Cornell University Registrar

Program Description

Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA) major combines innovative design thinking with insightful design research to understand how the built environment impacts our daily lives. Through multi-disciplinary training in human-centered design, environmental psychology, ergonomics, and facility strategy and management, we tackle problems from a systems view - people, process and place - to create strategic, sustainable healthy futures by design.

The program offers an integrative, flexible curriculum that is student-centric. In addition to the Human Ecology credits, undergraduate students complete a total of 65 DEA credits; 34 credits in common core foundation courses and then choose nine courses, three of which must be studios to build expertise within a focus area utilizing thematic courses within the major, as well as electives from the broad course offerings within Human Ecology and at Cornell. The undergraduate curriculum thematic courses are organized around the following three primary themes: Design, Innovation & Strategy, Sustainable Futures, and Health & Well-Being.  Students can also elect to complete a minor, honor's thesis, or pursue an off-campus study experience.

Diverse faculty backgrounds and teaching approaches help students to develop multidisciplinary problem-solving and creative abilities, aesthetic judgment, and analytical thinking. Students explore innovative concepts for the design and management of physical environments of varying scales through courses, studios, laboratories, shop, field experience, and applied research. Examples of student class projects and faculty work are frequently on display in the MVR gallery. Our dLibrary includes books, journals, and materials collections for students to use as resources for their course work and research.

Academic Standards

• A maximum of 15 credits of AP credit and in absentia credit can count towards the 120 total credits. 
• A maximum of 15 credits of Study Abroad/Exchange, Cornell-In-Washington or Capital Semester can count towards total electives. 

Student Policies

The DEA student policies apply specifically to undergraduate students enrolled in the Design and Environmental Analysis major. DEA majors must also adhere to all Cornell University and College of Human Ecology (CHE) policies and requirements.

Honors Program

The honors program, which leads to a B.S. degree with honors in Design and Environmental Analysis, gives official recognition to undergraduate students who have demonstrated excellence in their academic work and their capacity for independent research. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for their major, students in the honors program prepare and orally defend an honors thesis. Honors students work with a research mentor in preparing for their thesis. Interested students should obtain a DEA Honors Program application form online. For more information, students should visit the DEA honors website or contact the DEA Honors Representative, Dr. Rana Zadeh.

Academic Advising

By the beginning of their first semester, all DEA majors are assigned a faculty advisor by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Consultation with faculty advisors about future goals, graduation requirements, sequences of courses, and electives inside or outside the college helps students develop their academic programs. Students are free to request change of advisors. Although advisors should be consulted about students' schedules during course enrollment each semester, it is the student's responsibility to keep track of his or her courses and to make sure that they make good progress towards graduation requirements for their major and college.

Program Information

• Instruction Mode: In Person
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Minimum Credits for Degree: 120

Program Requirements

In addition to college requirements, students in the DEA Major must complete specific requirements listed here.

The requirements listed below pertain to all students matriculating in August 2025 and January 2026.

Policies

• Sequential Course Progression: Students must proceed through the DEA curriculum numerically, taking all 1000-level courses before enrolling in 2000-level courses and above. Students should not ask instructors to enroll / be put on a wait list if they have not completed all prerequisites. 
• For 2000- level and above studio courses, students must complete all 1000-level Core courses, including DEA 1101, DEA 1110, and DEA 1501 with a minimum of a B-. 
• Prerequisites must be completed prior to enrolling in a 2000-level and above DEA course.

Core Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
DEA 1101	Visual Literacy and Design Studio	4
DEA 1110	Making a Difference by Design	3
DEA 1140	Principles of Design Computing	3
DEA 1150	Design Graphics and Visualization	4
DEA 1501	Introduction to Environmental Psychology - Writing in the Major	4
DEA 2025	Impactful Graphics: Visual Communication for Social Impact	3
DEA 2510	History of Design Futures	3
DEA 2730	Human Centered Design Methods	3
DEA 3550	Research Methods in Human-Environment Relations	3
DEA 4040	Professional Practices and Ethics	2
DEA 4050	Design Portfolio and Communication	3
DEA 4590	Problem-Seeking through Programming	3
DEA 4800	Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change	3
Total Hours		41

Thematic Courses

Choose nine courses from the list below, one course from each thematic area is required. Letter grade only. Students must take at least one studio at the 2000-level, 3000-level, and 4000-level. Students may not take more than 2 studios in one semester, this includes both DEA and non-DEA studios. DEA 4990 Senior Honors Thesis can count towards one Thematic area.

