Weill Cornell Graduate School Non-Degree Admissions

Weill Cornell Graduate School welcomes a limited number of non-degree students each year to take specific in-person courses.

Non-degree students from schools that have a formal cross-enrollment program with Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (e.g., Rockefeller University), should contact the Registrar of their home institution for information on enrolling in classes at WCGS.

For all other non-degree learners, there are different applicable rules if a non-degree learner wants to enroll in a PhD-level or MS-level course. Details are below.

Apply to enroll as a non-degree student.

Enrollment for Non-Degree Students in Doctoral (PhD) Level Courses

Enrollment as a non-degree student in PhD-level courses at WCGS is limited to individuals who are currently:

1. Employed in a post-doctoral or research technician position at WCM; or
2. Postbaccalaureate students enrolled in a WCM program; or
3. Staff members in the lab of any faculty member with a WCGS faculty appointment.

People that do not fall into one of these three categories are not eligible to take PhD-level classes at WCGS as a non-degree learner.

Those approved for non-degree enrollment will be registered on an audit basis and are not eligible to take WCGS PhD classes for credit. Auditing a course means a student regularly attends class sessions but might not participate in all aspects of the course.

Non-degree enrollment is at the discretion of the course director and some may impose restrictions or prerequisites. If accepted into a class as an auditor, there will no tuition charge. Classes taken on an audit basis at WCGS cannot later be taken for credit.

Eligible non-degree learners who wish to enroll in WCGS PhD courses are required to follow the process outlined below.

1. Get approval from supervisor to attend a WCGS course.
2. Contact the professor of the course via email to inquire about availability (documentation of completed pre-requisite coursework may be needed).
3. If the professor approves of the enrollment, contact the Associate Dean, Program Development for their confirmation of your eligibility as a non-degree learner.
4. Once all approvals are received, submit the Non-Degree Seeking Student Application. With the application, you will need to upload all your approval emails.
5. You will receive an email notification (to the email listed on the application) once enrolled as an auditor.

Enrollment for Non-Degree Seeking Students in Masters (MS) Level Courses

Non-degree learners for the Clinical and Translational Science program must apply directly to that program and follow all program rules/requirements. Non-degree enrollment for courses in the MS in Healthcare Leadership/Executive MBA program is limited to alumni from that dual degree program. Interested alumni must apply directly to that program for consideration.

For all other programs:

Enrollment as a non-degree student in MS-level courses at WCGS is limited to individuals who are currently employed by Weill Cornell Medicine. Persons not employed at Weill Cornell Medicine are not eligible to take MS-level classes at WCGS as a non-degree learner.

Eligible non-degree learners can opt to take a MS-level class on an audit basis (no credit awarded) or for academic credit.

Auditing a course means a student regularly attends class sessions but might not participate in all aspects of the course. Some courses may impose restrictions or prerequisites, or not allow auditing, as determined by the course director. Classes taken on an audit basis at WCGS cannot later be taken for credit.

WCM employees who wish to enroll as non-degree students in WCGS MS courses are required to follow the process outlined below.

1. Contact the professor of the course and leadership for that program via email to inquire about availability (documentation of completed pre-requisite coursework may be needed);
2. Once both the program and faculty approve, complete the Non-Degree Seeking Student Application. With the application, you will need to upload your approval email(s) from the instructor and the program.
3. Submit the Non-Degree Application to the Office of the Registrar for processing and enrollment. You will receive an email notification (to the email listed on the application) once enrolled.

Tuition:

All non-degree learners accepted to take an MS-level course at WCGS will be assessed a per-credit tuition charge. Applicable per-credit tuition and fees are located here. This per-credit tuition charge is assessed whether the student takes the class on a credited basis or as an auditor. In addition, non-degree students are also subject to the WCM Technology fee, Administration Fee and Library Fee.

Non-degree learners are not subject to the Health Service Fee as they are not eligible to use WCM Student Health Services.

WCM employees may be eligible to use their tuition benefit to cover the cost of enrolling in WCGS courses. Contact your HR benefits representative for further details regarding tuition reimbursement and to complete the necessary documentation.

Applicable tuition and fees must be remitted to the Office of Student Accounting no later than seven (7) days after the start of the course. It is each student’s responsibility to make payment arrangements to cover tuition and fees for each term by this payment due date.  Non-degree learners that fail to pay both tuition and fees by that deadline will be dropped from the course.

Non-degree learners that choose to drop or withdraw from the class after payment is received may be eligible for a partial/full refund of tuition charges.  The effective date of the withdrawal/drop will be used to determine whether a tuition refund is applicable and if applicable what the amount of the refund will be.  

In accordance with the tuition refund policy at Cornell University, students who withdraw from the Medical College will be charged tuition from the first day of classes to the effective date of the withdrawal as follows: