Government (BA) at Cornell University

Programme overview

The Government major curriculum provides students with a broad range of options for study. Some students specialize in one of our four traditional subfields: American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Others develop their own thematic interests by combining courses across subfields, focusing on issues such as democracy, identity, institutions, political economy, conflict studies, or studies of one particular world region (Asia, Europe, or another).

Faculty: College of Arts & Sciences | Duration: 120 credits minimum | Study mode: full-time | Location: Ithaca, NY, United States

What you will study

All courses used to fulfill Government Major Requirements must be passed with a letter grade of C minus or above. First-Year Writing Seminars cannot be used towards the major.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to the university through the undergraduate college that offers the major (College of Arts & Sciences); no separate programme-specific admission requirement is listed in the catalogue entry. See Cornell undergraduate admissions. To be admitted to the major, a student must pass two Cornell government courses. Honors Program The Honors criteria described here will start for all graduates in the 2026-2027 academic year. The Department of Government awards Honors in Government to outstanding undergraduate majors who complete the department’s year-long, thesis-based honors program.

USD 73,946 a year (2026-27). Endowed Ithaca undergraduate tuition (Architecture, Art and Planning; Arts and Sciences; Engineering; Hotel Administration), one rate for all students; tuition only, excludes mandatory fees, housing and meals. The programme is listed under an endowed coll Source

First-year applicants: Early Decision (binding) and Regular Decision for fall entry. Transfer applications are considered for the fall semester only.

First-year Early Decision: application and fee due November 1, other required materials November 13, decisions mid-December. Regular Decision: application and fee due January 2, other materials January 19, decisions late March. Applications are submitted through the Common Application; the application fee is $85 (fee waiver available). SAT or ACT scores are required for first-year applicants.

Transfer applicants: application and fee due March 15, other required materials April 15, decisions late April through June, for fall entry only. Applications use the Transfer Common Application; the fee is $85. SAT or ACT scores are neither required nor expected for transfer applicants.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.cornell.edu/how-to-apply

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