• Transfer students starting this fall 2025 are now required to take the swim test and complete 2 PEs.

The information in this email applies to students expecting credit via:

• Advanced Placement (AP) exams
• International Baccalaureate (IB) exams
• General Certificate of Education (GCE) exams
• French Baccalaureate exams
• Cambridge Pre-University exams

What credit is accepted?

Advanced Placement credit accepted by Cornell Engineering is listed here: Engineering Advanced Placement Credit Table 2025-2026. For all university-accepted credit, please visit the Courses of Study.

Should I use my credit?

Using your credit is optional but can help you advance in the curriculum.

How do I use my credit?

To use Advanced Placement credit, either enroll in the next course in a sequence or one for which the credit fulfills a pre-requisite. Official scores must be sent to Cornell to have credits posted to your transcript; no further steps are required to “accept” the credit.

Is there a limit on the amount of AP Credit I can use toward my degree?

No. You will follow the engineering rules, so students matriculating to BE or EnvE as first-year students do not have a limit on AP credit.

When will my College Board AP scores appear on my record?

If your scores were sent but don’t yet appear on Student Center (the platform used by students at Cornell to plan their academics, enroll in classes, and track their process), be patient. It will take the majority of summer to get all scores posted, and they will appear as the Registrar posts them.

What if my credit does not appear on my record before pre-enroll?

It is permissible for you to plan your fall courses as if you will have credit even though your scores may not yet show on your official Cornell record. It is your responsibility to make sure they are posted to your Cornell record before the end of fall semester in December.

How do I pre-enroll if I don’t yet know scores for exams that I’ve recently taken?

If you have pending scores and therefore will not know your Advanced Placement before pre-enroll on Monday, this is okay. Use the resources provided this summer to pre-enroll as best you can, and then make changes to your schedule during the add/drop period before classes start if needed.

2. Most students will not have “set” schedules by the end of the pre-enrollment period on Monday. Many students, first-year and upper-class alike, make changes to their schedules prior to the start of the semester.

Cornell Advanced Standing Exams (CASEs), which are a way to earn credit for courses at Cornell after you arrive here in August.

Cornell Advanced Standing Exams (CASE) are offered during Orientation and test your level of preparedness and mastery against Cornell standards. In this sense, CASEs are often better indicators of your mastery than standardized exams, which may not test for how Cornell expects you to know and apply the content.

CASEs are designed to test your depth of knowledge in the entire range of material customarily covered in a particular course offered at Cornell.

If in doubt about your topic mastery despite a qualifying exam score, strongly consider taking a CASE departmental exam in that subject (if department policy allows it) to gain more certainty.

You will have opportunities to discuss your course enrollment with your advisor before and after pre-enroll, as well as during Orientation. You will have time to make necessary changes to your schedule and be enrolled in the appropriate courses during the first week of the semester.

Cornell does not provide study materials for CASEs

3. —You follow the engineering rules, but any transcripts from other colleges or AP credits need to be sent to the CALS Registrar’s office.—

The information in this email applies specifically to students expecting Transfer Credit – college credit earned during high school.

Transfer Credit refers to coursework taken at other colleges or universities that may count toward your Cornell degree (different from AP, IB, GCE A-Level, French Baccalaureate, or Cambridge Pre-University credit).

Transfer courses must be equivalent in content, rigor, and level to courses offered by Cornell University and must meet all transfer credit policies stated on the College’s transfer credit website.

Eligibility Requirements

For coursework to be eligible to transfer, it must meet the following additional criteria:

1. The course was not used to fulfill high school graduation requirements;
2. The course was open to undergraduate degree-seeking students from the college/university offering it, not just high school students;
3. The course was taught by a college/university faculty member employed by the institution where coursework was taken.

If any of the above criteria are not met, credit will not be awarded. If all are satisfied, complete both the Transfer Credit Application form and the Application for College Credit Earned While in High School for each course, to verify that information.