Design Innovation & Strategy

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
DEA 2200
DEA 2201	Magnifying Small Spaces Studio	4
DEA 2203		4
DEA 2750	Lighting Design: Light InForming Space	3
DEA 3050	Construction Documentation: CAD and BIM	3
DEA 3301	Design UX with Technology Studio	4
DEA 3306	Generative Design Studio	4
DEA 3530	Planning and Managing the Workplace: Evidence-Based Design and Organizational Ecology	3
DEA 4402	Disruptive Design: Competitions Studio	4
DEA 4403	Technopoetics-Designing Tomorrow	4
DEA 4040	Professional Practices and Ethics	2
DEA 4375	Business Design	3
DEA 4500	Policy Meets Design: High-Impact Facilities of the 21st Century	3
DEA 4990	Senior Honors Thesis	1-15
DEA 5210	Interaction Design Studio	4
DEA 5520	Virtual Experience of Designed Environments	3
DEA 5540	Workplace Strategy Studio	4

Sustainable Futures

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
DEA 2020	Introduction to Sustainable Design	3
DEA 2040
DEA 2422
DEA 3030	Materials for Design and Sustainability	3
DEA 3302	The New Typologies: Design Strategy Studio	4
DEA 3500	The Ambient Environment	3
DEA 4025	Design for Change: Imagining Decolonial Futures	3
DEA 4220	Ecological Literacy and Design	3
DEA 4401	Adaptive Reuse Studio: Recycling the Built Environment	4
DEA 4990	Senior Honors Thesis	1-15

Health & Well-Being

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
DEA 2700	Healthy Places: Design, Planning and Public Health	3
DEA 3308	Positive Design Studio	4
DEA 3510	Human Factors and Inclusive Design	3
DEA 4700	Applied Ergonomic Methods	3
DEA 4990	Senior Honors Thesis	1-15
DEA 5500	Designing for Material Affect	3
DEA 5560
DEA 5700	Designing Age Friendly Environments	3

Social Sciences

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Psychology.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
HD 1120	People in Perspective: Brain, Mind, and Society	3
HD 1130	Introduction to Human Development	3
PSYCH 1101	Introduction to Psychology	3

Introductory Microeconomics

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Microeconomics.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ECON 1110	Introductory Microeconomics	3

Humanities (3-4 Credits)

Choose any course with the Course Distribution: Historical Analysis (HA or HST-AS), Literature and the Arts (LA or ALC-AS), or Cultural Analysis (CA).

Quantitative Analysis

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Statistics.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Select one of the following:
PUBPOL 2100	Introduction to Statistics	4
AEM 2100	Introductory Statistics	4
ILRST 2100	Introductory Statistics and Data Science	4
PSYCH 2500	Statistics and Research Design	3

Natural Science I

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Natural Science I.

Choose one of the following:

Biology

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BIOG 1140	Foundations of Biology	3-4
or BIOG 1440	Introductory Biology: Comparative Physiology
or BIOG 1445	Introduction to Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Individualized Instruction
or BIOMG 1350	Introductory Biology: Cell and Developmental Biology
or BIOEE 1610	Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment

Chemistry

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
CHEM 1560	Introduction to General Chemistry	3
or CHEM 2070	General Chemistry I
or CHEM 2080	General Chemistry II

Physics

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PHYS 1101	General Physics I	4
or PHYS 2207	Fundamentals of Physics I
or PHYS 1102	General Physics II
or PHYS 2208	Fundamentals of Physics II

Note: No lab is required.

Natural Science II (3-4 credits)

Must be taken at Cornell, AP credits are not accepted for Natural Science II. Choose any 3 credit course with a PBS, BIO-AS, PHS-AS, BIOLS-AG, or BIONLS-AG Course Distribution.

Additional Distribution Coursework (6 Credits)

Any course with the Course Distribution PBS, ALC-AS, ETM-AS, HST-AS, SCD-AS, SSC-AS, SDS-AS, SMR-AS, BIOLS-AG, BIONLS-AG, SBA, KCM, MQR, LA, CA, or HA. Language courses may count here.

Electives (Variable)

Any courses that are not taken in the above categories count as an Elective.

University Graduation Requirements

Requirements for All Students

In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.

