Cornell University

Academics

Undergraduate
Information Science offers options for study among a variety of fields, so that our students can create unique connections between disciplines and come up with an individualized course of study during their time in our program.

We offer three undergraduate degrees in Information Science.

Students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Science through the College of Arts & Sciences (BA-IS) or a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) (BS-IS). These two degree programs are very similar, differing primarily in their associated college-level requirements.

In addition, the department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science, Systems, and Technology (ISST) to students in the College of Engineering (BS-ISST). This degree differs substantially from the A&S and CALS Information Science programs.

Please see the individual degree pages for more information about each program:

If you're not sure which undergraduate degree program is right for you, review the descriptions and requirements for each and then click through our Student Spotlights to read about student experiences in each program.

For more information about the major, please feel free to contact us by phone, 607-255-9837, email or visit the undergraduate program office located in 303 Upson Hall.

Undergraduate Minor in Information Science

Students who wish to do an undergraduate minor in Information Science can get a grounding in human-centered systems, social systems, information systems and statistics to compliment their other studies.

Independent Research

Cornell students who have an appropriate background in the field of information science are eligible to receive academic credit (INFO 4900) for doing independent research with Information Science faculty or researchers.

Ugrad FAQs

If you are considering a major in Information Science at Cornell, review these frequently asked questions for further information.

IS Careers

The premise of the Information Science program is that many of the interesting problems and questions (and jobs) of the future will be concerned with the interactions between people and information systems. Thus, the undergraduate majors cover both technical issues and social science issues.

Student Associations

Please check out the wide variety of student groups on campus and find ways to get involved with your peers during your time at Cornell.