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Cornell University

Student & Campus Life

Course Enrollment

Cornell students have a wide range of courses to select from to meet their degree requirements. As a new transfer student, your college or school may enroll you in some (or all) of your courses for the upcoming semester. Enrollment in some of these courses are non-negotiable and are unable to be altered. Please reach out to your college advising office for further guidance regarding your responsibility for enrollment in courses to ensure that you are on track to complete your degree requirements.

College Equivalency Exams

If you have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam, International Baccalaureate (IB) Exam, General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Levels) Exam, French Baccalaureate, you will need to determine if you can be awarded Cornell credit for your exam score. Detailed information on College Equivalency Exams is provided within the Courses of Study on a subject-specific basis. 

AP Credit

Arrange for College Board to send your official score reports directly to Cornell University using code 2098. Your college registrar will review your report and award the appropriate credit based on your scores.

IB/GCE-A Levels/French Baccalaureate

Arrange for your transcript to be send to your college registrar or school. Your college registrar will review your transcript and award the appropriate credit based on your scores.

Transfer Credit

Completed college courses, from another institution, for which you want to receive credit toward your Cornell degree will need to be evaluated by your college registrar or school. Each college or school manages the transfer credit process differently. Please reach out to your college registrar or school for further guidance.

Cornell Advanced Standing Exams (CASE)/Placement Exams

Placement exams may be required for some students and are also available on an optional basis. Based on your exam score, you may be exempt from taking the subject’s introductory course and instead be permitted enrollment in more advanced courses.

Cornell Advanced Standing Exams (CASE)

CASE exams are administered for subjects matters in Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics. These exams are held in-person prior to the start of the semester. Refer to each department’s website for general information, including the date, time, and location of the exam.

Language Placement Exams

Online placement exams are available for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. Refer to the Language Resource Center’s online exam portal for further information.

Other exams are available in-person and interested students should contact the appropriate department for further information.

Africana Languages -  African Language Program

Asian Languages – Department of Asian Studies

German, Dutch, and Swedish – Department of German Studies

Classical Languages – Department of Classics

Near East/Middle East Languages – Near Eastern Studies

Romance Languages – Department of Romance Studies

Russian – Russian Language Program

Finnish – Department of Comparative Literature

Slavic and Ugro-Finnic Languages – Language Resource Center

Textbooks and Materials

The Cornell Store provides a list of required textbooks and materials, pending submission to the Cornell Store by the professor, for each of your courses via a personalized booklist. Information pertaining to course material are available online via the Cornell Store’s website before the start of term.

The Cornell Academic Materials Program (CAMP) is a university-wide program that provides undergraduate students taking undergraduate courses with access to their required textbooks and coursepacks for a single flat-rate cost per semester. All materials in this program are provided in a digital format within Canvas and become available for students to access no later than the first day of classes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find course offerings?

The Courses of Study contains a current listing of the university's more than 9,000 course offerings. The catalog also contains enrollment information, and college and university requirements and policies.

The Class Roster provides a list of all classes that are offered in a given semester, including meeting times and course descriptions. Use the Class Roster to create your schedule by searching on various criteria including field of study, time/day, credit hours, and depth/breadth.

When will I receive more information about course enrollment?

Most colleges will share information about course enrollment during Orientation at the start of the semester. In addition, some colleges may send instructions by email so check your Cornell email address often.

My friend is enrolling in classes in July, why haven't I been asked to do the same?

First-year students complete course enrollment during the enrollment period well before the semester begins. Transfer students usually complete enrollment during course add/drop enrollment period at the start of the semester. College registrars need time to complete transfer credit evaluations upon receiving final transcripts.

When can I change my schedule?

Additions and/or changes will be made during the Add/Drop enrollment period just prior to the start of the semester.

Why can't I drop one of the courses on my schedule?

You may not be able to drop a course you were enrolled in by your college. You'll be able to determine this if the check box in the Select column is grayed out or if you receive an error message indicating that consent is required to drop. Contact your college or school registrar if there's a problem.