True to Cornell's mission of "Any Person, Any Study", Cornellians enjoy a wide variety of course offerings across disciplines. While students can only select major(s) from a single college or school, they are encouraged to minor in or take classes across undergraduate colleges and schools.
We asked our student ambassadors to share the best class they've taken. Some of their favorites are required first-year writing seminars or a major requirement that confirmed they were on the right track, while others may be an elective they chose to explore a topic outside their comfort zone. You can explore the full University Catalog online.
Impactful classes
- Conflict and Coexistence in the Ancient World. —Sally M. '28
- PUBPOL 3280- Fundamentals of Population Health. —Emilie S. '26
- INFO 2950- Introduction to Data Science. —Sunoo K. '26
- AEM 2220- Dilemmas in Entrepreneurship. —Esklya C. '28
- EDUC 2610- Intergroup Dialogue. —Bintou D. '26
- ILR 2660- Essential Desktop Applications. —Hannah R. '28
- BEE 3299- Sustainable Development. —Nina W. '26
- LR 207- Labor Law. —Mackenzie L. '28
- Structures with Mark Cruvellier for architecture, since it's cool seeing how real buildings work and stay up and has made me think more about spaces I see. —Kimberly Z. '30
- Japanese Film (ASIAN 2252). The class teaches us how to talk about film through learning about film form, a skill I will take with me for the rest of my classes. We watch a new movie every week and learn about Japanese film history through the process. It is such a cool class that I'm always excited to go to, and I have weekly movie nights with my friends to watch the movies together! The experience of watching a foreign film is quite different than watching a Hollywood one, and I learned so much. —Emily F. '27
First-Year Writing Seminars that Inspired
- My first-year writing seminar, MEDVL 1101 seminar 105: Worms, Serpents, Dragons, and Maggots. This was an incredible learning experience, and Professor Cagney was absolutely amazing and really helped me evolve as a writer. — Annelise D.G. '29
- My FWS: No Spoilers! Watching TV and Victorian Novels with Emily Foster! Such fun class material and an amazing professor and classmates. —Joanne L. '29
- My FWS that focused on Medieval Paris! It was a niche topic, but the grad student who led the course was so passionate about it, and it was such a great way to better my writing skills while also learning about a fascinating field! —Adison D. '30
- FWS: What Does Cornell Owe the World? —Jake Q. '29
- First-Year Writing Seminar, What Does Cornell Owe the World? It was a great way to engage in discussions about the history of Cornell, social and academic opportunities, and the obligations the University has as a modern institution. —Raya S. '29
- My FWS freshman fall (WRIT 1420) was so fun and informative. With the help of my professor, I chose a topic that was interesting to me and completed a semester-long research project on it. I learned so much not only about my topic, but about the research process as a whole, which I'm confident will serve me well in the upcoming years.—Ava G. '29
- First-Year Writing Seminar in the Performing and Media Arts department called New Perspectives in Hollywood. The course critically explored films created by emerging filmmakers in the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood. We examined how these artists are reshaping storytelling for both local and global audiences and how their work differs from earlier generations of Nollywood films. The seminar offered a chance to study cinema beyond Hollywood and engage with the diverse perspectives emerging from contemporary Nigerian filmmakers. —Fathia O. '27
Exploring Big Topics
- Environmental Conservation. The professor was truly amazing and understanding that students have heavy workloads and would help us succeed. The coursework was very fun and relatable to the real world, and he would ensure that lecture was engaging and interactive. —Tati R. '27
- BIOEE 1610- Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment. —Charlotte H. '29
- I loved Introduction to Psychology. My professor was extremely funny and had good anecdotes. Additionally, it was held in the historic Bailey Hall, so it was nice to be in that environment. —Samantha S. '29
- My favorite class has been PSYCH 3250- Adult Psychopathology. It felt like I was in graduate school learning to be a psychologist. —Sophie A. '28
- ILRGL 5010- Labor and Employment Law (with Prof. Griffith). —Niran R. '28
- My Comparative Health Care Systems class (PUBPOL 5783) was great because I learned more about U.S. healthcare, but also about other countries' systems. The professor is great and brings in many guest speakers. —Sofia S. '28
- PUBPOL 2350- U.S. Healthcare System; really relevant for my interests and broadened my perspective about medicine. —Katie W. '27
- The best class is NS 1220- Nutrition Across the Life Cycle with Professors Barrow and Johnson! —Ethan O. '27
- ANTHR 6437- 21st Century Authoritarianism; the professor is just so passionate that it honestly makes me more excited for class. —Julie K. '28
- PUBPOL 2370- Race, Racism, and Public Policy. —Ines H. '28
- So far: The U.S. Education System (GDEV 2710). I took it for the education minor, but I am really enjoying it, specifically my discussion group, where I can share my thoughts and experiences with a smaller group of students. —Sarina M. '29
Can't Choose Just One
- I really liked ECON 1110- Introductory Microeconomics with Professor Sanders, but I also really liked GOVT 3091- Science in American Politics with Professor Hilgartner. —Maeve B. '29
- ILRGL 3067- Salary Arbitration in Sports and ARTH 3400- Art, Identity, and the Human Body in Early Modern Europe. —Rachel E. '27
