2026-2028 Catalog

General Requirements – Bachelor's Degree

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 of creating an exciting educational experience and avoiding errors which may delay graduation.

Students must be formally admitted to the major in which they wish to graduate, and must matriculate, in order to earn a degree.

The specific requirements for each degree program are shown under the academic department offering the major and include a curriculum display with courses listed by Major, Support, Concentration (if applicable), General Education, and Free Electives. Each major has a degree flow chart, which shows the recommended sequence of courses leading to the degree; see the "Degree Flowcharts" link at the top of this page.

Students are responsible for meeting all requirements, and should embrace the responsibility. Advice is available from faculty advisors, college advising centers, the Office of the Registrar, and students’ online Degree Progress Reports. 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. They are also encouraged to address any unanticipated deficiencies in the information shown on their Degree Progress Report, while realizing that recently received substitutions, transfer credit, etc., may not yet be reflected in the Degree Progress Report. As they approach graduation, careful attention to the Degree Progress Report will help ensure that they complete degree requirements in a timely fashion.

Minimum Requirements for Graduation

1. Minimum Number of Units

Baccalaureate degree programs ........... Minimum 120 units
Individual baccalaureate degree programs may require more than 120 units. (Title 5, Sections 40500, 40501, 40505, 40507) A minimum of 40 units overall must be upper division (defined as any course completed by the student at the 3000- or 4000-level; this could include transfer work completed at the upper-division level at another four-year institution)

NOTE: A maximum of 12 units of internship and cooperative education coursework can be applied to the bachelor's degree. A maximum of 70 units of coursework from community colleges can be applied to the total units required for the degree. See Evaluation of Transfer Credit for more details.

Degree Minimum # of major units at 3000-4000 level
Bachelor of Arts (BA) 12
Bachelor of Science (BS) 18
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) 18
Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) 27
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) 27

2. Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students must earn at least a 2.000 GPA in all three of the following: 1) all Higher Education units earned (all college-level work), 2) Cal Poly cumulative units earned, and 3) the major (the courses used to meet Major Courses, see the curriculum display for the major; support courses do not count toward major GPA). For a definition of GPA and grade points and units graded, please refer to the Grading section of this catalog.

3. U. S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP) Requirement
Students must complete the USCP requirement. See the separate section on USCP.

4. General Education (GE) Requirements
Students must complete the GE requirements as indicated in the degree program and shown in the GE section of this catalog. A CSU-mandated minimum of 43 units of GE overall must be completed.

5. Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
Students must demonstrate competency in writing skills (as described below).

6. Senior Project
A senior project is required for all Cal Poly students (as described below).

7. Academic Residence Requirements
The minimum requirements for units taken in residence (defined as Cal Poly coursework) are:

  • 33 semester units
  • 24 of the 33 units in residence must be upper division
  • 12 of the 33 upper division units in residence must be in the major
  • 9 units of General Education in residence

18 units in residence of the final 30 units counted toward the degree
Extension credit or credit by examination may not be used to fulfill the residence requirements. However, a maximum of 24 units of extension credit may be counted toward the bachelor's degree.

8. Disciplinary Condition

When an allegation has been made that a student has violated the Interim CSU Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation, Revised December 24, 2021, or any of the Standards for Student Conduct (Title 5, section 41301 of the California Code of Regulations), and the student is under inquiry and/or investigation or a sanction has been applied for a violation, degree conferral may be impacted. If a student is expelled from the University, regardless of academic progress, including when a student has completed all academic requirements at the time of the expulsion, the student will not receive a degree. Expulsion means permanent separation from the University and no degree will be conferred.

9. Graduation Application Process

When undergraduate students reach 72% or more of degree completion (78% for Architecture and Landscape Architecture majors) as indicated on their Academic Progress gauge (Actual Academic Progress) on Poly Profile, the Office of the Registrar will assign an expected graduation term for them that is the greater of either: one year away or four years from their first admit term (five years from first admit term for students in Architecture and Landscape Architecture). Transfer students will be assigned an expected graduation term that is two years after their initial admit term, or one year away, whichever is greater (three years after initial admit term for Architecture and Landscape Architecture majors). This process occurs each term except summer.

Students will receive an email from evaluations@calpoly.edu, informing them that their graduation term has been set for them, and that they are expected to graduate by that term. The expected graduation term can be viewed in the Student Center and Poly Profile.