Application Process:

Part I: Transfer Credit Application Form

1. Download the Transfer Credit Application Form and fill out Section A;
2. Send the form to the appropriate academic department at Cornell to evaluate credit equivalency;
3. If the department determines that the course is eligible, they will complete and sign Section B, or provide approval via a Cornell email address. If the department determines the course is ineligible, no credit will be awarded;
4. Have your advisor sign Section C.

Part II: Application for College Credit Earned While in High School

Download the Application for College Credit Earned While in High School and complete Section I;

1. Have your High School Counselor complete Section II and return the form to you once completed;
2. Submit the form to the college/university Registrar’s office where the coursework was taken to complete Section III and ask that they return the form to you;

Part III: Submit for Review & Final Steps

1. Email the completed forms, syllabi, and course descriptions for all courses to adv_eng_forms@cornell.edu.
2. Engineering Advising will review both forms and email you with a decision. This is your assurance that the course will transfer as long as you earn(ed) a ‘C’ or better in the course.
3. After completing the course, request that the Registrar of the college/university where you took the course send an official transcript to the CALS Registrar.

Do not send non-STEM transfer credit requests like English and Economics (i.e., Liberal Studies) at this time.

These courses can be submitted for review once you arrive in the fall; they do not need to be evaluated now as they will not impact your fall course schedule.

Transfer Credit is not Advanced Placement Credit. It is appropriate and recommended to send AP, IB, GCE A-Level, French Baccalaureate, or Cambridge Pre-U exam scores at this time.

The following is a list of the course numbers and names of Cornell Common Curriculum courses typically requested for transfer credit.

BIOLOGY

• BIOG 1445: Introduction to Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Individualized Instruction
• BIOMG 1350: Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology

CHEMISTRY

• CHEM 2070: General Chemistry
• CHEM 2071: General Chemistry Laboratory
• CHEM 2080: General Chemistry II
• CHEM 2081: General Chemistry II Laboratory
• CHEM 3570: Organic Chemistry for the Life Sciences

COMPUTER SCIENCE

• CS 1110: Introduction to Computing: A Design and Development Perspective
• CS 1112: Introduction to Computing: An Engineering and Science Perspective
• CS 2110: Object Oriented Programming and Data Structures

MATH

• MATH 1910: Calculus for Engineers
• MATH 1920: Multivariable Calculus for Engineers
• MATH 2940: Linear Algebra for Engineers
• MATH 2930: Differential Equations for Engineers is almost impossible to transfer credit for.

PHYSICS

• PHYS 1110: Introduction to Experimental Physics
• PHYS 1112: Physics I Mechanics and Heat
• PHYS 2213: Physics II Electromagnetism

 

4. ENGRI: Introduction to Engineering Courses:  https://courses.cornell.edu/courses/engri/

Engineering students at Cornell are required to take one ENGRI prefix course, and this is taken in the first year. ENGRI courses are built to introduce you to the engineering process through open-ended problem-solving experiences.

You can take any ENGRI offered, and it does not have to relate to the field of your intended major.

Many students use their ENGRI as a way of exploring an area that interests them. ENGRI courses are offered in the fall and spring semesters, and they are most often taken in a semester opposite the semester a student takes Introduction to Computing.

ENGRI is different from your ENGRG 1050: Engineering Seminar course.

Project Teams   Student Project Teams | Cornell Engineering

Students explore different disciplines in engineering through various co-curricular opportunities. A well-known avenue for this type of interest exploration is through optional participation in our Engineering Project Teams.

These teams are fully led and run by undergraduate students, and they are built to provide you with real-world experience and skills along with course credit. Because project teams encompass so many roles and areas of interest, students are able to explore multiple areas of interest and knowledge through project teams.

Students can get involved with project teams as the fall semester begins, but first-year students cannot enroll in ENGRG 1400: Engineering Project Teams Onboarding for credit in the first semester. The soonest first-year students can enroll in project teams for credit is second semester (Spring 2026).

