Program Overview

Introduction to the Applied Economics and Management Degree

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics and Management (AEM). This program is designed to provide students with a hands-on business education, rooted in an applied economics and management core. The AEM major prepares students with a solid foundation in management and economics, quantitative methods, and applied economics.

AEM Degree Requirements

To earn the Bachelor of Science degree in AEM, students must complete at least 120 credit hours from the following four categories:

• AEM Course Requirements
• AEM Concentration Requirements
• College Distribution Requirements
• Grand Challenges Requirements Plus, students will flesh out their schedule with free electives.

AEM Course Requirements

The Dyson core courses lay the groundwork for the applied economics and management major. Courses in macroeconomics, microeconomics, accounting, and business management provide a solid foundation, while classes like the Ethics in Business and Organization class help students put theory into practice.

AEM Concentration Requirements

All Dyson students choose at least one concentration. Each concentration—from accounting to strategy—has specific requirements and, often, the ability to select from a broader list of AEM courses (and relevant classes from other schools and colleges).

College Distribution Requirements

As a student in both the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), students will fulfill a range of distribution requirements in the physical, life, and social sciences, as well as in the humanities and writing.

Dyson Grand Challenges Requirements

Guided by faculty mentors, students will connect their coursework to complex, real-world issues through the Grand Challenges programming. Dyson Grand Challenges capstone projects align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

AEM Concentrations

Find your focus and build subject matter expertise. By your junior year, you’ll choose at least one area from among Dyson concentrations, including:

• Accounting
• Applied Economics
• Business Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Food Business Management
• International Markets and Development
• Marketing
• Strategy
• Sustainable Business and Economic Policy

College Distribution Requirements Overview

Dyson’s AEM program is part of two colleges: The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). This connection to CALS expands your scientific knowledge and human understanding in ways that other business schools can’t. The CALS distribution requirements include:

• Biological Sciences (1 course)
• Agriculture, Food Systems & Human Nutrition (1 course)
• Physical Sciences (1 course)
• Sustainability Challenges (1 course)
• Data Literacy (2 courses)
• Written and Oral Expression (3 courses)
• Ethics (1 course)
• Human Diversity (1 course)
• Cultural, Social, and Historical Understanding (2 courses)
• Engaged, Experiential, Entrepreneurial (E3) Learning Milestone

Dyson Grand Challenges

Using business for good is part of Dyson’s DNA. Guided by faculty mentors, you’ll connect your coursework to complex, real-world issues through our Grand Challenges programming. Dyson Grand Challenges capstone projects align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. You and your team will work toward solutions to SDGs like:

• No Poverty
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Life Below Water
• Decent Work and Economic Growth

Free Electives

As an applied economics and management major, you’ll get to branch out beyond the Ag Quad by taking electives from across the Cornell course catalog. Use these extra credits to pursue topics you’re passionate about, explore new-to-you disciplines, and meet students and faculty members from other colleges, schools, and departments across the university.

Year-by-Year Overview

As you work toward your applied economics and management degree at Dyson, every course and experience will prepare you for the next. You’ll begin with introductory classes that help fulfill your core requirements—and meet AEM prerequisites for more advanced coursework. In your second year and beyond, you’ll add in a concentration, minor, and elective classes and, finally, round things out with your Dyson Grand Challenges capstone project.

Academic Advising at Dyson

You have goals, and we’ll help you get there. Academic advisors at Dyson can assist your short- and long-term course planning, whether it’s helping you determine which semester is best for a study abroad experience, how to incorporate a minor, or finding elective AEM courses that match your professional goals. The Dyson Office of Student Services and Advising is also your connection to additional academic, career, physical and mental health, and other support resources across the Cornell campus.