Back

Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

CALS Distribution Requirements

Can I enroll in distribution requirements as S/U?   

Yes, the S/U grading option is accepted for distribution requirements, however letter graded may be required for some majors.  Students should check with their major department before enrolling in one of these courses S/U. 

According to the Class Roster or Courses of Study, the course I completed should have satisfied a Distribution Requirement, but it is not indicated on my DUST degree progress.  Can it be updated?   

Yes, if students encounter this, they should reach out to CALS Student Services: cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu (cals-studentservices[at]cornell[dot]edu).  Our office can verify that the course fulfilled the Distribution Requirement, and can update the student’s record.  This is a quick fix! 

How do I know if a course counts towards a College Distribution Requirement?   

Students are encouraged to use the current Class Roster.  Search the “Breadth/Distribution” category on the right-hand side of the Class Roster to find CALS codes ending with “-AG”.

Can a course satisfy more than one College Distribution Requirement?   

No, a course can only fulfill one College Distribution Requirement.  However, a course may be able to fulfill a College Distribution Requirement, CALS credit, and Major Requirement all at once. 

Do I need to take an Oral Expression course to complete my Writ/Oral Exp Distribution Category, or can I just take Written Expression courses?   

While the college will accept all 9 Expression credits as Written, some majors require their students complete an Oral Expression course to satisfy this category.  Students should check with their Major Department for guidance. 

Are FWS (First Year Writing Seminars) the only courses that will satisfy the Written Expression Distribution Requirement?   

No, there are other courses offered at Cornell that will fulfill Written Expression.  Students are encouraged to use the current Class Roster.  Search the “Breadth/Distribution” category on the right-hand side of the Class Roster to find CALS code WRT-AG.

Does CALS accept any out-of-college Distribution Requirement codes to fulfill CALS Distribution Requirements?   

Yes, CALS accepts D-HE and SCD-AS to fulfill the Diversity Requirement. CALS accepts the following as long as they are a minimum of 3 credits: CA-HE, HA-HE, KCM-HE, SBA-HE, CA-AAP, FL-AAP, HA-AAP, KCM-AAP, LA-AAP, & SBA-AAP.