Block plan and semester comparison

  One Course At A Time Semester Plan
Course credit value Each course is valued at 4 credit hours. Cornellians earn academic credit in the same way as students on a semester plan. Courses, typically, are valued at 3 credit hours; 4 credit hours, if they include a lab component.
Average daily class time Three to five hours. Typically, two to three hours in class (plus lab time, if applicable).
Average length of class One course at a time for 18 days per block (with more actual classroom time spent than in same class on semester schedule). Typically, four classes taken over three and one-half months. (An average of three hours per class per week.)
Number of courses per semester Four (four blocks in fall semester; four in the spring semester). Typically, four to five classes per semester.
Number of courses required for major Typically, 10 to 12 courses. Typically, 10 to 12 courses.
Number of courses required for graduation 31 course credits (124 credit hours). Typically, 32 course credits(or a minimum of 120 credit hours).
Faculty teaching load Professors teach one course at a time (an average of 17 students per course); six courses per year Professors teach three to four courses at a time with responsibility for 50 to 100 students at a small college or hundreds of students at a university.
Class registration Once per year with the flexibility to change course registration any time, even mid-semester. Once prior to the start of each semester, changes available within the first week of the semester.
Study abroad Study abroad options are plentiful. Can be conducted as part of a single Cornell block course or for one to two blocks in length or for a traditional semester or full academic year. Semester or full academic year options.
Internships Full-time, credit-bearing (in some cases) internship opportunities of one to two blocks in length, with the flexibility to pursue them in the summer and during the school year, across the nation and around the world. Typically, time availability and location are limited as students must combine with semester and campus-based courses.