Good Standing

Students must meet the following criteria for good standing at the end of each semester:

  • An overall term average of at least 2.3.
  • A weighted term average for courses required in the major program of at least 2.5.
  • An average of 14 credit hours toward the degree completed each semester.
  • No failing (F or U/UX) grades. 
  • No grade below C- in:
  • Any required CS course
  • Any required Math course
  • Any course to be used as a Technical Elective or an External Specialization course. *
  • Successful completion of at least three of the CS core courses by the end of Junior year (CS 2800, CS 3110, CS 3410/3420, CS 4410/4414, CS 4820).
  • Must be making adequate progress toward completion of the degree.
  • At least one meeting with the advisor during the semester.

Failure to meet any of these criteria could result in an academic warning or separation from the Major.

* Students in the major are required to retake any required CS or Math courses that result in a final grade below a C-. Elective courses that result in a final grade below a C- may not be used as Math, Technical electives, or External Specialization courses, however, they may be used to fulfill other requirements if allowed (such as your college's distribution requirements).

The S/U Grade Option

Here are the rules about taking a course S/U when a letter grade is also an option:

  • Student must have completed at least one full semester of study at Cornell;
  • No more than 15 S/U optional credits will count toward a student's degree requirements.
  • The S/U option can only be used for liberal studies distribution, advisor-approved electives, or major-approved electives.

Double Major

Here are the steps to follow if you want to double major. (1) Affiliate with the first major in the usual fashion. (2) Before the end of the junior year, petition to affiliate with the second major. The petition should include a plan of study and must be approved by both majors and the Academic Standards, Petitions, and Credit Commitee. Visit Engineering Advising in 180 Rhodes Hall for more details.

Transferring Credit

Here are the steps to follow if you want to transfer credit earned at another institution:

  • Obtain a transfer credit form from the College of Engineering.
  • Complete the form and attach the course decription and syllabus. This involves getting approval from the department(s) in question except for courses that are to be counted as liberal electives. (Engineering advising approves such credit transfers.) Your advisor's approval is also required.
  • Return the completed form to Engineering advising and arrange to have the outside institution send a copy of your transcript to the Engineering registrar in 170 Rhodes Hall.

It is always a good idea to get departmental approvals before you take transfer credit courses elsewhere.

Transferring to Another College at Cornell

If you wish to transfer into another college at Cornell, you should reach out to the internal transfer coordinator of the target college about next steps. More information about which office to reach out to is available at https://internaltransfer.cornell.edu/.