The Cornell Brooks School is committed to providing every student an opportunity to participate in real world public policy work before graduation.
Serena Martin-Liguori, executive director of Long Island-based nonprofit New Hour for Women and Children, speaks to media with supporters of the bill, including Assemblyperson Anna Kelles (D-125th District) and State Senator Julia Salazar (D-18th), and Brooks School State Policy Advocacy Clinic students.
Undergraduate students who joined the Health Care Policy major in fall 2024 or later, or the Public Policy major in fall 2023 or later, are required to complete an engaged learning requirement. This requirement can be completed through pre-approved community engaged coursework or through an internship. Community applied research may also apply. Check yourcurriculum sheet for more information about what meets your engaged learning requirement.
Through the engaged learning requirement, Brooks School students make a difference in the world.
Completing the Engaged Learning Milestone
The engaged learning milestone form only needs to be completed if you wish to have a non-credit bearing opportunity considered for the requirement. If you opt to complete a course, the engaged learning milestone is not required.
You should wait until your opportunity is confirmed before you submit the form. Be sure to notify your supervisor that the form will be sent to them shortly.
If the advisor approves the opportunity, the form is routed to your supervisor
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Once your supervisor verifies some information, the advisor will notify you if the opportunity is pre-approved
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You complete the opportunity
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You request supervisor feedback by following the prompts in your pre-approval email
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Your supervisor verifies your hours worked and provides feedback
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The advisor confirms the requirement is met
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The advisor posts your engaged learning milestone to your advisement report
Engaged Learning FAQs
Can the experience be external to Cornell?
Yes, students are encouraged to get involved in public policy experiences important to them around the world.
Can Cornell Global Learning Study abroad opportunities fulfill the engaged learning requirement?
Yes, if the opportunity meets our engaged learning requirements as outlined in the curriculum sheet, it can fulfill the requirement! To have your opportunity reviewed you will need to share some materials and have the Brooks School Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management staff review the documentation. Complete the curriculum substitution petition if the opportunity is credit bearing. Complete the engaged learning milestone form if the opportunity is not credit bearing.
How long does it take for the experience to be reviewed?
Advisors aim to review experiences within one week, but depending on unique circumstances of the experience it can take up to four weeks for an experience to be reviewed. Students should submit engaged learning milestone attestation forms as soon as possible.
Can a student request a review of a previously completed experience?
Pre-review of experiences is highly encouraged to ensure the experience meets the requirement before completion. However, sometimes it is necessary for a previously completed experience to be reviewed, particularly for change of major, internal transfer for external transfer students. The experience must have taken place after the student has matriculated in a degree granting program. The curriculum was designed for students to complete the engaged learning requirement during junior or senior year. This allows students to build upon the important training in the public policy curriculum. Petitions to complete this requirement during the first or second year will only be approved on a very limited basis. Students are encouraged to speak with advisors in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management to plan accordingly. Whenever possible, it is to the student’s benefit to seek advanced review of the experience.
Can an experience be reviewed before the position/experience has been secured?
Our advising staff are happy to pre-review experiences before students go through the application and interview process, pending that sufficient information is available to assess the experience.
Can a student count an experience that took place in high school?
No, the goal of this curriculum requirement is for students to apply your college level public policy coursework towards a real-world experience.
Can a student count an experience that was completed at another university before transferring to Cornell?
The experience must take place after the student matriculates in a degree granting program. The curriculum was designed for students to complete the engaged learning requirement during junior or senior year. This allows students to build upon the important training in the public policy curriculum. Petitions to count experiences completed prior to transferring to Cornell will be approved on a very limited basis. In addition, a supervisor’s statement will need to be obtained to fully assess the experience. Students are encouraged to speak with advisors in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management to plan accordingly. Whenever possible, it is to the student’s benefit to seek advanced review of the experience.
Can I overlap my engaged learning course with another major requirement?
Starting with the 2024-2025 curriculum sheet, all Brooks School students can overlap their engaged learning course with another major requirement, such as their PUBPOL elective credits. If you are a PUBPOL student on the 2023-2024 curriculum sheet and would like to switch to the newer curriculum sheet, please email BrooksRegistrar@cornell.edu.
I am a first-year student, am I eligible to complete the engaged learning experience yet?
The curriculum was designed for students to complete the engaged learning requirement during junior or senior year. This allows students to build upon the important training in the public policy curriculum. Petitions to complete this requirement during the first or second year will only be approved on a very limited basis. Students are encouraged to speak with advisors in the Brooks Office of Admissions, Student Services and Career Management to plan accordingly. Whenever possible, it is to the student’s benefit to seek advanced review of the experience.
