Applying to the Biology & Society Major
Students must have completed a year of college-level biology or two entry level biology courses and submit an application during their sophomore year. Students in the process of completing this prerequisite may be admitted to the Major on a provisional basis. It is the student's responsibility to assure that final acceptance is granted on completion of the introductory biology requirements. Although only introductory biology, or its equivalent is a prerequisite for acceptance, students will find it useful to have completed some of the other requirements (see course checklist) by the end of their sophomore year. Juniors are considered on a case-by-case basis. Upper-division applicants should realize the difficulties of completing the Major requirements in less than two years.
NOTE: Students in the Colleges of Human Ecology and Agriculture and Life Sciences are provisionally admitted to the major during their freshman year (or as transfer students). Full acceptance is contingent upon submission of an application during the sophomore year.
The application includes:
- a one to two page statement explaining your intellectual interests in the Biology & Society major and why the major is consistent with your academic goals and interests
- a selected theme in the Major
- a tentative plan of courses fulfilling Biology & Society requirements, including courses you have taken and those you plan to take
- a transcript of work taken at Cornell University, or elsewhere, current as of the date of application
Applications are reviewed by the faculty admissions committee twice a year, once each during the fall and spring semesters. A faculty advisor is assigned on admittance to the Major.
The Major is offered to students enrolled in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Human Ecology, and Agriculture and Life Sciences. The Major is administered by a committee of faculty members representing various disciplines in the biological and social sciences and the humanities. Approximately 70 faculty from three colleges serve as advisors to Biology & Society Majors. The Major is coordinated for students in all colleges through the Biology & Society office. Students can get information, specific course requirements, and application procedures for the major from the office located in 306 Rockefeller Hall. Faculty advisors are available to discuss the major and requirements with you.
Because the major is multidisciplinary, students must attain a basic understanding of each of the several disciplines it comprises. These include introductory courses in three of the nine fields of biology (see checklist), ethics, history or philosophy and statistics. In addition, majors are required to take a core course and must develop a theme: a coherent and meaningful grouping of five courses representative of their special interest in Biology & Society. Students should develop the theme and select the courses in consultation with a member of the Biology & Society faculty. (A list of faculty is available from the Biology & Society office).
Contact Information
Sue Sullivan
Undergraduate Program Coordinator
The Biology & Society Major
Dept of Science & Technology Studies
306 Rockefeller Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
Telephone: (607) 255-6047
Email: sfc1@cornell.edu