Students are not able to register beyond their expected graduation term.

However, there may be legitimate reasons why some students need to extend their graduation term beyond the one that is automatically set for them.

Students with such academically or personally justifiable reasons to extend their graduation term can fill out the Request to Extend Expected Graduation Term--Undergraduate form and see their advisor for possible approval of the request to extend. The form can be found at: https://registrar.calpoly.edu/registrar_forms.
The Notification of Earlier Expected Graduation Term--Undergraduate form should be used by students who wish to move their graduation term earlier than the one assigned for them by the university. Advisor approval is not needed to move to an earlier graduation term.

Once notified that their graduation term has been set, students should access their Degree Progress Report each time they register, to ensure that they are fulfilling the requirements for their degree.

Students are encouraged to submit any and all paperwork (substitutions, transcripts for requirements completed elsewhere, etc.) in a timely fashion in order to expedite conferral of degrees.
If a student breaks enrollment prior to completion of degree requirements, they may be required to re-enroll and may be held to catalog requirements in effect at that time.

Final Degree Conferral

When undergraduate students reach 72% or more of degree completion, as indicated on their Academic Progress Gauge on Poly Profile, the Office of the Registrar will assign an expected graduation term for them that is a full four years after their initial admit term, or one year away, whichever is greater. Transfer students will be assigned an expected graduation term that is two years after their initial admit term, or one year away, whichever is greater (three years after initial admit term for Architecture and Landscape Architecture majors). Students will receive an email from the Evaluations Unit of the Office of the Registrar informing them that their expected grad term has been set. The expected graduation term can be viewed in the Student Center and Poly Profile.

Graduate (Master's) students must submit a Graduate Application for Graduation Form to the Graduate Education Office at least two quarters prior to the anticipated term of degree completion.

The actual date of graduation (degree conferral) is the end of the quarter in which all requirements have been met. This date may differ from the student’s last quarter of enrollment (for example, a student who completes the Graduation Writing Requirement [GWR] or submits Senior Project for final grading after the last term of enrollment).

Graduating students receive one complimentary diploma. Additional diplomas may be ordered from the Office of the Registrar’s Online Diploma Service. The diploma is not ordered until all degree requirements have been completed. The diploma is mailed to the student’s mailing address by the Evaluations Unit in the Office of the Registrar approximately three to four weeks after the degree has been conferred. It is the student’s responsibility to update their mailing address on the Cal Poly Portal prior to the end of the final quarter of enrollment, to ensure the receipt of their diploma.

Concentrations and minors are not noted on the diploma; they are noted on the transcript. Latin honors are noted on both the diploma and the transcript; the Distinction notation for Master's students is noted on both the diploma and the transcript.

Once a degree has been awarded, subsequent revision or alteration of any transcript entry is permitted only for correction of proven error as certified by the appropriate academic dean and the Registrar. No changes are made to the academic record 60 days following the degree conferral date.

Commencement

The Commencement Office provides graduates and guests with a memorable and meaningful graduation experience that symbolizes the culmination of their academic achievements. Commencement ceremonies, which are held annually at the end of spring term, are coordinated in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and the university’s Commencement Operations and Policy Committees,.

To be eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies, students must satisfy at least one of the following:

  • 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.

Students completing all degree requirements in the Fall, Spring, or Summer terms are automatically eligible to participate in the Spring Commencement ceremony Graduate (Masters) students must submit a Request for Graduation Evaluation Form to the Graduate Education Office at least one term prior to the anticipated term of degree completion.

Students who wish to participate in a commencement ceremony other than the one for which they are scheduled and in which they are eligible to participate must complete a Commencement Request Form. They should not change their expected graduation term (see below) but instead should ask for an exception using the Commencement Request Form.

Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)

The Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR) is a CSU Board of Trustees mandate designed to ensure that students demonstrate effective written communication skills at the upper division before they enter the professional workforce. All undergraduate students who are seeking a Cal Poly degree must fulfill the GWR before a diploma can be awarded.

Undergraduate students with 90 or more completed units should attempt to fulfill the requirement before their senior year. Upper-division transfer students who completed the requirement at another CSU campus prior to enrollment at Cal Poly may transfer completion of the requirement.