Extracurricular Activities  Student Organization Directory | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University

Finally, extracurricular activities like clubs and student organizations are another way to explore your interests. As you explore Cornell’s academics, don’t forget to consider getting involved outside of the classroom. With hundreds of clubs, organizations, activities, and communities on campus, many students build connections.

Pre-Health and Engineering

Many students interested in Engineering also have a passion for health professions. “Pre-health” or “pre-med” are not majors at Cornell; students interested in health professions pursue what we call a pre-health track.

Engineering students can pursue any Engineering major along a pre-health track. There are some additional courses that students interested in a pre-health track will need to plan for. Some Engineering majors allow more flexibility to complete the additional prerequisite course requirements.

Important Resources

• General information can be found on the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) website
• Engineering specific information can be found on our Pre-Health Pathways website and in our Pre-Health Guides

These Pre-Health Guides are for the 2024-2025 Academic Year. These will be updated for the 2025-2026 Academic Year later this summer.

Course Selection as a Student interested in a Pre-Health Track

During fall pre-enroll, focus on selecting and enrolling in courses typical for a first-semester student in the College of Engineering. Courses like general chemistry, calculus, physics, and writing are all typically taken by first-year students in Engineering and are required prerequisite courses for all health professions.

Taking the appropriate courses for first-year engineering students allows you to make progress towards your degree while also satisfying pre-health requirements along the way.

Engineering Fall Semester Pre-Health Information Session

A Virtual Engineering Pre-Health Information Session will be held at the beginning of the fall semester. You are strongly encouraged to attend this session if you want to learn more about completing pre-health requirements during your undergraduate experience in Cornell Engineering. Registration information to come later this summer.

Summer Pre-Health Information Sessions

The Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) will be hosting a virtual information session for all new pre-health first-year students this summer. This session is not specific to students in the College of Engineering.

• Wednesday, July 17th 7-8pm ET: Register HereLinks to an external site.

Selander Center for Engineering Leadership

This summer, you’ll take your first class as a Cornellian. Be prepared for something different: Not a math class. Not a lab. A conversation – about what really matters to you and why you’re on this exciting journey!

Starting in July, the Selander Center for Engineering Leadership will teach a brief, self-paced course where you’ll dig into your personal core values (think: what you stand for, what drives you, what you won’t compromise on).

Then, you’ll meet 1:1 with a professional life coach: someone who’s trained to help you figure out what makes you tick and how to leverage that knowledge during your Cornell experience and beyond.

You’ll bring all of this into ENGRG 1050 in the fall, where you’ll learn how values actually shape the decisions you make about school, career, and life.

This Freshman Core Values Discovery experience is completely unique to Cornell Engineering. It’s part of what makes this place so special, and you will soon get to be a part of it.

More details coming July 28th.

Honors Courses

Cornell offers optional higher rigor, honors-level courses in Engineering common core physics, chemistry, and computing. Students interested in Chemical Engineering or Engineering Physics are those most likely to take honors courses, but none of our engineering majors require honors courses to be accepted into the major.

 

What are Honors Courses?

Honors courses are more rigorous courses offered in the common curriculum physics, chemistry, and computing subjects. The rigor of these courses far surpasses what you may have come to expect from honors courses in high school.

Who takes Honors Courses?

• Students who are strongly interested in Chemical Engineering or Engineering Physics are those most likely to take honors courses.
• Potential CS majors with a strong background in java might take an honors course.
• No major requires honors courses in order to get accepted to the major; honors courses are optional.
• You can compare course descriptions for the honors courses and their general equivalent courses in the Courses of Study.
• If you plan to take an honors course, expect that it will take a considerable amount of your time and focus during the semester.