Academic Requirements

A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.

Non-academic Requirements

Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.

Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.

Additional Requirements for Undergraduate Students

The University has two requirements for graduation that must be fulfilled by all undergraduate students: the swim requirement, and completion of two physical education courses. For additional information about fulfilling University Graduation Requirements, see the Physical Education website.

Physical Education

All incoming undergraduate students are required to take two credits (two courses) of Physical Education prior to graduation. It is recommended they complete the two courses during their first year at Cornell. Credit in Physical Education may be earned by participating in courses offered by the Department of Athletics and Physical Education and Cornell Outdoor Education, by being a registered participant on a varsity athletic team, or performing in the marching band.

Students with medical concerns should contact the Office of Student Disability Services. 

College of Human Ecology Graduation Requirements

It is important for students to track their graduation progress by comparing their Advisement Report in Student Center and current transcript with an appropriate curriculum sheet. Official transcripts may be obtained at the Office of the University Registrar (B07 Day Hall). Curriculum sheets are available on the Human Ecology website. Students are responsible for planning course selections to ensure that graduation requirements are fulfilled in eight semesters. Transfer students are allowed fewer semesters based on the number of transferable credits granted at admission. Students requiring additional semesters to fulfill their graduation requirements must meet with a Human Ecology counselor (1210 MVR Hall) and request to petition for an extension.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement for Graduation

• Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C) or better to graduate.

Credit Requirements

Cornell Credit Requirements

• To graduate, a student must earn a minimum of 120 academic credits. Physical education credits and 10XX courses do not count toward the 120 required credits.
• Of the 120 credits required to graduate, at least 60 credits must be earned at Cornell University (applicable to transfer students).
• Students who matriculate as first-years may apply a maximum of 15 non-Cornell credits earned toward the 120 credits required for graduation. These credits include AP, IB, and college credits earned elsewhere. Refer to Advanced Placement Credit for full details.
• No college credit earned before matriculation and used to meet Cornell's minimum admission requirements may be counted in the 120 credits required for graduation. This policy does not apply to transfer students.
• Courses taught by a college in the high school setting or counted toward high school graduation are not allowed to count for either credits or fulfillment of requirements (i.e., Syracuse Project Advance).
• Cornell extramural credit (defined below) is limited to 15 credits toward the 120 required.
• Strict limitations exist on the number of credits that can be applied toward the 120-credit minimum for special studies courses (including but not limited to 4000, 4010, 4020), for 4030 courses, and for courses taken with an optional S–U grade. Details follow.

Human Ecology Credit Requirements

The college divides the 120 minimum required academic credits into four general categories. (Students should refer to curriculum sheets for their major for specific details on course selections. Curriculum sheets are available on the college website.) These categories are detailed below.

• College distribution
  • Natural sciences
  • Social sciences
  • First-year writing seminars
  • Humanities
  • Quantitative and analytical courses (math and statistics)
• Major Requirements
• Elective credits
• Physical education

Human Ecology General Requirements 

Human Ecology Core Courses 

Students must complete these three courses in their first three semesters (beginning with students entering in Fall 2024):

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
HE 1800	Blazing Your Trail in Human Ecology (Required in the first fall semester of matriculation to HE (first-year students only))	1
HE 1850	Introduction to Human Ecology (Required in the first spring semester of matriculation to HE Human Ecology (first-year, internal & external transfers) )	1
HE 2000	Social Justice, Thriving, and the Human Experience (First-Year students will complete HE 2000 in their third semester. ) 1	3

¹

Internal and external transfer students must complete HE 2000 in their first fall in Human Ecology.

Human Ecology Credits: 45 credits from College Distribution, Major Requirements and Electives. 

• Courses from: DEA, FSAD, HD, NS, PUBPOL at any level or Human Ecology (HE) non-departmental courses above the 1500-level.

• Students must enroll in a minimum of one 3-credit course each semester in HE for their first four semesters, excluding winter and summer sessions.
• Additional course-specific rules are listed below.

S–U grading rules for this requirement are as follows:

1. If a course is a requirement in College Distribution or Major Requirements, the course may not be taken for an S–U grade (unless it is the only grade option offered for the course).
2. Courses used to count toward Electives that are taken for an S–U grade may also count toward the 45 credit requirement.
3. Students should refer to the section on S–U grading rules for full S–U grading details.