Students should review the requirements of their major program of study to determine which of the following options is the appropriate pathway for GWR completion:

  1. 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. For a full list of courses, please see the GWR Courses website in the Courses A-Z section of the Cal Poly Catalog.
  2. Pass the GWR Portfolio via UNIV 4401 .

Further information on meeting this degree requirement may be obtained from the Office of Writing and Learning, Kennedy Library (35) Room 208 (805-756-2067), or on the GWR webpage, https://writingandlearning.calpoly.edu/gwr.

Senior Project

All Cal Poly undergraduate students shall complete a senior project as part of their baccalaureate degree program requirements.

Definition: A capstone experience is a high-impact educational practice in which students (a) integrate and evaluate the knowledge and skills gained in both the General Education (GE) and major curricula and (b) demonstrate career or postgraduate readiness.

As a bridge from college to career/postgraduate success, the senior project at Cal Poly is a capstone experience with achievable outcomes that culminates in a self-directed final production or product carried out under faculty direction. Senior projects analyze, evaluate, and synthesize a student's general and discipline-specific educational experiences; relate to a student's field of study, future employment, and/or postgraduate scholastic goals; and include an element of critical, self-reflectiveness to facilitate student development and promote the metacognitive awareness that leads to lifelong learning.

Expected Outcomes: While major programs of study are responsible for designing specific senior project learning outcomes, all senior projects at Cal Poly provide an opportunity for holistic, competency-based assessment that demonstrates a strong foundation in general and discipline-specific knowledge as well as an advanced proficiency in the core competencies of critical thinking, written and oral communication, information literacy, and quantitative reasoning.

Furthermore, senior projects broadly address program learning objectives, which align with one or more University Learning Objectives.

Forms & Examples: Senior projects may be research-, project-, and/or portfolio-based; individually supervised or course-based; independently completed or team-based; discipline-specific and/or interdisciplinary. They may take forms including, but not limited to, the following:

  • an experiment;
  • a self-guided study;
  • a student-generated research project;
  • participation in a faculty-generated research project;
  • engagement in an industry-driven project;
  • a report based on a prior or concurrent co-op/internship or service learning experience;
  • a design or construction project;
  • a portfolio of work documenting the results of creative practices, and/or
  • a public presentation or performance.

Requirements: Each academic department determines specific senior project requirements, yet all senior projects and senior project policies adhere to the following requirements.

Senior projects shall

  • commence when, or after, a student has earned senior standing, though completion of preparatory courses and/or research may precede senior standing;
  • serve as a bridge from the college experience to professional/postgraduate readiness;
  • include clearly defined student learning outcomes that are aligned with program learning objectives;
  • have faculty oversight with scheduled meetings for which specific timelines/outcomes are defined;
  • include a formal proposal and/or statement of intent to be submitted to the faculty advisor;
  • involve inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and creation; 
  • demonstrate core competencies in critical thinking, written and/or oral communication, information literacy, and quantitative and/or qualitative reasoning;
  • require a process/production and culminate in a final product as defined at the program level;
  • include an explicit element of self-reflection;
  • adhere to discipline-specific norms of academic integrity and ethical practices;
  • be individually and formally assessed;
  • include a minimum count of two units, or 90 hours of work, with no maximum;
  • take no more than two semesters to complete;
  • be assigned grades consistent with Cal Poly's policy on grading.

Note: Senior projects shall neither consist solely of a co-op/internship experience nor solely of a test/exam of any kind, and senior projects shall not be unsupervised.

Archiving: Each academic department determines a process for archiving senior projects, whether at the department or college level and/or in collaboration with Kennedy Library. Policies and procedures governing submissions to Kennedy Library's institutional repository are based on University policies pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), intellectual property rights, and CSU accessibility requirements. Senior projects submitted to Digital Commons, the institutional repository hosted by Kennedy Library, become part of university's scholarly record.

General Education Mission Statement

Adopted by the General Education Governance Board on April 7, 2021.

