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International students
The School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions welcomes international students to:
- study on our beautiful campus in Ithaca, New York,
- join us for one of our programs around the world, and
- take online courses from your home country (or anywhere else you have an Internet connection).
To learn more, review the links below for resources, visa requirements, English studies, and study opportunities or contact us. We hope to see you soon at Cornell!
Resources for international students
For information on everything from immigration, visas, and other legal issues to travel information, what to pack for Cornell, and how to make the most of life in Ithaca, contact the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) at 607.255.5243, isso@cornell.edu, or http://www.isso.cornell.edu/.
Cornell's International Gateway website also offers a wealth of information about Cornell's international programs on campus and abroad.
Visa requirements
Most international students will need an F-1 student visa to study at Cornell. (Students cannot study at the university on a tourist visa.) For more information, consult the director of the program in which you are interested, contact the Summer Sessions office, or talk with an international study expert in Cornell's International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).
English studies
If your first language is not English, you may want to take the English for International Students and Scholars (EISS) program before beginning your studies.
The EISS program is for native speakers of languages other than English. It provides full-time intensive English instruction as well as academic, social, and cultural orientation to the United States and its institutions. It is designed to prepare students and scholars for working and studying in the academic environment of a university in the United States or to use English professionally.
Study opportunities
Cornell's first president, Andrew Dickson White, was a world traveler and diplomat. He attracted international students and professors to Cornell from the start. And today, more than 3,000 international students from more than 120 countries travel to Cornell every year to study at this world-renowned institution.
The School of Continuing Education continues this tradition by offering a variety of opportunities for international students, including the following:
On-campus programs
For college students:
See Cornell's Courses of Study for possible course options.
For high school students:
For scholars and executives:
Off-campus programs
- Summer Session
- Winter Session
- Campus-to-Careers and Internship Programs
- Cornell/AEM Certificate in Business Management
- Investment Management Program and Internship in New York City
- Summer in Washington
- The Prelaw Program
- The Weill Cornell Medical College—Qatar Pre-Medical Program
For college students:
In partnership with the Weill Cornell Medical College—Qatar, the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions provides academic and administrative services to the pre-medical component of the program. In addition to assistance with curriculum planning and other matters, the School helps to recruit and appoint qualified faculty members to teach Cornell undergraduate courses in Doha. The School also registers undergraduate students for courses in Doha and for their summer studies in Ithaca.
Online learning
International students are encouraged to take our online courses, which transform any place within reach of the Internet into a Cornell classroom. These courses feature Web-based components and/or related materials. You interact with your professor and other students by telephone or e-mail.