 

Honors Courses

Course	Prerequisite/Corequisite
CHEM 2150: Honors General and Inorganic Chemistry	Prerequisite: CHEM 2090: Engineering General Chemistry & CHEM 2091: Engineering General Chemistry Laboratory or CHEM 2070/2071
PHYS 1116: Mechanics and Special Relativity (instead of PHYS 1112)	Prerequisite: Math 1910; AP credit for PHYS 1112 strongly recommended.  Corequisite: PHYS 1110: Introduction to Experimental Physics Lab
PHYS 2217: Electricity and Magnetism (instead of PHYS 2213)	Prerequisite:  PHYS 1116 or very strong performance in PHYS 1112, and Math 1920
CS 2112: Honors Object-Oriented Design and Data Structures (instead of CS 2110) * Please Note: CS 2110 is a 5-Credit Course	Prerequisite: Previous experience with Java

 

5. Pre-Enrollment (or pre-enroll) is the time during which Cornellians initially choose and enroll in their courses. Pre-enroll happens during both the fall and spring semesters, but for incoming first-year students, the pre-enroll window for fall semester is in the summer. You will be able to adjust your schedule further when the add/drop period opens in August.

This year, pre-enroll for fall will occur from Monday, July 21st at 12pm ET in Student Center through Thursday, July 24^th, ending at 4pm ET.

Student Center

Student Center is where you will plan your academics, enroll in classes, and track your progress throughout your time at Cornell. This summer, you will first use it to enroll in your Fall 2025 courses.

Planning Tools

• The Class Roster shows course descriptions, along with the days and times courses are offered for Fall 2025.
• Scheduler is linked to the Class Roster and is a fun way to create a visual day/time schedule of the courses you plan to take. It is not where you will enroll in courses.

Pre-Enroll is not the last time you can edit your schedule. Additional changes can be made during the Add/Drop Period.

After July 24th at 4pm ET, the system will close, and you will not be able to make changes to your schedule until the Add/Drop period. Once the Add/Drop period begins on August 22nd, you can finalize your schedule if needed.

It is okay to have concerns about your schedule at the end of pre-enroll.

This is a typical experience for many incoming Cornellians and does not mean that you will not be able to take the courses you need this fall!

You will be able to work on any scheduling issues during Orientation and the Add/Drop period. You will get the courses you need, not necessarily your first choice.

Check Student Center for Enrollment Holds

All students should double check for enrollment holds daily in their account prior to the start of pre-enroll. There are many types of holds that will prevent you from being able to pre-enroll in two weeks.

You can find hold information on the right side of your screen in Student Center (see the screenshot below). For all holds, you must click on the “details” button to learn more about the hold, what it impacts, and how to clear it. All holds provide information about which office to contact.

Any enrollment holds must be cleared before Monday, July 21st in order for you to be able to pre-enroll!

ENGRG 1050 is a mandatory Engineering Seminar that you are automatically enrolled in for fall semester.

ENGRI 1xxx is the prefix for the one Introduction to Engineering course that students are required to take in either first or second semester of the first year.

You may decide to take an ENGRI in either the fall or in the spring. You must take ENGRG 1050 in the fall.

ENGRG 1050 is a first semester requirement. ENGRI is a graduation requirement.

 

A note on enrolling without AP, Transfer, or CASE Credit on record

You are allowed to pre-enroll in the next level course even if you are still waiting for your AP/IB/GCE/Pre-U or Transfer credit to post to your record, or if you plan to take a CASE when you arrive at Cornell.

You should not expect to see submitted AP scores and credit posted to your record prior to pre-enroll. This will happen throughout July and August.

Move ahead in the curriculum if you are comfortable with the material and certain that you have appropriate scores to place you out of introductory courses. Be sure to check later in the summer that your credit has posted to your record.

 

Pre-Enroll Errors and Issues

You may get an error message and red X next to any course that you were not successfully enrolled in.

There are many reasons why this could happen:

The course is full (review the corresponding module)

• Any course times that conflict with one another
• The course is restricted to students in a certain major
• The course requires a specific pre-requisite that you don’t have
• The course requires an enrollment PIN from the department that manages it

 

Ahead of pre-enroll, please review all potential error messages and what you should do if you receive them on the University Registrar’s website.