The General Education (GE) program is one of the primary means for realizing Cal Poly’s vision of a comprehensive polytechnic education. GE integrates all disciplines in a program of liberal education accessible to all Cal Poly students. GE complements the major and promotes an understanding and appreciation of the foundational disciplines that ground all intellectual inquiry. The program affords students the opportunity to contextualize the knowledge from their major programs by presenting relevant scientific, humanistic, artistic, and technological perspectives. Because Cal Poly students declare their major upon matriculation, their experience of GE develops side-by-side with the major. Through the university’s distinctive commitment to Learn by Doing, GE imparts transferable skills, nurtures creativity, fosters critical thinking and ethical decision making, supports integrative learning, and prepares students for civic engagement and leadership. In GE, students work inclusively with peers from diverse intellectual, disciplinary, and social backgrounds. Cal Poly’s GE program also provides an opportunity for students to develop intellectual humility, an interdisciplinary mindset, and lifelong habits of mind.

California State University (CSU) General Education Requirements

Consistent with the California State University (CSU) General Education Requirements, Cal Poly's General Education (GE) program has been designed to complement major courses and electives completed by each baccalaureate candidate. The GE program seeks to cultivate well-rounded and informed persons. GE requirements are designed to provide CSU students with the knowledge, skills, experiences, and perspectives that will enable them to expand their capacities to take part in a wide range of human interests and activities; confront personal, cultural, moral, and social problems that are an inevitable part of human life; and develop an enthusiasm for lifelong learning. Faculty are encouraged to assist students in making connections among disciplines to achieve coherence in the undergraduate educational experience.

GE Program Learning Outcomes

Adopted Spring 2014 by the General Education Governance Board

After completing Cal Poly's General Education Program, students will be able to:

  1. Construct and critique arguments from a logical perspective.
  2. Use appropriate rhetorical strategies to connect with diverse audiences through oral, written, and visual modes of communication.
  3. Address real world problems by demonstrating broad disciplinary knowledge, skills, and values in arts, humanities, sciences, and technology.
  4. Understand the value of a general education in relation to major course of study.
  5. Collaborate with people of different backgrounds, values, and experience.
  6. Evaluate global and local issues and their impact on society.
  7. Use intention and reflection to develop and improve one's own learning.

GE Course Substitutions

Students are expected to complete the GE courses published for their degree program. Cal Poly GE courses must be selected from the approved GE list. Substitutions are not permitted except in extraordinary circumstances. Students requesting exceptions must follow petition procedures, outlined on the GE website https://ge.calpoly.edu/students/petitions. This process may take several weeks.

GE Study Abroad

Students should first review the study abroad website for study abroad courses that have already been pre-approved for Cal Poly GE credit for their intended program. If the course is not listed there, students are strongly encouraged to submit a GE study abroad petition before going abroad in order to determine if the course will be granted GE credit. For assistance with GE study abroad petitions, contact the Cal Poly International Center at studyabroad@calpoly.edu.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit for GE courses is accepted from California institutions, as approved by the Chancellor’s Office. For more information, go to How to Use Assist located on the Office of the Registrar’s website. Some Cal Poly programs specify particular GE courses for major or support; these courses must be met with articulated equivalencies. Refer to Assist for California Community College both CSU GE lists and specific articulation agreements.

Transfer credit for GE courses is also accepted from institutions outside of California. The Evaluations Unit in the Office of the Registrar makes every effort to extend GE credit as appropriate, while ensuring the CSU GE learning outcomes are met.

GE Requirements

  • All Cal Poly students are required to take 43 semester units of General Education.
  • A minimum of 9 units is required in residence (i.e., Cal Poly enrollment).
  • A minimum of 9 units is required at the upper-division level.
  • A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and Area 2 (Mathematics Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning).
  • Double Counting: Some majors indicate specific GE courses that fulfill both GE and major requirements. (These are listed in the major's curriculum display.) Students should consult their academic advisors during their first year for clarification.
  • All GE courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated.

Writing Component

All General Education courses must have an appropriate writing component. In achieving this objective, writing in most courses should be viewed primarily as a tool of learning (rather than a goal in itself as in a composition course), and faculty should determine the appropriate ways to integrate writing into coursework. The writing component may take different forms according to the subject matter and the purpose of a course. Outside of the GE areas specified below, at least 10% of the grade in all GE courses must be based on appropriate written work (e.g., lab reports, math proofs, essay questions, word problems, exam questions).

