Student in yellow rain jacket walking along a shore at the Shoals Marine Laboratory.

About the Environment & Sustainability Major

Cornell’s interdisciplinary major that confronts environment and sustainability challenges

We provide opportunities for students.

Our students learn from and work with people and partners on campus and throughout the world. Together, we confront environment and sustainability challenges head-on and with confidence. We aim to be bold. We take heart in working together to sustain and restore healthy conditions that sustain people and the diverse wonders of our planet.

We span the resources of Cornell.

As a cross-college major, we are available to students in the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. Five Cornell colleges are represented by faculty and courses associated with the major. Cornell programs and facilities throughout the U.S. and other countries further extend our reach beyond the Ithaca campus.

We work across the globe.

Our network of faculty, staff and alumni support our undergraduate students throughout their time on campus and beyond. Faculty and alumni provide connections with a broad range of local, regional, national and international off-campus organizations and institutions working together with common purpose.

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In this section

Field programs

Students can pursue field experiences outdoors and in the offices of policy-makers.

Senator Gillibrand with a group of students and faculty.
A single solar panel in the foreground and McGraw Tower in the background at dusk.
Campus partners
Three students working in a group near Beebe Lake
Learning goals

People

Making a positive impact

Student experiences, alumni pathways, news and other environment and sustainability stories.

Oneida Lake

News

The Fisheries and Limnology of Oneida Lake, 1957-2025
Oneida Lake remains the cornerstone of New York’s inland fisheries, acting as a vital $21 million economic driver for the region. The sustained productivity of this mesotrophic system is managed through one of the most rigorous long-term...
  • Biological Field Station
  • Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
illustration of a glass earth on a forest floor.

News

Cornell Atkinson announces $1.24M in joint EDF grants

The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and Environmental Defense Fund will distribute $1.24 million to 12 projects co-led by Cornell and EDF scientists for research addressing several sustainability topics.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
Cornell facilities staff answer questions from students in a tour of Olin Hall's mechanical room.

News

From the Living Lab: Rooftop heat recovery slashes Cornell’s energy use

For the latest advance in sustainability on Cornell’s campus, look to the new heat recovery systems atop Olin Hall, Duffield Hall and the Biotechnology Building.

  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Environment
A photo of a corn field row (left), a yield monitor (top), and tile drainage (middle, bottom).

Field Note

Research reveals tiling may boost corn silage, corn grain & soybean yield
Installing artificial drainage in farm fields is an ancient concept that remains relevant today. While its benefits are well-known among farmers, the increasing use of yield monitors means that we now have access to the data necessary to measure...
  • Agriculture
  • Field Crops
  • Water
On campus, students and researchers prepare to deploy the “Cornell Flux Chamber” in Colombia’s mangrove ecosystems, capturing methane emissions in a dynamic tidal landscape.

News

Student-built methane sensor aids mangrove restoration efforts

A student-built methane sensor device is empowering researchers and indigenous communities to protect and restore mangrove forests in Colombia.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Biodiversity

Ready to take the next step?

Come and visit us in 117 Kennedy Hall. Schedule a meeting with an E&S staff member on Chatter or come to our drop-ins. Please email environment [at] cornell.edu or call 607-255-8055 if you are having difficulties scheduling a meeting.

Weekly In-Person Drop-Ins (virtual by request)

Mondays: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Tuesdays: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Wednesdays: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Thursdays: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Fridays: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm 

 

The E&S major can be found in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Prospective students may apply through either CALS or A&S admissions.