Undergraduate Program FAQs

Students can design their academic plan by following the OR&E flowchart. Students are encouraged to seek advice from their OR&E faculty advisor, the OR&E Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies, or from the Undergraduate Coordinator in 203 Rhodes Hall.

OR&E major approved electives are technical courses numbered 2000 or above. “Technical” means that in a significant part of the course, students actively use their skills in mathematics, the sciences, or engineering design. 9 credits (usually 3 courses) are required. Major approved electives are categorized into Category A (Engineering, Sciences, and Mathematics) and Category B (Engineering Design, Finance, and Economic Analysis). At least 6 credits must be in Category A. The School of ORIE maintains a list of courses that may be used as Major Approved electives.

Any course mutually agreed upon by a student and his/her advisor may be used as an Advisor Approved Elective. These courses (6 credits, usually 2 courses) should be relevant to the student’s educational or professional objectives.

You must take at least 12 credits per semester to remain in good standing. However, in your final semester you may take as many credits as needed to fulfill degree requirements (may be less than 12 credits). Students need to be sure that dropping below 12 credits does not affect student insurance, financial aid or scholarships, NCAA athletic status, or your student visa.

The major GPA in OR&E is calculated using distribution courses, ORIE required courses (including organizational behavior), and at least 9 credits of ORIE elective courses. The major GPA is calculated and included on the OR&E checklist. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 major GPA to remain in good standing and to meet degree requirements.

Students are required to complete six courses to earn a certification for a Minor. Typically, three of those courses may be used to satisfy the OR&E degree. Consult the Engineering Handbook for eligibility and guidelines for information about Minors.

Yes, students can take advantage of a range of opportunities through Cornell Education Abroad and you can study abroad for either one semester of for a full academic year. For additional information, go to 167 Olin Hall.

The Engineering Co-op Program has information about the cooperative experience.

Yes, any student may take any course offered in the summer, providing the prerequisites have been met.

There are two places you can check to see if a course counts as liberal studies. You can look at the Engineering College list of liberal studies courses that were petitioned and approved or denied or you can check the Courses of Study for the liberal studies designation after the course title.

Yes, you can transfer up to 18 credits as a matriculated student from another institution. You would need to complete the transfer credit application and attach a copy of the description or syllabus for the course and submit to the appropriate offices. (It is best to do this before taking the course.) If the course being transferred is liberal studies, it would be submitted to Engineering Advising, if it’s a major course it would be submitted to the OR&E department, if it’s part of the common curriculum (math, physics, chem., etc.), it needs to go to the appropriate department for approval prior to submission to Engineering Advising.

You can get a free copy of your transcript by going to University Registrar in B07 Day Hall or ordering it online at http://transcript.cornell.edu/.

See the following two resources for guidance:

https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/curricular-practical-training-cpt

https://international.globallearning.cornell.edu/employment-and-taxes/f-1-cpt