Writing Intensive Policy

GE areas 1A, 1B, Upper-Division 3, and Upper-Division 4 are designated as Writing Intensive. All courses in these areas must include a minimum of 3,000 words of writing and base 50% or more of a student’s grade on written work. GE area 3B is also designated as Writing Intensive, but all courses in this area must include a minimum of 2,000 words of writing and base 50% or more of a student’s grade on written work. All Writing Intensive courses must include process-oriented writing instruction in which faculty provide ongoing feedback to students to help them grasp the effectiveness of their writing in various disciplinary contexts. The kind and amount of writing must be a factor in determining class sizes.

Golden Four

The “Golden Four” classes are a set of foundational learning classes that set the stage for future learning within GE and within the major programs. As such, students are encouraged to complete these four courses within the first year. These courses are all three courses within Area 1 plus lower-division Area 2: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning. The three courses within Area 1 provide instruction and practice in writing, speaking, and critical thinking. Completion of one or more courses within this area is often a prerequisite for other GE courses. All Golden Four subareas require students to earn a grade of C- or better. (Other GE courses require a passing grade of D- or better.)

General Education Requirements and Courses

General Education (GE) Requirements

  • 43 units required.
  • See the complete GE course listing.
  • A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning). 
Lower-Division General Education
Area 1English Communication and Critical Thinking
1AWritten Communication3
1BCritical Thinking3
1COral Communication3
Area 2Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning
2Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning3
Area 3Arts and Humanities
3AArts3
3BHumanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English 3
Area 4Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.)
4AAmerican Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement)3
4BSocial and Behavioral Sciences3
Area 5Physical and Life Sciences
5APhysical Sciences3
5BLife Sciences3
5CLaboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course)1
Area 6 Ethnic Studies
6 Ethnic Studies3
Upper-Division General Education
Upper-Division 2/5Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences3
Upper-Division 3Arts and Humanities3
Upper-Division 4Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.)3
Total Units43

GE COURSES BY AREA

AREA 1: English Communication and Critical Thinking (9 units)

1A Written Communication (3 units)

EGL 1100English Composition3
EGL 1102Stretch English Composition II3
ENGL 1132Writing and Rhetoric Stretch (Part II)3
ENGL 1133Multilingual Writing and Rhetoric3
ENGL 1134Writing and Rhetoric3
ES 1134Writing and Rhetoric3

1B Critical Thinking (3 units) 

COMS/HNRS 1126Argument and Advocacy3
COMS 1145Reasoning, Argumentation, and Writing3
EGL 2220Critical Thinking3
ENGL/HNRS 1145Writing Arguments3
ENGL 1146Writing Arguments Across Cultures3
ENGL/HNRS 1147Writing Arguments about STEM3
ENGL 1148Critical Thinking for Technical Writers3
ES 1145Writing, Reasoning, and Argumentation3
PHIL 1126Logic and Argumentative Writing3
WGQS 1145Reasoning, Argumentation, and Writing on Gender and Sexuality3

1C Oral Communication (3 units)

COMS/HNRS 1101Public Speaking3
COMS/HNRS 1102Public Speaking in Digital Spaces3
EGL 1110Speech Communication3
EGL 1120Professional Communication3
ENG 1112Introduction to Technical Communication2
ME 4490Engineering Design Process3

AREA 2: Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)

DATA 1000Statistical and Data Literacy3
DATA 1264Calculus for Data Science I4
MATH 1001Nature of Modern Mathematics3
MATH 1004Stretch College Algebra5
MATH 1005Stretch Precalculus5
MATH 1006College Algebra3
MATH 1007Precalculus3
MATH/HNRS 1261Calculus I4
MATH/HNRS 1262Calculus II4
MATH 1264Calculus for Data Science I4
MATH 1267Business Calculus3
MTH 1100College Algebra and Trigonometry4
MTH 1105Finite Mathematics for Business3
MTH 1107Elementary Statistics3
MTH 2205Calculus for Business3
MTH 2210Calculus I4
MTH 2211Calculus II4
MTH 2212Calculus III4
MTH 2215Differential Equations3
NAU 2205Ship Stability3
STAT 1000Statistical and Data Literacy3
STAT 1110Applied Statistical Concepts and Methods3
STAT 1210Business Statistics I3
STAT 1220Business Statistics II3
STAT 1510Statistics I3

AREA 3: Arts and Humanities (6 units) 

3A Arts (3 units)