If you run into errors and can’t get your first-choice courses, refer to your backup schedules to determine how to move forward. This may mean dropping some of the sections you did get into to make a different schedule work.

 

During Pre-Enroll, you can make as many changes as you like!

During the pre-enrollment period you can log in and make changes (add or drop) on Student Center as many times as you like. Course seats will likely fluctuate throughout the week – a section that is closed on Tuesday may have seats open when you check back on Wednesday.

Swapping is not recommended, as most courses in which you will be pre-enrolling have multiple components (i.e., lectures, discussions, labs, etc.) and swapping does not always work properly with such courses.

6. —You follow the engineering liberal studies requirement below, not CALS.—

The Liberal Studies Requirement

Global and diverse societies require that engineers have an awareness of historical patterns, an appreciation for different cultures, professional ethics, the ability to work in multifaceted groups, and superior communication skills. Cornell has a rich curriculum in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, enabling every engineering student to obtain a truly liberal education.

 

The Liberal Arts commonly include courses in the humanities (e.g., history, art history and criticism, literary studies and writing, classics, philosophy, religious studies), foreign languages, and the social sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, psychology), as well as interdisciplinary courses involving these disciplines (e.g., area studies, women’s studies). Performance arts are also considered liberal arts and include theatre, dance, instruction in musical theory and/or musical performance (non-PE).

 

The Liberal Studies Distribution Requirement

It is common to not begin taking liberal studies courses until sophomore year. The Liberal Studies requirement for Engineering students entering this Fall 2025 is as follows:

• At least 6 courses totaling a minimum of 18 credits:
  • Chosen from the approved categories listed below, which have been divided into 7 groups based on content area (Note: Courses which are assigned multiple liberal studies categories (i.e., SSC-AS, HST-AG) may only be applied towards one of those categories);
  • Must have completed courses from at least 3 different groups from those 7 groups, with at least 3 or more credits coming from Group 7 (RE);
  • No more than two courses may be chosen from Group 6 (CE);
  • At least two courses must be at the 2000-level or higher.

 

Group 1: Cultural Analysis, Literature and the Arts, Social Differences

• Cultural Analysis (CA)
• Literature and the Arts (LA)
• Literature, the Arts and Design (LAD)
• Arts, Literature, and Culture (ALC)
• Social Difference (SCD-HA Only)

Group 2: Historical Analysis

• Historical Analysis (HA/HST)

Group 3: Ethics, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning

• Knowledge, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning (KCM)
• Ethics and the Mind (ETM)

Group 4. Social Science and Global Citizenship

• Social and Behavioral Analysis (SBA)
• Social Sciences (SSC)
• Global Citizenship (GLC)

Group 5: Foreign Languages (not literature courses) (FL)

• Courses teaching language skills, inclusive of reading, writing, listening, and spoken non-English languages, at beginning to advanced levels.

Group 6: Communications in Engineering (CE)

• Engineering specific courses exploring communication as a way of acting in the world
• Courses must be specifically designated by the College of Engineering as satisfying the CE category (no petitions)
• No more than two courses from this category may be used to satisfy the Liberal Studies requirement.

Group 7: Race and Equity (SCD-AS Only/D-AG)

• Courses that examine social differences relevant to the human experience and courses that involve a critical analysis of historically 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.

 

How to Find Courses that are Approved for Liberal Studies for Engineers

The following tools are explained below:

• Courses of Study
• Class Roster
• Liberal Studies Database: View all by Category
• Liberal Studies Database: Keyword Search
• Liberal Studies Database: Currently Approved Petitions

 

Courses of Study

Search for a particular course that you have in mind and view its description in the online Courses of Study to see if a liberal studies distribution category exists (CA, LA/LAD, ALC, SCD, HA, HST, KCM, ETM, SBA, SSC, GLC, FL, CE).  The course must have one or more of these categories to count for liberal studies for engineers.