​Human Ecology Credits Outside the Major: 11 credits  

• Students must complete 11 Human Ecology (HE) credits from outside their major department or PUBPOL at any level or HE above 1500 level.  ​
• FWS, HE non-departmental courses below the 1500 level, Statistics and Research Methods courses (PUBPOL 2100, PUBPOL 3120, DEA 3550, or 
• HD 2830), Special Studies (4000, 4010, 4020), and teaching assistantships (HE 4030) do not count toward this requirement.
• These can be taken S/U only if course is NOT used to fulfill a curriculum requirement.
• A maximum of 3 credits from the 4000–4020 special-studies series may be applied to this requirement. 
• Additional course-specific rules are listed below.

S–U grading rules for this requirement are as follows:

1. If a course counting toward the 9 credit outside-the-major requirement is also a requirement in College Distribution or Major Requirements, the course may not be taken for an S–U grade unless it is the only grade option offered for the course.
2. Courses used to count toward Electives that are taken for an S–U grade may also count toward the 9 credit outside-the-major requirement.
3. Students should refer to the section on S–U grading rules for full S–U grading details.

Course-specific rules that apply to both the 45 Human Ecology credit requirement and the 11 Human Ecology credit outside-the-major requirement:

1. Human Ecology (prefix HE) courses below the 1500-level (e.g., HE 1115) do not count toward either the 45 credit requirement or the 11 credit outside-the-major requirement. These HE–prefix courses that are below 1500-level may be used as elective credit.
2. Experiential credit is applied to Human Ecology's 45 and 11 credit outside-the-major requirements as follows:
   • Capital Semester (HE 4970). All students earn:
     • Human Ecology credits and 8 credits toward the 9 credit outside-the-major requirement.

• Cornell in Washington (PUBPOL 4060).
  • For this entire semester, Public Policy majors earn 8 credits toward the 43 credit requirement, which also count as 8 Public Policy credits.
  • Non–Public Policy majors earn 8 credits toward the 45 credit requirement, which also count as 8 credits toward the 11 credit outside-the-major requirement. The remainder of the credits counts as elective credit.

Elective Credits

Students have individual objectives in choosing courses beyond the minimum requirements of the major. The university is diverse; the departments, centers, and special programs numerous; and the fields of study almost unlimited. Counselors and faculty advisors are available to discuss which courses may interest students and best round out their education. Elective credits can be earned in the endowed and contract colleges of Cornell.

Course Distribution Requirements

Course Distributions are groups of courses categorized by course content. Some requirements on your Curriculum Sheet direct you to choose courses with a specific distribution. This is common for Humanities or Additional Credit requirements, depending on your major.

Minimum Semester Requirements

1. Students enrolling in the college as first-years must enroll in a minimum of one 3-credit course each semester in HE for their first four semesters, excluding winter and summer sessions (beginning with students entering in fall 2022).
2. Students must carry 12 credits each semester, excluding physical education, to be matriculated as full-time students. Mature students must carry a minimum of 6 credits each semester (see Mature Student Guidelines for details).
3. In special cases, a student may petition to carry between 8 and 12 credits. Forms for petitioning this exception and advice on how to proceed are available in the Human Ecology Registrar's Office (1204 MVR Hall).

Special Studies

• A maximum of 12 credits of special study course work from Human Ecology or other colleges will count towards the 120 overall credits. Courses will be indicated on the class roster with a Component of either IND or RSC. (Additional credits can be taken but will not be applied.)
• A maximum of 12 credits of 4000-4030 may count toward the 43 HE credit requirement.
• A maximum of 3 credits of 4000-4020 (not including 4030) may count towards the 9 HE credits outside the major requirement as long as the special study is in a department outside the student's major.
• Students cannot TA (4030) the same course for credit more than once or take and TA the same course simultaneously.  4030 does not fulfill any requirements towards the major.  Registration for 4030 may not exceed 5 credit hours per semester.

10XX Courses

• 10XX numbered courses do not count toward graduation requirements but do count toward full-time semester status.

Requirements for Majors

• Students must fulfill the requirements specified for a major that are in effect at the time of their matriculation or thereafter. The requirements are detailed in curriculum sheets that are maintained for each academic year.

