link evidence to theory through rigorous and transparent reasoning, and/or reflect critically on the concepts through which people make sense of the social world. |
| SDS-HA |
Statistics and Data Science - Courses in this area develop data literacy, essential to be an informed citizen in today’s world. Students learn and apply statistical and computational techniques to effectively collect, visualize, analyze and interpret data, and present conclusions. Applications span a wide variety of contexts: providing a better understanding of the communities in which we live, guiding and enriching our lives, and driving forward scientific inquiry. Students gain an appreciation of how to ask the right questions, and how statistics can depend on the context, assumptions, and limitations of data. |
| SMR-HA |
Symbolic and Mathematical Reasoning - Courses satisfying this requirement help students develop the skills to solve problems through understanding abstract, logical relationships. Such skills include mathematical analysis of patterns and phenomena, modeling natural and technological systems, and creating algorithms essential to computation. These courses explore specific quantitative and symbolic methods, strategies for applying logical reasoning in diverse areas, and the intrinsic elegance of mathematics. |
Searching for Courses by Distribution Requirement
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