ART 1101Fundamentals of Drawing3
ART 1111Introduction to the Visual Arts3
ART 1112European/U.S. Art: A Thematic History3
ART 1130Fundamentals of Digital Media Art3
ART 1160Introduction to Digital Photography3
ART 1184Beginning Sculpture3
ART 1187Ceramics I3
COMS 2208Performance, Literature, and Culture3
DANC 2221Dance Appreciation3
EGL 2225Creative Writing3
ENGL 2272Introductory Topics in Cinematic Expression3
ES 2220African American Popular Culture3
ES 2221Native American Popular Culture3
ES 2222Asian American Popular Culture3
ES 2223Latina/o/x Popular Culture3
GRC 1100Visual Literacy and Communication3
HUM 1115Maritime Arts3
HUM 1120Introduction to Visual Arts3
HUM 2215Introduction to Cinema3
ISLA 2240Introduction to Media Arts and Technologies3
LS 2370Performing Arts for Children: Theory and Practice3
MU 1101Music Fundamentals3
MU/HNRS 1120Music Appreciation3
MU 2221Jazz Styles3
MU 2227Popular Music of the United States4
TH 2210Introduction to Theatre3
TH 2227Theatre History I3
TH 2228Theatre History II3
WGQS/HNRS 2301Gender and Sexuality in Visual and Popular Culture3

3B Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English (3 units)

CHIN 1141Elementary Chinese Language and Culture I Study Abroad3
CHIN 1142Elementary Chinese Language and Culture II Study Abroad3
CHIN 2201Intermediate Chinese Language and Culture I4
CHIN 2202Intermediate Chinese Language and Culture II4
CHIN 2241Intermediate Chinese Language and Culture I Study Abroad3
CHIN 2242Intermediate Chinese Language and Culture II Study Abroad3
EGL 2200Introduction to Literature3
ENGL 2230British Literature: Beginnings to 17893
ENGL 2231/HNRS 2233British Literature: 1789 to the Present3
ENGL 2241U.S. Literature: Beginnings to 18653
ENGL 2242U.S. Literature: 1830 to Present3
ENGL/HNRS 2251Introduction to Classical Literature3
ENGL 2252Introduction to Medieval through Enlightenment Literature3
ENGL 2253Introduction to Literature in the Age of Revolution3
ENGL 2255Children's Literature in a Diverse Society3
ENGL 2259Introduction to Dramatic Literature3
ENGL 2274Survey of Queer and Trans Literature and Media3
FR 2201Intermediate French Language and Culture I4
FR 2202Intermediate French Language and Culture II4
FR 2233Critical Reading in French Literature3
GER 2201Intermediate German Language and Culture4
GER 2233Introduction to German Literature4
ITAL 1141Elementary Italian Language and Culture I Study Abroad3
ITAL 1142Elementary Italian Language and Culture II Study Abroad3
ITAL 2201Intermediate Italian I4
ITAL 2202Intermediate Italian II4
ITAL 2241Intermediate Italian Language and Culture I Study Abroad3
ITAL 2242Intermediate Italian Language and Culture II Study Abroad3
JPNS 2201Intermediate Japanese I4
JPNS 2202Intermediate Japanese II4
LAN 1110Spanish I3
LAN 1115Spanish II3
LAN 1120Chinese I3
LAN 1125Chinese II3
LS 2255Children's Literature in a Diverse Society3
PHIL/HNRS 2230Philosophical Classics: Knowledge and Reality3
PHIL/HNRS 2231Philosophical Classics: Ethics and Political Philosophy3
SPAN 1141Elementary Spanish Language and Cultures I Study Abroad3
SPAN 1142Elementary Spanish Language and Cultures II Study Abroad3
SPAN 2201/HNRS 2204Intermediate Spanish I4
SPAN 2202/HNRS 2205Intermediate Spanish II4
SPAN 2206Spanish for Heritage Speakers3
SPAN 2233Introduction to Hispanic Literature3
SPAN 2241Intermediate Spanish Language and Cultures I Study Abroad3
SPAN 2242Intermediate Spanish Language and Cultures II Study Abroad3

Upper-Division 3 (3 units)

AREA 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 units)

Area 4 includes two lower-division courses (4A and 4B) and one upper-division course (see Upper-Division Area 4 below). These three courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.