S-U Grade Options

• The S-U grading option may not be used for College Distribution courses or required major courses unless it is the only grade option offered for those courses. S-U grades may be used for the 9 credits of Human Ecology course work outside of one's major and for Electives.
• Students may apply no more than 12 credits of S-U toward the 120 credits required for graduation. If a required course is offered only S-U, it will not count toward this limit. Also, Honors Research 4990 taken S-U does not count against the 12 maximum limit. Students may take more S-U courses if they choose, but the additional credit may not be applied toward graduation.

First-Year Writing Seminars

In each of their first two semesters of matriculation at the College of Human Ecology, students are required to take a Knight Program First-Year Writing Seminar. This policy also applies to transfer students. One or more of the seminars may be waived for transfer students if the college registrar grants credit for equivalent course work taken before matriculation at Cornell.

Those who do not fulfill this requirement on time will be referred to the Committee on Academic Status. Refer to Criteria for Good Standing on Policies and Procedures page for specifics on warning statuses that the committee applies to students who do not complete this requirement.

First-year writing seminars must be taken at Cornell and may not be taken in absentia. Students who receive a score of 5 on either the English Literature and Composition or English Language and Composition Advanced Placement (AP) exams can be exempt from one semester of their first-year writing seminar requirements. No other AP scores will allow a student this exemption or allow for elective credits in the college. Students should be aware that the add/drop period for first-year writing seminars may be shorter in duration than the add/drop period for most Cornell classes.

Ithaca College and Study Abroad Credits

Any credits earned with the Ithaca College exchange program are considered Cornell credits for the purpose of fulfilling the 60 Cornell credit graduation requirement. They may not be used for Human Ecology credit. Study abroad, including exchange, courses may also count as Cornell credit (but not for Human Ecology credit).

Advanced Placement Credit

Students can earn advanced placement credit from one of the following:

1. The requisite score on a departmental examination at Cornell (usually given during orientation week) or on a College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) achievement test. The requisite scores for the CEEB exams are determined by the relevant department at Cornell, vary by subject, and are listed in the beginning of this catalog. College-specific rules apply toward many AP courses such as biology, English literature, English composition, and statistics.
2. A regular course taught at an accredited college to college students and approved by the relevant department at Cornell. Some departments have delegated the review of courses to college staff according to guidelines they have formulated. Some departments review each request individually. Some departments accept credit from virtually all accredited colleges; some do not.
3. Credit from the International Baccalaureates (IB) is evaluated individually.
4. Refer to Cornell Credit Requirements for details on how many Advanced Placement (AP) credits can be applied toward the 120 credits needed for graduation.

Note: Cornell does not accept credit for courses sponsored by colleges but taught in high schools to high school students, at colleges if enrollment is targeted at high school students, or if the course was used toward high school credit. This is true even if the college provides a transcript of such work. These courses also may not be used to fulfill college requirements. Students who have taken such courses may, however, take the appropriate CEEB test to qualify for credit as in paragraph 1 above. For further information and limitations on Advanced Placement credit, see the front pages of this catalog.

Foreign Language Study and Placement

Students who studied a foreign language before coming to Cornell and who want to continue must take either the CEEB test in that language or a Cornell departmental language placement test. Students should contact the appropriate language department for testing schedules. Human Ecology students who plan to work with non-English–speaking people in this country or abroad often find it necessary to be proficient in another language. Many study abroad programs in non–English-speaking countries require the equivalent of two years of college-level language study.

Extramural Credit

Extramural credit is administered by the Office of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions (B20 Day Hall, (607) 255-4987). Extramural credit is charged by the credit hour at the endowed tuition rate. Students may count only 15 credits of extramural credit toward their degree requirements. A student may enroll for extramural credit during the fall or spring semester only if he or she is not registered in the College of Human Ecology. For example, some students enroll for extramural credit before matriculating at Cornell.

An exception to this rule is credit earned in the Ithaca College exchange program. Students enrolled in this program simultaneously maintains their status as students registered in the College of Human Ecology.

Math Requirement

Students may meet the college level requirement in one of the following ways.

• Any Cornell math course except MATH 1101 Calculus Preparation or MATH 1710 Statistical Theory and Application in the Real World.
  or
• Any Cornell statistics course
  or
• Score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam. (Other AP math credit could be used toward graduation credit but may not be used to meet the math requirement)

Notes:

• Departments may impose additional requirements for majors or specify courses within this requirement.
• Students entering as transfers may apply to have their statistics or math courses approved, but pre-calculus courses will no longer meet this requirement or receive graduation credit.