Course Enrollment

Welcome to Cornell CALS! With more than 9,000 courses to choose from, there are many ways to build a schedule that fits your goals and graduation requirements. If you have questions, use CALS GO! to connect with CALS Student Services; your major and department advising coordinator is here to help you navigate the process. (CALS GO! will be available to students starting in June.)

Step 1: Understand the Timeline

For incoming fall students, new student enrollment occurs mid-summer. You'll use Student Center to request classes before you arrive on campus.

During your enrollment appointment (your personal window to enroll), you'll have 24/7 access to add, adjust, or remove classes from your schedule. Add/drop periods also open just before the start of the semester, giving you additional opportunities to make changes.

Before enrollment begins, log in to Student Center to confirm you have a valid enrollment appointment. Look for "Enrollment Dates" in the right-side navigation and click "Details" to view your full window. If you don't see an appointment, contact us at cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu (cals-studentservices[at]cornell[dot]edu).

Step 2: Know Your Requirements

Your degree has three sets of requirements — think of them as three buckets you'll fill over four years:

University Requirements

• Two credits of Physical Education (two courses) are required prior to graduation.
• A swim test is required of all entering undergraduates. It is typically taken during fall orientation. Visit the PE website for details.

CALS Requirements

• You must enroll in at least one CALS course each semester until you have successfully completed your required CALS credits. For students entering Fall 2025 or later, that minimum is 75 CALS credits. For external transfer students, the minimum is 55 CALS credits.
• CALS also has college distribution requirements. Learn more in the CALS section of the Courses of Study.

Major Requirements

• Each major is a little different. Your major advising coordinator will be in touch throughout the summer, and guidance will also come through CALS GO! and email from your major. If you still have questions, ask in CALS GO! (available starting in June).

Familiarize yourself with all three sets of requirements early so you can plan ahead.

Step 3: Build Your Schedule

A typical first-year schedule includes:

• 2–3 courses in your major or prerequisites
• 1 First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) — offered through the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines
• 1 college distribution course
• 1 Physical Education course

How many credits? Aim for a minimum of 12 academic credits and a maximum of 18 credits per semester (including PE). Most students take an average of 15 credits per semester — 120 credits total over 8 semesters to earn their degree.

Tips for balancing your schedule:

• Mix writing-intensive and problem-set courses rather than stacking one type.
• Choose one course you're simply curious about — exploring interests is part of what Cornell is for.
• Pay attention to when courses are offered; some are only available every other year.
• Prioritize prerequisites early, as they open doors to future courses in your major.

Pre-health or pre-vet? Check out the special resources page for guidance tailored to you.
 

Step 4: Account for Advanced Placement (AP)/Transfer Credit

Cornell uses the term “Advanced Placement” to encompass several types of pre-college examinations. If you've completed AP, IB, French Baccalaureate, GCE A-Level, or Cambridge exams, or taken courses at another institution, you may be awarded academic credit. Any credit earned will be added to your record automatically after Cornell receives your exam scores (this may take a few weeks). Learn more about AP and transfer credit at CALS.

AP credit can also help clarify which courses you may have placed out of, which is useful when building your schedule.

Online Tools

Student Center: Your hub for enrolling in classes, viewing your enrollment appointment, and managing your schedule. Use this during enrollment and the add/drop period. Visit the University Registrar's enrollment guide to learn more.

Class Roster: The schedule of classes for a specific semester — shows meeting times, room locations, and section details (lecture, lab, discussion). Use the search feature to filter by subject, meeting pattern, credits, and more. The Scheduler tool is also available, allowing you to build and visualize your weekly schedule before enrolling.

Catalog Cornell's academic catalog. Contains course descriptions, degree requirements, and college and department policies. Use this to research courses and understand requirements.

Stellic Stellic@Cornell is Cornell's degree planning and auditing tool. CALS undergrads can use Stellic to track their progress toward graduation, explore how different courses or majors fit their plan, and map out future semesters. (Note: Stellic is available for CALS undergrads with a catalog year of 2023–24 or later.)