Good Standing

Students must meet the following criteria for good standing at the end of each semester, except that for the Spring 2020 semester, a C- or S in all courses suffices for good standing.

Note that the CS department does not know how graduate schools, employers, and so on, will evaluate S grades.

  • An overall term average of at least 2.3. If all courses in Spring 2020 receive an S, this condition is fulfilled.
  • A weighted term average for courses required in the major program of at least 2.5, excluding courses taken for a letter grade or S/U in Spring 2020; instead, Spring 2020 courses must meet the C-/S requirement stated above.
  • 14 credit hours toward the degree.
  • No failing (F or U/UX) grades. 
  • No grade below C- in: (An S in a spring 2020 course satisfies this requirement)
  • Any required CS course
  • Any required Math course
  • Any course to be used as: a Technical Elective; or an elective in the External Specialization. *
  • Successful completion of at least three of the following CS courses by the end of the junior year (CS 2800, CS 3110, CS 3410/3420, CS 4410, CS 4820) and be making adequate progress toward completion of the degree.
  • At least one meeting with the advisor during the semester (this requirement is waived for Spring 2020).

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, or Specialization electives, however, they may be used elsewhere if appropriate.

The S/U Grade Option

The S/U grade option is not allowed for any CS course, Math course, or any course used to satisfy the Technical Elective or Specialization requirements. 

For Spring 2020 courses, S grades will satisfy CS Core, CS elective, CS project, technical elective, and external specialization requirements. Additionally, math requirement courses, including CS-approved probability courses, will satisfy major requirements with grade of S in Spring 2020.

Double Major

Just affiliate/declare with both majors and get an advisor in each.

If you are a CS major in Arts and Sciences and want to obtain a second major in Engineering, start by contacting the Advisor of the Office of Internal Transfer and Concurrent Degrees to schedule an appoint and start discussing your plan.

Transferring Credit

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

  • Obtain a transfer credit form, "Application for Credit from Other Institutions", from KG17 Klarman Hall.
  • Complete the form and attach the course decription and syllabus. This involves getting approval from the department(s) in question. Your advisor's approval is also required.
  • Return the completed form to KG17 Klarman Hall and arrange to have the outside institution send a copy of your transcript to the Arts & Sciences registrar.

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

Transferring to Another College at Cornell

Visit the Office of Internal Transfer and Concurrent Degrees. If your record is strong enough, then you will be advised to apply directly to the College of interest. If your record is not strong enough, then you have to work further with the Director of Internal Transfer to explore your options.