Academic Policies and Petitions

Our undergraduate majors span two colleges: 

• Human Biology, Health and Society (HBHS) is offered in Cornell Human Ecology (CHE).
• The Global and Public Health Sciences (GPHS) and Nutritional Sciences (NS) majors are offered in both CHE and the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS).

The undergraduate majors’ curriculum can be found in the course catalog. 

DNS also has students majoring in Biological Sciences with the Human Nutrition concentration who may be enrolled in either CALS or the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S).

For information on college requirements, policies and resources, please refer to your college:

• CHE academic requirements and policies
• CALS academic resources

DNS students can pursue more than 120 undergraduate minors offered by Cornell. Each minor is administered by the academic department or unit that offers it.

DNS Administers three minors; see below for more information.

DNS minors

The division offers three minors: 

• Applied Exercise Science: available only to DNS (GPHS, HBHS, and NS) majors and offers a combination of coursework at Cornell and Ithaca College.   
• Global Health: complements any major offered at Cornell and provides students (except GPHS majors) with basic knowledge about global health as well as experiential learning opportunities.
• Nutrition and Health: open to all Cornell undergraduates except DNS majors (GPHS, HBHS, NS, and Biological Sciences with Human Nutrition concentration)

Minors outside of DNS

If you are interested in a non-DNS minor, review the information provided by that minor department, follow those department-specific procedures, and coordinate with the minor department for minor-related advising needs.

Majors: Students pursuing a DNS major (Global and Public Health Sciences, Human Biology, Health, & Society, and Nutritional Sciences) receive the highest enrollment priority for NS courses. Enrollment is based primarily on the priorities listed in the course roster. In some cases, additional consideration may be given to students whose ability to make degree progress has been affected by circumstances beyond the student's control.

Minors: Students pursuing a DNS-administered minor are encouraged to declare their intent to complete the minor as early as they are able. Students pursuing a DNS minor typically receive enrollment priority after DNS majors, as space permits. Because NS courses are designed primarily to support the undergraduate majors, completing a minor may require additional planning. Students should prioritize progress toward their major and degree requirements.

Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD): Student who have completed the DPD Intent Form receive enrollment priority for courses required to meet DPD requirements. Students are responsible for working with the DPD Program to determine which courses they need and for communicating those enrollment needs to DNS Student Services by the requested deadlines. DNS Student Services will contact DPD students each semester to collect this information in advance of course enrollment.

Students not pursuing a DNS major or minor: Enrollment in NS courses is based on the priorities listed in the course roster. Before requesting enrollment, carefully review the course prerequisites, enrollment priorities, and any additional information provided in the course roster, including the syllabus when available. 

Students who do not meet the stated enrollment priority are encouraged to join the course waitlist, if available. Because seats may be reserved for students with higher enrollment priority, an open seat does not necessarily indicate that enrollment is available. Waitlists are typically reviewed after the enrollment period has ended, and enrollment from a waitlist is not guaranteed. Students should make alternate course plans and maintain a complete schedule while waiting for a decision.

Prospective DNS majors (major change, second major, internal transfer): Students interested in changing to a DNS major or adding a second major are encouraged to meet with DNS Student Services to discuss their plans. When space permits, DNS Student Services will make every effort to enroll prospective majors in NS courses needed to maintain eligibility for a future major change; however, enrollment is not guaranteed and is limited to NS department courses. Students should continue making progress toward the requirements of their current major while pursuing a change of major or second major.

Incoming students in a DNS major will be automatically enrolled in the introductory NS course(s) required to begin the major before their first semester. DNS Student Services will communicate with incoming students via their Cornell email about the enrollment process and any actions required before their first semester. Students should review their enrollment after it has been completed and contact DNS Student Services if they have questions or believe there is an issue with their schedule.

Steps for Change of Major (CALS and CHE) or Double Major (CALS) for Current Students

1. Review the program information for your prospective DNS major in the University Catalog. Consider whether the curriculum matches your academic interests and plan how you might complete your major and degree requirements by your expected graduation date. 
2. Meet with DNS Student Services to discuss your interest in and eligibility for the major, and share your draft academic plan. 
3. Complete (or currently be enrolled in) the required prerequisite courses for your intended major, as discussed with DNS Student Services and explained on the website of your intended college (CHE or CALS)
4. CALS: Submit an updated academic plan to DNS Student Services; we will submit the major change form on your behalf 

CHE: Submit a change of major form. 

Things to Keep in Mind: 

• Continue to consult with your current major, department, and advisor to ensure you’re making progress in your current major. 
• Prerequisite courses must be completed or currently in progress in order for your major change to be considered; if you are currently enrolled in prerequisite courses, expect that your major change application will be delayed until after you earn a grade for the course(s). 
• It helps to let DNS Student Services know as early as you know that you might want to declare a DNS major. Interest in a DNS major does not guarantee enrollment in NS classes, which may fill before you’re eligible for the DNS major.
• Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee your request will be approved; please consult with DNS Student Services about your particular situation.

Students seeking to move into a DNS major who are not currently in CALS or CHE should review their target college’s Internal Transfer information and process. DNS Student Services expects students interested in Internal Transfer to complete the steps for major change above after they have reviewed the Internal Transfer information for their target college.

