(Title 5, Sections 40500, 40501, 40505, 40507) A minimum of 60 units overall must be upper division (defined as any course completed by the student at the 300- or 400-level; this could include transfer work completed at the upper-division level at a four-year institution).
Because Cal Poly degrees are always granted for the term in which requirements are completed, additional requirements may vary, depending on the amount of time elapsed and on the major field, in order to reconcile the curriculum of an older catalog with current trends in the academic discipline.
Lower division courses sometimes count as prerequisites for upper division classes. That means an undergraduate must take, and pass, a lower division class before enrolling in an upper division course.
All Cal Poly students who are seeking a degree, including Master's degrees and teaching credentials, must fulfill the GWR before a diploma can be awarded. Graduate and postbaccalaureate students must attempt to fulfill the GWR during their first quarter in residence at Cal Poly if they do not qualify for a GWR substitution.
Students must demonstrate competency in writing skills (as described below). A senior project is required for all Cal Poly students (as described below). Extension credit or credit by examination may not be used to fulfill the residence requirements.
Academic Grading Symbols EarnedSymbolDefinitionGrade Points Earned Per UnitBGood Attainment of Course Objectives3.0B-Good Attainment of Course Objectives2.7C+Acceptable Attainment of Course Objectives2.3CAcceptable Attainment of Course Objectives2.010 more rows
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,) is a public university in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the first of three polytechnics in the California State University system.
A minimum of 16 units must be completed. See also the Interdisciplinary General Education Program (IGE) Section, which is the pattern recommended for students in Engineering and Architecture.
Every year, you must: Complete GE Areas A2 and B4 (appropriate to your major) by summer semester of your first year (if you're a part of the 4-Year California Promise).
Cal Poly Athletics is home to 21 NCAA Division I teams mainly within the Big West Conference and have captured almost 50 conference championships.
Despite stories of generations of families being educated at Cal Poly, there is no legacy system at the university.
Critical Thinking courses promise to show their students how the disciplinary practices being introduced in that class use at least three of the following lenses: (1) reasoning, (2) representation, (3) cultural judgment, (4) information literacy, and (5) metacognitive reflection.
To be eligible to receive priority registration, the student must be registered with the DRC and have a disability-related need which meets one or more of the following criteria: The student's approved accommodations require significant time for DRC to arrange (interpreting, alternate format conversion, etc.).
An unrestricted elective is permission granted by the university to take any class you want. It can broaden your college experience; e.g., a "fun" class.
To be admitted to the California State University as an upper-division transfer (UDT) student, you must: have completed a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of transferable coursework; have an overall college GPA of at least 2.00; your GPA is calculated using all your transfer units attempted.
Grading Standards in General Education (GE) A grade of "D" (1.0) or better is required to satisfy all other GE requirements. [A grade of "D minus" (0.7) or lower is not a passing grade.]
General Education courses are required classes taken by students enrolled in traditional four-year degree programs at accredited academic institutions. These courses focus on central ideas in Western societies, such as psychology, sociology, English literature and political science.
For the elective upper-division courses, we combine two subfields to create three areas-of upper division credit: A) American institutions and processes, B) legal and theoretical foundations , and C) international and comparative politics.
This area, Comparative Politics and International Relations, is comprised of those two subfields. Students are required to take at least two courses (6 units) in this area. If students wish, they can choose to take some of their additional 6 units of elective credits in this area. Although not required, students should finish the corresponding core course before enrolling in the upper-division course.
This area, Legal and Theoretical Foundations, is comprised of two subfields, Public Law and Political Theory. Students are required to take at least two courses (6 units) in this area. If students wish, they can choose to take some of their additional 6 units of elective credits in this area. Although not required, students should finish the corresponding core course before enrolling in the upper-division course.
This area, American Institutions and Processes, is comprised of two subfields, American Politics and Public Administration. Students are required to take at least two courses (6 units) in this area. If students wish, they can choose to take some of their additional 6 units of elective credits in this area. Although not required, students should finish the corresponding core course before enrolling in the upper-division course.
This area, called "other", is a list of additional classes that do not fit in the above three areas. After taking two courses in each of the above three areas (18 units), students are required to take an additional two courses (6 units) in any other upper-division political science course they have not yet taken. That includes all classes listed above, but also these courses:
We recommend that before enrolling in an upper-division course, students complete the corresponding core/lower-division course. Consult the Road Map for more information about the order in which you should take these classes.
General Graduation Requirements. There are eight general requirements which all students must meet in order to earn the bachelor's degree from Cal Poly and participate in commencement. The more students understand their progress toward meeting these requirements and relate them to the many programs available, the better the chance ...
Pass a GWR-certified course with a grade of C or better (C- or below does not qualify). The course may be taken on a credit/no credit basis, but the student must earn a minimum grade of C in order to satisfy the GWR component of the class. Available sections of GWR-certified courses are searchable in the class schedule.
The Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR) is a CSU Board of Trustees mandate designed to ensure that students can write proficiently before they enter the professional workforce. All Cal Poly students who are seeking a degree, including Master's degrees and teaching credentials, must fulfill the GWR before a diploma can be awarded.
Completed all degree requirements and have not participated in a previous commencement ceremony; Be currently enrolled in classes that will complete all of that student's degree requirements; or, Be registered for classes for the following term that will allow the student to complete all of their degree requirements.
Extension credit or credit by examination may not be used to fulfill the residence requirements. However, a maximum of 36 quarter units of extension credit may be counted toward the bachelor's degree. Disciplinary Condition.
Students should plan their degree programs carefully and review them frequently with their advisors. Students are strongly encouraged to access their Degree Progress Report frequently, including after they register each quarter, to verify that courses in which they enrolled are fulfilling requirements as expected.
