The OCAAT Advantage

Cornell creates an extraordinary academic adventure that cultivates intelligence, creativity, and curiosity. Each course you take will awaken you further to the collaborative, student-focused spirit that's integral to a Cornell education. You'll also have the freedom to explore in our curriculum, including individualized majors and interdisciplinary requirements designed to help you integrate knowledge across disciplines. Along the way, you'll discover all the opportunities, support, and inspiration that will help you define your future at Cornell and beyond.

Learning the Cornell Way

Block breaks


At Cornell, you'll get a midyear and a spring break like all college students. But, because of OCAAT, you also get "block breaks." After finishing each block, you take a four-day weekend before starting the next term. Each break can be a celebration, a respite, or an adventure. Visit family, take a road trip, travel with athletic teams and performing arts groups, or hang out with friends on campus. With no papers or tests to worry about, your long weekend can be pure fun.

Get out there


Learning at Cornell isn't restricted to the classroom—or even the continent. OCAAT's flexibility lets you do it all, from day trips and courses that spend days or weeks off campus to full-time internships, independent studies, and fellowships to lengthy study-abroad experiences through Cornell, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest or the School for International Training. Because you take just one course at a time, our faculty can conduct a day's class or the entire block off campus, or even out of the country.

Study jazz in New Orleans, art in New York, and economics in Chicago. Study Spanish in Spain, Renaissance art in Italy, archaeology in Greece, or meditation in India. This year roughly 25 Cornell courses will travel off campus studying in places such as the Bahamas, Japan, England, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, the Boundary Waters, and Chicago. Beginning in the fall of 2012, one to two classes a block will be based in the college's new McLennan Center in downtown Chicago.

Find Your Major


  • Majors
  • Archaeology
  • Art (Studio Art)
  • Art (History)
  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Classical Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Economics and Business
  • Elementary Education
  • English and Creative Writing
  • Environmental Studies
  • Ethnic Studies
  • French
  • Geology
  • German
  • History
  • International Relations
  • Kinesiology
  • Latin American Studies
  • Mathematics
  • Medieval and Early Modern Studies
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Politics
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • Russian
  • Russian Studies
  • Secondary Education
  • Sociology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Spanish
  • Theatre
  • Theatre & Communications
  • Women's Studies
  • Minors
  • Anthropology
  • Art, Studio
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Classical Studies
  • Civic Engagement
  • Computer Science
  • English
  • French
  • Geology
  • German
  • German Studies
  • Latin American Studies
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Politics
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • Russian
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Theatre
  • Women's Studies
  • Pre-Professional Programs
  • Architecture
  • Dentistry
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Forestry and Environmental Management
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Social Work/Human Services
  • Theology
  • Veterinary Medicine

Extraordinary Academics

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