<p>I ask this because of the school motto: </p>
<p>"I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study." </p>
<p>After venturing out to Ithaca a week ago to attend an information session, I found that anyone from any school on the Cornell campus can essentially take any class they want. So what is the purpose of getting accepted to a certain school if you can take classes elsewhere? Someone can essentially double major without showing that they are on paper to schools that would otherwise be harder to get accepted to, theoretically.</p>
<p>Because your degree needs to be granted from a specific department, and thus you need to complete the specific requirements from that department?</p>
<p>The purpose of the open nature of taking other classes is to allow anyone to pursue passions or become well-rounded in a variety of other subjects.</p>
<p>Thank you for stating the obvious.But what I am trying to say is what is the purpose of other schools being harder to get into than others if there are no restrictions between the schools in regards to class registration. Would taking classes from other schools merely as electives give you a shot at the specific industry some schools focus on,(i.e chemical engineering). Couldn’t someone that couldnt get into the engineering school just get into the hotel school and take all engineering classes on top of what they have to take in the hotel school and theoretically have two industry choices after graduation. Although they only have a hotel degree but have taken all the engineering classes as electives? This is not my goal. This is merely an example.</p>
<p>Also do you actually have to have all classes approved by an adviser before taking them?</p>
<p>that’d be impossible btw^</p>
<p>there are limits to what you can and cannot take…</p>
<p>the idea behind ezra’s model is that you could study in any field…few schools have agriculture, hotel and labor relations schools on their campus! </p>
<p>in fact…cornell used to have a nursing school as well! oh and a forestry program!</p>
<p>^Exactly. Cornell’s motto doesn’t imply an open curriculum. It just means that a wide variety of fields, from theoretical to applied, are available to study.</p>
<p>^On a practical level, many of the courses required for each individual major across the colleges run the same time slots so you’d probably find it difficult to be at two lectures at once, not to mention the horrors you’d have to go through in administration to let you do enroll in two classes in the same slot. </p>
<p>In your example, the hotel school has required courses and electives and liberal arts distributions. If you were to pursue an engineering interest from the hotel school, you would have to take what would be considered as an “overload”. example you’d be taking 6 courses instead of 4 or 5 per semester. On top of that, it would be extremely hard to double major across the colleges without going into a 5th or 6th year. </p>
<p>If you end up doing that, why shouldn’t that be allowed? You put in lots of extra effort and you end up with more than one industry choice. Seems fair to me.</p>
<p>The advisor approved courses is a simple matter of sending the professor an email to set up a meeting, TELLING them your intentions, and then they’ll sign the piece of paper. This procedure is very informal and is required for the “advisor approved electives” or for courses listed under requirements as “other advisor approved courses”. As an engineer, you can even do the courses before getting them “approved”. It’s just a system to keep you on track with graduating requirements.</p>
<p>Thanks a million for the replies. Now I have better insight to whats going on. If I can take classes without having them approved by an adviser, can I just not have them approved at all? I do not think I will be needing an adviser :D</p>
<p>i dont get what you’re tryin to do? </p>
<p>for example if you’re in CAS you have a 100 CAS credit requirement…meaning you really can only use 20 credit hours from outside of CAS to fulfill your major requirements…</p>
<p>The system for advisor approved electives might have changed but for my year you really don’t need to talk to your assigned faculty advisor. Most of the time they are too busy to actually know what is going on with the course requirements. The people to ask are the ones your college’s registrar. They should be able to tell or check for you whether or not a course is acceptable.</p>
<p>Nobody really NEEDS an advisor, but it really wouldn’t hurt to at least MEET with your assigned advisor. Who knows, you might luck out and end up with one that suits your academic/career interests. That’s my advice lol</p>
<p>So when you full fill your major requirements, you cant take any extra classes? Even if that means staying an extra semester?</p>
<p>You can take as many electives as you wish, so long as you fulfill the requirements for your major as well as your college.</p>
<p>^^That’s what your advisors are for lol. Your professor advisor can tell you whether or not they think your plan is a good idea and are supposed to give you suggestions. Your registrar advisors MUST BE INFORMED of your academic plans especially if you’re intending to stay an extra semester.</p>
<p>OK sounds good. I just don’t appreciate the concept of having advisers “recommending” what is, and what isn’t. Its just their opinion. If I am smart enough to attend Cornell, then I should be intelligible enough to know what I need for myself. The graduation requirements are already laid to rest on the table, no one should be dictating what electives I should take.</p>
<p>Just sayin it never hurts to hear what other people think. Great if you know exactly what you want.</p>
<p>I also feel that advisors shouldn’t dictate your electives, but it’s certainly wise to consult with one at least once a semester (even more for the “regimented” programs like engineering). </p>
<p>I knew exactly what I wanted out of my time at Cornell and I even went to so far as to create my “3 year plan” and discuss it with my advisor. It was only after speaking with him and gathering his input that I realized I never would have finished my college’s requirements in time to graduate.</p>
<p>Oh sorry , I didnt mean to come off like an a** lol. Your right, but I just had bad experience with counselors, advisors/advisers, and the like. I will most likely be seeking some form of consultation for sure at my time in Cornell. Just not planning to do it often :D</p>
<p>I already know that I will not be graduating in time, because I will at least spend an extra semester enjoying some extra courses. I am still going to be young when I graduate so I dont personally think its a big deal for me.</p>