 

 

Class Roster

Search for a particular course that you have in mind and view its course description via the “view course details” tab in the Class Roster to see if a liberal studies distribution category exists (CA, LA/LAD, ALC, SCD, HA, HST, KCM, ETM, SBA, SSC, GLC, FL, CE).  The course must have one or more of these categories to count for liberal studies for engineers.

 

 

Liberal Studies Database: View all by Category

This list allows you to search directly for hundreds of courses with approved distribution categories.  You can click in each of the gray category tabs (CA, LA/LAD, ALC, SCD, HA, HST, KCM, ETM, SBA, SSC, GLC, FL, CE) in the “Approved Categories/Courses” section at the top of our Liberal Studies database to view lists of courses approved for a specific category.

 

 

Liberal Studies Database: Keyword Search

You can also click into the search bar at the top right of the Liberal Studies Database to conduct a keyword search for particular classes. This is useful if you have a class in mind and want to check quickly to see if it counts. In the example below, we see PHIL 1100 in the basic keyword search returning results that indicate PHIL 1100 counts in the ETM and KCM categories, both of which are part of Group 3.

 

 

Liberal Studies Database: Currently Approved Petitions

You can also check the College of Engineering’s Currently Approved Petitions List for additional course options from classes successfully petitioned in the past.  Pay close attention to the “Notes” column for additional course information. A common mistake is to think that the Approved Petitions List represents all of the approved courses. It does not. Refer to the College of Engineering’s Liberal Studies database or ask an advisor if you are unsure.

 

Courses Not Approved for Liberal Studies for Engineers

Courses generally not considered Liberal Arts include those in athletics, business (including accounting, finance, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship), methods of practice of education, and engineering (including project teams and research involvement). Many of these courses belong rather to a “professional curriculum” covering specific methods and practicums or are largely technical in nature. However, Liberal Arts do include a subset of courses in business taught from a humanities or social science perspective (e.g., sociology of business, history of business, and business ethics).

Check the College of Engineering’s Denied Petitions List for courses that were petitioned in the past but were denied.  These courses cannot count toward the liberal studies requirement.

 

Sometimes, a course may not be tagged as Liberal Studies

The College of Engineering recommends students enroll in courses identified as fulfilling the Liberal Studies categories as listed in the current University Courses of Study. However, students may petition additional courses not identified and not already denied by the College of Engineering on the Denied Petitions List. The criteria for such a petition are outlined on our website here.

 

Can Advanced Placement Count toward Liberal Studies? 

The answer varies by course! Please visit the Advanced Placement Credit Table for 2025-2026 to learn more, and review the Courses of Study AP Page.

Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs)

AEWs are cooperative courses that are built to complement many of our engineering common core courses to provide students with a collaborative approach to learning. Collaboration promotes success, and these courses are great for students looking to engage in additional group work at or above the level of instruction offered in their courses. Students in AEWs receive additional academic support from trained undergraduate facilitators. These courses are not just for students struggling with material, but they can be helpful for students looking to spend more time with class material in hopes of gaining a stronger grasp and understanding.

 

7. Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs)

Research shows that cooperative methods (as opposed to an individual, competitive approach to learning) promote higher grades, greater persistence, deeper comprehension, more enjoyment in learning, and more positive attitudes toward academic work.  AEWs are based in this research. They are:

• Optional courses to add to your schedule
• 1-credit weekly collaborative learning sessions
• Meant to complement core engineering courses
• Designed to enhance student understanding and feature
  • Group work on problems at or above the level of course instruction
  • Support from undergraduate peer educators called facilitators
• Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) and are attendance-based

Learn more about AEWs on the AEW website.

 

AEWs Offered

This chart shows core engineering classes in math, chemistry and computer science, and their corresponding AEW course numbers.  When you pre-enroll for fall, you can choose to enroll in the corresponding AEW.