Area D provides students with an understanding of how social, political, and economic institutions and behaviors are historically and inextricably interwoven. Students learn, via social scientific inquiry, how the human experience is shaped by broad societal and cultural traditions and structures as well as by individual factors. Courses in this area also emphasize writing as an integral part of the process of learning and discovery. Courses that emphasize skills development and professional preparation are excluded from Area D. Lower-division courses provide a broad foundation for in depth experiences in upper-division courses.
CR1 Enrollment prerequisites list completion of Areas A1 Oral Communication, A2 Written Communication, and A3 Critical Thinking, and B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning as pursuant to EO1100 Revised (s ection 2.2.3) and a Lower-Division D course ; some courses will require additional pre-requisites as course content dictates;
CR8 Require disciplinary appropriate writing assignments that comprise at least 10% of overall course grade.
The General Education (GE) program is compliant with CSU requirements and is uniquely tailored to our comprehensive polytechnic education. At Cal Poly all curriculum, including General Education curriculum, is designed and taught by faculty with appropriate training and disciplinary expertise. Educational objectives are expectations for student learning, achievement of which can be periodically assessed. Course criteria are expectations for course design that will be used in the consideration of the course proposal, course modifications, and course renewal. Educational objectives and course criteria for General Education subject areas are included below. General Education class instruction includes the opportunity for skill acquisition, development, evaluation, and self-reflection.
EO2 Describe how groups and individuals develop social, economic, political, and legal institutions and relationships that are important for themselves as individuals and the welfare of their communities;
Consistent with the EO 1100-R and Cal Poly's current General Education program, "arts" in the GE program means architecture, cinema, dance, music, theater, visual arts, and related fields.
CR5 Require disciplinary appropriate writing assignments that comprise at least 10% of overall course grade.
EO1 Describe key aesthetic developments in the arts, including formal, material, and/or technical innovations as well as contributions made by individuals from diverse and/or underrepresented groups¹ ;
The General Education (GE) program is compliant with CSU requirements and is uniquely tailored to our comprehensive polytechnic education. At Cal Poly all curriculum, including General Education curriculum, is designed and taught by faculty with appropriate training and disciplinary expertise. Educational objectives are expectations for student learning, achievement of which can be periodically assessed. Course criteria are expectations for course design that will be used in the consideration of the course proposal, course modifications, and course renewal. Educational objectives and course criteria for General Education subject areas are included below. General Education class instruction includes the opportunity for skill acquisition, development, evaluation, and self-reflection.
CR1 Enrollment prerequisites list completion of Areas A1 Oral Communication, A2 Written Communication, and A3 Critical Thinking, and B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning as pursuant to EO 1100 Revised (section 2.2.3) and C1 or C2; some courses will require additional pre-requisites as course content dictates;
Please note: There are three separate sets of guidelines in C2.
In Area C students explore the human condition as expressed in literature, philosophy, and the arts. Courses in this area expose students to broad achievements in the arts and humanities that changed and/or continue to change how we understand ourselves emotionally, intellectually, and culturally. These courses seek to improve and encourage students' ability to read with critical judgment and write with clarity. These courses emphasize writing as an integral part of the process of learning and discovery. They also cultivate an awareness of language and the arts as forms of expression valuable both in themselves and for developing critical awareness. By placing basic knowledge in a larger context, these courses provide a vision of why the arts and humanities are important to well-rounded university graduates. Lower-division courses provide a broad foundation for in depth experiences in upper-division courses. Activities in Area C1 may include participation in individual aesthetic, creative experiences; however, courses that primarily emphasize skills development and/or professional preparation are excluded from Area C. Students may take courses in languages other than English in partial fulfillment of the Area C requirement if the courses do not focus primarily on skills acquisition but also contain a substantial cultural component. This may include literature among other content.
Cal Poly’s six academic colleges offer more than 60 majors for you to consider. By choosing your major when you apply, you will maximize your experience in your chosen field and make sure you are career ready on Day One.
The undergraduate experience at Cal Poly is different than most other universities. Undergraduates are our main focus and have the same opportunities graduate students do elsewhere, including participating in research, publishing papers, working with industry and more. Our Learn by Doing philosophy helps you experience education on a whole new level. And that is valuable.
Blended Degree Programs. Blended programs (often referred to as 4+1 programs) allow you to obtain bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time. This can help you get an early start on the master's portion of your education, reduce your costs to complete your degrees and graduate at a faster pace.
The Honors Program allows you to participate in projects and activities that enhance your academic and leadership skills. It provides you access to honors classes and reserved housing and studying spaces, as well as receive recognition upon graduation.
Colleges divide classes into upper and lower divisions for a reason. The class level indicates which students should enroll and the course expectations. Undergraduates who pay attention to the class level can set themselves up for success.
Lower-division courses introduce students to an academic discipline. They provide an overview of foundational theories, concepts, and methods.
Undergraduates typically take upper-division classes within their major. Depending on the discipline, majors may need to take a particular sequence of upper-division courses to complete departmental requirements.
Students gain knowledge and academic skills in lower-division courses that prepare them for upper-division classes. After building core skills in a discipline, undergraduates move into higher-level courses.
These courses, such as English 101, introduce learners to college-level study in diverse fields like the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Taking a variety of lower-division gen ed courses can help first-year and second-year students choose a major.
For example, a 100-level history class might cover several centuries or even millennia. History 101 at the University of Louisville covers a minimum of 1,000 years of history. When I taught the course, my syllabus guided students from 3000 BCE through 1500 CE.
Some colleges divide their course catalogues into upper- and lower-division classes.