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Internal Transfer Applicants

As you consider which college or school is the best fit for you at Cornell and explore the possibility of Internal Transfer, please visit Cornell’s Internal Transfer website.

Admission to the Dyson School is competitive. Before applying, students should:

  1. Consider if they can pursue their goals by minoring in business, and
  2. meet with their current college advisor to discuss their intended plans and to map out an alternative plan should they not be admitted to Dyson.

Application Process and Timeline

  • Dyson enrolls transfer students in the fall semester only. The application for fall transfer will be available in early March. The deadline to apply is May 1, at 11:59pm ET. Applicants can expect to receive their admissions decision by late June.

What We Look For

Internal Transfer applicants should have a very strong academic record in their current program and complete all the course requirements listed below. In addition to coursework, your internal application to Dyson will be evaluated on qualitative factors such as work experience, volunteer activities, leadership positions, internships, and your ability to explain in detail why the AEM major is a good fit for you.

Eligibility Information

  • Current Cornell first- or second-year (i.e. rising second- and third-year) degree-seeking students currently enrolled outside the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business are eligible to apply for internal transfer.
  • Preference is given to current first-year applicants.

  • Students who are not eligible for internal transfer: Current third year and fourth year students; students who transferred to Cornell from another university or college; Cornell students who have already internally transferred.

Nolan School students are discouraged from applying to Dyson and will likely not be admitted. Nolan and Dyson share academic options, resources, and outcomes within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, making internal transfer between the schools nonessential.

Admission Requirements

Internal transfer applicants must meet the following requirements (or complete during the semester in which they apply) to be considered for admission:

Please note that Dyson will not accept AP or IB credit for calculus, microeconomics, or statistics. Students must take these courses at Cornell prior to enrolling in Dyson.

Current curriculum requirements are subject to change and internal transfers will be held to the major requirements for the year in which they matriculate to Dyson.

Course Recommendations

Your internal transfer application is strengthened if you take at least one quantitative course each semester. Do not feel you must choose courses from this list; it is provided for your information only. Possible courses include the following:

  • AEM 2770: Excursions in Computational Sustainability
  • AEM 3100: Business Statistics
  • AEM 4110: Introduction to Econometrics
  • AEM 4120: Computational Methods for Management and Economics
  • ECON 3110 (cross-listed as ILRST 3110): Probability Models and Inference for the Social Sciences
  • ECON 3130: Statistics and Probability
  • ECON 3140: Econometrics

Courses available to first-year students that may fulfill AEM requirements and can inform your decision to transfer to Dyson include the following:

  • AEM 2015: The Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion
  • AEM 2300 (cross-listed as ECON 2300): International Trade and Finance
  • AEM 2350: Introduction to the Economics of Development
  • ECON 1120: Introductory Macroeconomics

Note: Management, marketing, accounting, and finance courses offered as part of the university minor in business do not fulfill Dyson major requirements and therefore should not be taken by students applying to transfer. 

Essay Guidance

The essay has a maximum word count of 650. Please consider elaborating on any or all of the questions below that help you explain why you are applying to internally transfer to the Dyson School:

  • How your interest in the AEM major or the SC Johnson College of Business has developed, and how you have explored it;
  • How the Dyson School provides you with the tools and instruction you desire to pursue at Cornell, compared to other options (i.e. minoring in business) you have considered;
  • Describe your professional goals/interests and why you feel Dyson will help you to attain these goals, compared to other academic paths.
  • Describe communities and formative activities that you engage in at Cornell (work/volunteer experiences, clubs, research) and how they have shaped you;
  • Share any additional information the Dyson School should know about you (e.g. personal/family situations, independent study, summer plans) that further clarifies your interest.

Further Information and Assistance:

If you have questions, please register to attend our virtual information sessions and/or office hours. Walk-ins and special appointments are not available for internal transfer applicants.

Dates for information sessions and office hours will be posted on this page during the fall semester by the end of August, during the spring semester by the end of January.

There is no requirement to attend an information session or office hours.

Internal Transfer Virtual Information Session: 

Internal Transfer Virtual Office Hours:

Contact

If you have questions, please contact the Office of Admissions at dyson_admissions@cornell.edu