The following chart outlines AEW courses that pertain to the common first year technical courses:

Core Course	AEW Course
MATH 1910	ENGRG 1091
MATH 1920	ENGRG 1092
MATH 2930	ENGRG 1093
MATH 2940	ENGRG 1094
CHEM 2090	ENGRG 1009
CS 1110	ENGRG 1010
CS 1112	ENGRG 1012
CS 2110	ENGRG 1011
CS 2800	ENGRG 1028

Additional AEWs for more advanced courses may exist and can be reviewed on the AEW website.

 

Looking for Physics Support?

While no Physics AEWs are offered, supplementary courses for PHYS 1112 and PHYS 2213 are provided through the Physics Learning Strategies Center.

Physics Course	Support Course
PHYS 1112	PHYS 1012
PHYS 2213	PHYS 1013

 

 

Looking for Biology (BIOMG 1350 or BIOG 1440) Support?

While no Biology AEWs are offered, supplementary courses for BIOMG 1350 and BIOG 1440 are provided through the Learning Strategies Center.

Biology Course	Support Course
BIOMG 1350	BIOMG 1035
BIOG 1440	BIOG 1044

Physical Education (PE)

All first-year Cornellians are required to pass the swim competency requirement and take at least two Physical Education (PE) courses to graduate from Cornell. Most students take one PE course each semester of their first year to satisfy this requirement early. Learn more about the extensive PE courses offered at Cornell, the swim requirement, and how to receive credit if you are a varsity athlete.

A Note on the Swim Competency Requirement

The object of the swim requirement is to ensure that students are able to survive and make their way to safety in the event of a drowning situation.

This is a requirement for all Cornellians, and students who cannot swim or do not pass the swim requirement are advised to enroll in PE 1100: Beginning Swimming as one of their two required PE courses.

Dates and times for the orientation week swim requirement, along with history and further rationale for the requirement can be found here.

 

Physical Education (PE)

Physical Education is part of Cornell’s Graduation Requirements for all Students

In order to graduate, students are required to pass a swim competency and take at least two PE classes, usually one in each semester of the first-year. The object of the swim competency is to ensure that the students are able to survive and make their way to safety in case they are in a drowning situation. Dates and times for the orientation week swim competency, along with history and further rationale for the requirement can be found here.

 

Water Competency Requirement

• If you know how to swim, be sure to complete your swim competency during Orientation (dates and times can be found here).
• If you do not know how to swim, sign up for Beginning Swimming (PE 1100) for the fall term.
• There is a significant historical rationale to the Water Competency Requirement for all students. You can learn more about it here.

Note: students who postpone their Water Competency Requirement past the first year may also be subject to a fee.

 

PE Courses Offered Fall 2025

• Review the extensive list of PE courses offered this fall and select a few courses that interest you and that fit your schedule
• Some courses may already be full due to enrollment by students in their sophomore years and beyond
• Engineering Advising recommends prioritizing your technical courses and pivoting to a different PE course if you need to arrange your schedule

 

PE Requirement for Athletes

If you will be an NCAA varsity athlete or participate in marching band during your first-year at Cornell, you may be eligible to receive PE credit for participation. The process to earn credit for your varsity sport often depends on the sport. Please discuss this process directly with your coach or Student Athlete Support ServicesLinks to an external site..

 

PE Course Fees

Some PE courses have fees associated with them. These fees are displayed in the course descriptions on Class Roster. Be sure to be pay attention to these fees, and note that they are billed through the Bursar.

 

PE Course Add/Drop

Each Physical Education course has a published add and drop deadline, and this deadline supersedes the University drop deadline. Pay careful attention to this, as both the add deadline and drop deadline occur before the University deadlines. 

 

PE Course Grading

PE Courses are graded SX/UX (pass/fail only), and are based on participation, and this includes attendance. Each PE course allows a certain number of missed classes. Students who exceed the maximum number of missed classes are in danger of not passing the course. Students who earn a UX in PE have not completed the PE requirement.

 

Questions regarding PE requirements, the water competency requirement, and courses should be directed to the PE department: 607-255-4286.