Cornell Tech Campus Opens Applications for First Class

An artist’s rendering of the campus proposed by Cornell University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. (Courtesy of Cornell University)

NEW YORK—Cornell University’s New York City campus is now accepting applications for its first class of 20 students—a one-year Cornell Master of Engineering degree in computer science. 

“We’re calling this the ‘beta’ class because these students will help shape the future of this new educational institution,” said Daniel Huttenlocher, dean of the campus, in a release. “Candidates for the beta class must be future tech leaders, with not only the highest academic credentials but also strong entrepreneurial interests, leadership skills and a passion for community engagement.” 

Applications are due by Oct. 1. “Getting in won’t be easy, but if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

Cornell says the program is geared toward students with undergraduate education “in computer science or a closely related field, who seek advanced credentials for employment in industry or for deeper technological expertise to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams.”

Part of the class will feature a project co-supervised by a faculty member and industry mentor. Courses will run Monday through Thursday with Fridays used for workshops. 

An artist’s rendering of the proposed main building's interior. (Courtesy of Cornell University)

More one-year programs are planned for the future, in fields including electrical and computer engineering and a tech-oriented MBA. 

Cornell won a city applied science campus competition in December with its partner Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. Google Inc. CEO Larry Page announced in May that Google would give Cornell 22,000 square feet of office space in Chelsea free of charge while Cornell’s permanent campus on Roosevelt Island is being built. The free lease is for five and a half years, or once the new campus is built; whichever comes first. 

Cornell’s $2 billion, 2 million square foot permanent campus is slated to open in 2017. When completed it will house up to 2,000 full-time graduate engineering students.

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