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Internal Transfer
• Cornell Human Ecology Internal Transfer

Thank you so much for your interest! Please consult directly with Admissions for questions about choosing a DNS major. 

• Cornell Human Ecology Admissions
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Admissions

Your transfer coursework will be evaluated and applied to your Cornell degree requirements before your first semester. After your transfer credit has been posted to your Cornell record, carefully review how your courses currently apply toward your degree requirements.

In some cases, transfer coursework may initially be awarded general transfer credit rather than direct equivalency to a specific Cornell course or major requirement. This does not necessarily mean the course cannot fulfill a specific requirement - additional information and/or departmental review may result in changes to how transfer coursework applies toward your degree requirements.

All external transfer students are required to meet with DNS Student Services to review how their transfer credit applies to their degree requirements and discuss any questions about course equivalencies. Note that the best time to have this meeting is after transfer credit has been evaluated and applied.

After matriculating at Cornell, students are expected to complete major requirements through Cornell coursework. In rare circumstances, students may petition for approval to complete a major requirement at another institution when there is a clear academic reason for the course to be taken elsewhere. 

Approval is not guaranteed. Students should be prepared to explain why they cannot reasonably complete the requirement at Cornell; situational reasons like personal preference, scheduling convenience, or the desire to graduate early are generally not considered sufficient justification. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their planning with DNS Student Services before submitting a request. 

Students seeking to take a major requirement elsewhere are responsible for: 

• Identifying an appropriate course at another institution
• Providing a detailed course description and syllabus and providing any additional materials requests so the course can be evaluated
• Submitting a complete request with sufficient time for review before enrolling 
• Obtaining approval before enrolling in the course; requests are not approved retroactively

CALS Process: Current students enrolled in CALS in the GPHS or NS majors must submit petitions for major requirements dnsstudentservices [at] cornell.edu (via email to DNS Student Services).  

To allow your request to be evaluated, please include:

• A clear explanation of your request and the academic reason for it. 
• The major requirement(s) and proposed course(s) involved. 
• A detailed course syllabus and any other available course information. 
• For non-NS courses, petitions have a greater chance of success if you receive direct equivalency from the Cornell department that offers the course first. 
• Any additional information that may be helpful in evaluating your request. 

Requests may require additional information before they can be reviewed. Please allow sufficient time for review before enrolling in the course, as requests are not approved retroactively. 

Questions about college requirements should be cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu (sent to CALS Student Services).

CHE Process: Current students in CHE (GPHS, HBHS, NS majors) must submit petitions through the Human Ecology Forms and Petitions page. 

Note that petitions regarding a college requirement only will be reviewed at the college level. Follow all instructions on the Human Ecology Forms and Petitions page and hereg [at] cornell.edu (contact the Human Ecology Registrar’s Office) if you have questions.

Study Abroad: Many DNS students study abroad for a semester or summer and graduate on time. Because major requirements are designed to be completed at Cornell and sometimes in a recommended sequence, students typically plan to fulfill their major requirements on campus while using study abroad to explore electives, distribution requirements, language study, or other academic interests. Students interested in studying abroad are encouraged to meet with DNS Student Services early to develop an academic plan that supports both their study abroad goals and timely degree completion.

Should refer to their target college’s information about transfer credits for planning purposes.

See the minor page for needed forms.

Note that this minor is available only to GPHS, HBHS, and NS majors. 

Applied Exercise Science (AES) minor intent form

Submit the AES minor intent form when you intend to complete the minor.

AES minor completion form

Submit the AES minor completion form after you complete the requirements or when you are in your last undergraduate semester, whichever comes first. DNS reports minors to college registrars only once they are complete, including all relevant forms.

Learn more about the Global Health minor.

Global Health minor intent

If you are interested in completing the Global Health minor, make an appointment with Sharon Kaplan to discuss its requirements, the experiential learning opportunity (ELO) and next steps. Students who plan to enroll in NS 2600 for the next spring semester must meet with Sharon by September 30.

Global Health minor elective petition

Use the minor elective petition form to request review of an alternative course to fulfill the Global Health minor elective requirement. You must submit the petition prior to taking the proposed course. While you may submit the petition after you complete the proposed elective course, prior completion does not guarantee that petition approval. 

Global Health minor verification form

Complete the Global Health minor verification form once you complete all of the requirements of the minor or at the beginning of your final undergraduate semester at Cornell, whichever comes first. 

Review the experiential learning opportunities (ELO) section on this page for more information about the ELO petition process. 

Learn more about the N&H minor

Nutrition and Health (N&H) minor intent form

Submit the minor intent form when you intend to complete the N&H minor. 

N&H minor verification form

Complete the minor verification form once you complete all of the requirements of the minor or at the beginning of your final undergraduate semester at Cornell, whichever comes first. 

Note: the N&H minor is available only to non-DNS majors. HBHS, GPHS, NS, and Biological Sciences majors with a Human Nutrition concentration may not complete the minor.  

All ELO forms are available through the Experiential Learning website. 

If you are a current GPHS major or Global Health Minor with questions about ELO petitions that cannot be answered via our website, dnsstudentservices [at] cornell.edu (contact DNS Student Services) for assistance.

Note: Summer ELO petitions are due around spring break each year. Academic year ELO petitions are accepted on a rolling basis, at minimum three weeks before the start of your ELO.