Why Liberal Studies for Engineers?

Global and diverse societies require that engineers have an awareness of historical patterns, an appreciation for different cultures, professional ethics, the ability to work in multifaceted groups, and superior communication skills. Cornell has a rich curriculum in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, enabling every engineering student to obtain a truly liberal education.

The Liberal Arts commonly include courses in the humanities (e.g., history, art history and criticism, literary studies and writing, classics, philosophy, religious studies), foreign languages, and the social sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, psychology), as well as interdisciplinary courses involving these disciplines (e.g., area studies, women’s studies). Performance arts are also considered liberal arts and include theatre, dance, instruction in musical theory and/or musical performance (non-PE).

The Liberal Studies Distribution Requirement

It is common to not begin taking liberal studies courses until sophomore year. The Liberal Studies requirement for Engineering students entering this Fall 2024 is as follows:

At least 6 courses totaling a minimum of 18 credits:
- Chosen from the approved categories listed below, which have been divided into 7 groups based on content area (Note: Courses which are assigned multiple liberal studies categories (i.e., SSC-AS, HST-AG) may only be applied towards one of those categories);
- Must have completed courses from at least 3 different groups from those 7 groups, with at least 3 or more credits coming from Group 7 (RE);
- No more than two courses may be chosen from Group 6 (CE);
- At least two courses must be at the 2000-level or higher.

Group 1: Cultural Analysis, Literature and the Arts, Social Differences

Cultural Analysis (CA)
Literature and the Arts (LA)
Literature, the Arts and Design (LAD)
Arts, Literature, and Culture (ALC)
Social Difference (SCD-HA Only)

Group 2: Historical Analysis

Historical Analysis (HA/HST)

Group 3: Ethics, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning

Knowledge, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning (KCM)
Ethics and the Mind (ETM)

Group 4. Social Science and Global Citizenship

Social and Behavioral Analysis (SBA)
Social Sciences (SSC)
Global Citizenship (GLC)

Group 5: Foreign Languages (not literature courses) (FL)

Courses teaching language skills, inclusive of reading, writing, listening, and spoken non-English languages, at beginning to advanced levels.

Group 6: Communications in Engineering (CE)

Engineering specific courses exploring communication as a way of acting in the world
Courses must be specifically designated by the College of Engineering as satisfying the CE category (no petitions)
No more than two courses from this category may be used to satisfy the Liberal Studies requirement.

Group 7: Race and Equity (SCD-AS Only/D-AG)

Courses that examine social differences relevant to the human experience and courses that involve a critical analysis of historically or contemporary marginalized communities and the culturally specific contexts that produce unequal power relations in terms of race, nationality, ethnicity, indigeneity, sexuality, disability, religion, gender, or economic status.

How to Find Courses that are Approved for Liberal Studies for Engineers

The following tools are explained below:

Courses of Study
Class Roster
Liberal Studies Database: View all by Category
Liberal Studies Database: Keyword Search
Liberal Studies Database: Currently Approved Petitions

Courses of Study

Search for a particular course that you have in mind and view its description in the online Courses of Study to see if a liberal studies distribution category exists (CA, LA/LAD, ALC, SCD, HA, HST, KCM, ETM, SBA, SSC, GLC, FL, CE). The course must have one or more of these categories to count for liberal studies for engineers.

Screenshot of Courses of Study

Class Roster

Search for a particular course that you have in mind and view its course description via the "view course details" tab in the Class Roster to see if a liberal studies distribution category exists (CA, LA/LAD, ALC, SCD, HA, HST, KCM, ETM, SBA, SSC, GLC, FL, CE). The course must have one or more of these categories to count for liberal studies for engineers.

Liberal Studies Database: View all by Category

This list allows you to search directly for hundreds of courses with approved distribution categories. You can click in each of the gray category tabs (CA, LA/LAD, ALC, SCD, HA, HST, KCM, ETM, SBA, SSC, GLC, FL, CE) in the "Approved Categories/Courses" section at the top of our Liberal Studies database to view lists of courses approved for a specific category.

Liberal Studies Database: Keyword Search

You can also click into the search bar at the top right of the Liberal Studies Database to conduct a keyword search for particular classes. This is useful if you have a class in mind and want to check quickly to see if it counts. In the example below, we see PHIL 1100 in the basic keyword search returning results that indicate PHIL 1100 counts in the ETM and KCM categories, both of which are part of Group 3.

Liberal Studies Database: Currently Approved Petitions

You can also check the College of Engineering's Currently Approved Petitions List for additional course options from classes successfully petitioned in the past. Pay close attention to the "Notes" column for additional course information. A common mistake is to think that the Approved Petitions List represents all of the approved courses. It does not. Refer to the College of Engineering's Liberal Studies database or ask an advisor if you are unsure.

Courses Not Approved for Liberal Studies for Engineers

Courses generally not considered Liberal Arts include those in athletics, business (including accounting, finance, marketing, management, and entrepreneurship), methods of practice of education, and engineering (including project teams and research involvement). Many of these courses belong rather to a “professional curriculum” covering specific methods and practicums or are largely technical in nature. However, Liberal Arts do include a subset of courses in business taught from a humanities or social science perspective (e.g., sociology of business, history of business, and business ethics).

Check the College of Engineering's Denied Petitions List for courses that were petitioned in the past but were denied. These courses cannot count toward the liberal studies requirement.

Sometimes, a course may not be tagged as Liberal Studies

The College of Engineering recommends students enroll in courses identified as fulfilling the Liberal Studies categories as listed in the current University Courses of Study. However, students may petition additional courses not identified and not already denied by the College of Engineering on the Denied Petitions List. The criteria for such a petition are outlined on our website here.

Can Advanced Placement Count toward Liberal Studies?

The answer varies by course! Please visit the Advanced Placement Credit Table for 2025-2026 to learn more, and review the Courses of Study AP Page.