If you're interested in studying Information Science in CALS, please visit the CALS undergraduate admissions page for more information on how to apply. If you have specific questions about the major or you would like to arrange a campus visit, feel free to contact us. To change majors or add Information Science as a second major, please apply via our online application.

All potential majors are reviewed on a case-by-case basis relative to the following criteria:

Completion of 4 courses:

  • CS 1110 or CS 1112 (completed Fall 2023 or later)*
    • Other credit options can be found here
  • Calculus or statistics
    • Course and placement credit options can be found here
  • 2 of the 5 core courses (INFO 1200 or 1260, INFO 1300, INFO 2040, INFO 2450, and INFO 2950 or 2951).
    • Students may count CS 2800 + CS 2110 together in place of INFO 2950 for affiliation purposes only. For students applying to the major after September 15, 2024, once admitted to the major, INFO 2950 or INFO 2951 must be completed.
    • Students can count INFO 1380 in place of one core course for the purposes of affiliation only. After affiliation, students will still need to complete all listed core courses.

Grade & GPA Requirement

  • A grade of C or higher (For Spring 2020: a grade of C- or higher, or an S**) in each of the completed courses used to declare the major
  • An overall GPA of 2.5 or higher for courses used to declare the major

Please Note:

  • *Students who have completed CS 1112 prior to Fall 2023 must also complete CS 1133.
  • **The Information Science department cannot know how graduate schools, employers, and so on, will evaluate S grades. 
  • Courses used for the purpose of declaring the major may be repeated if the original course grade was below a C. The most recent grade will be used for all repeated courses. 
  • Transfer credit for CS 1110, calculus, and statistics must each be evaluated by the appropriate department for equivalency (e.g., Computer Science for CS 1110). If approved, the course must also be reviewed by CALS. Follow the CALS transfer credit guidelines.

  • Students in their senior year of study intending to change majors to IS or add IS as a second major must submit a course plan to demonstrate they can complete all degree requirements by their current expected graduation date. 

Changing majors within CALS or adding a second major

If you're a current CALS student, start taking courses to meet the criteria for admission to the Information Science major. Contact us to schedule an advising meeting. Once you’ve met the admission criteria, please apply online.

Application Timeline:

  • Applications received between January 1st and January 31st are processed by March 1st.
  • Applications received between February 1st and May 31st are processed by July 1st
  • Application received between June 1st and September 14th are processed by October 15th.
  • Applications received between September 15th and December 31st are processed by mid-January.

International students looking to participate in CPT during the summer after their sophomore year must apply to affiliate with the IS major no later than their 2-1 semester.

Internal transfer from another college within Cornell

Non-CALS students who want to major in Information Science in CALS should refer to the CALS page on the Cornell University internal transfer process. The department contact person for Information Science is Sahri Chery or Cass D'Amato.

Upon admission to CALS as an IS student, you must meet all criteria for admission listed above within your first two semesters after transfer.

Please note that internally transferring to CALS for the IS major is highly selective.

External transfer from an institution outside of Cornell

For information on how to apply as an external transfer student, please visit the CALS undergraduate admissions page. If you have specific questions about the major or would like to arrange a campus visit, feel free to contact us.