4A American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) (3 units)

ES/HNRS 1112Race, Culture, and Politics in the United States3
GOV 2200American Government3
HIST 2201/HNRS 2203United States History to 18773
HIST/HNRS 2202United States History Since 18773
HIST 2206United States Cultures3
POLS 1112U.S. and California Government3
WGQS/HNRS 2201Gender and Sexuality in US Society and Politics3

4B Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units)

ANT 2201Cultural Anthropology3
ANT 2202World History Before Writing3
COMS 2211Interpersonal Communication3
COMS 2217Small Group Collaboration and Creativity3
ECO 1100Macroeconomics3
ECO 1101Microeconomics3
GEOG 1150Human Geography3
GMA 1100International Relations3
GMA 1105Ocean Politics3
GMA 2215Comparative Politics3
GMA 2220Comparative Maritime Politics3
GMA 2225Southeast Asia-Maritime Mainland3
GMA 2235GIS Mapping and Spatial Analysis3
GMA 2240World Geography3
GMA 2250Environmental Policy3
HIS 1100Survey of American History to 1877: Precontact Through the Civil War3
HIS 1101Survey of American History from 1877: Civil War Through Civil Rights3
HIST 2210World History to 18003
HIST 2211European History to 15003
HIST 2212European History since 15003
HIST/HNRS 2213Modern Political Economy3
HIST/HNRS 2216Comparative Social Movements3
HIST 2222World History to 15003
HIST/HNRS 2223World History since 15003
HIST 2225The World at War3
HLTH 1155Multicultural Perspectives and Health3
HLTH 1160Women's Health and Society3
HLTH 2261Social Determinants of Health3
JOUR 2228Media, Self and Society3
PSY 2201Introductory Psychology3
RELS 2201Religion, Dialogue, and Society3
SOC 1110Comparative Societies3
SOC 2218International Political Economy3
WGQS 1101Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Queer Studies3
WGQS/HNRS 2401Sexuality Studies3

AREA 5: Physical and Life Sciences (7 units) 

5A Physical Sciences (3 units)

ASTR 1101Introduction to the Solar System3
ASTR 1102Introduction to Stars and Galaxies3
CHE 1110General Chemistry3
CHE 2205Chemistry of Power Plant Processes3
CHEM 1110World of Chemistry4
CHEM 1112Chemistry in Context3
CHEM 1120Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties4
CHEM 1122Fundamentals of Chemical Reactivity4
GEOL 2203The Geologic Record: Fossils and the History of Life3
OCN 1105Introduction to Oceanography3
PHY 1100General Physics I3
PHY 1105General Physics II3
PHY 1120Physics for Future Leaders3
PHY 2200Engineering Physics I3
PHY 2205Engineering Physics II3
PHYS 1104Introductory Physics3
PHYS 1111Contemporary Physics for Nonscientists3
PHYS 1121College Physics I4
PHYS/HNRS 1141General Physics I4
PHYS/HNRS 1143General Physics II4
PSC 1101Physical Science for Elementary Educators I4
PSC 2201Physical Oceanography3

5B Biological Sciences (3 units) 

ANT 2250Biological Anthropology3
BIO 1111General Biology3
BIO 1113Biology of Sex3
BIO 1114Plant Diversity and Ecology4
BIO 1150Life: History and Diversity4
BIO 1151Life: Molecules and Cells4
BIO 2213Life Science for Engineers3
BIO 2215Biodiversity of California3
BIO 2217Wildlife Conservation Biology3
BOT 1121General Botany4
MCRO 2221Introduction to Microbiology4
MSCI 1111The Oceans3
OCN 1100Marine Biology3
OCN 1110Marine Ecology3
PSY 2240Biopsychology3

5C Laboratory (1 unit)

May be embedded in 5A or 5B course, as long as 7 units are met for lower-division Area 5
BIO 1112Biology Laboratory for Non-Majors1
BIO 1114Plant Diversity and Ecology4
BIO 1150Life: History and Diversity4
BIO 1151Life: Molecules and Cells4
BOT 1121General Botany4
CHE 1110LGeneral Chemistry Laboratory1
CHEM 1110World of Chemistry4
CHEM 1120Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties4
CHEM 1122Fundamentals of Chemical Reactivity4
MCRO 2221Introduction to Microbiology4
OCN 1100LMarine Biology Laboratory1
OCN 1110LMarine Ecology Laboratory1
OCN 2200LIntroduction to Oceanography Laboratory1
PHY 1100LGeneral Physics I Laboratory1
PHY 1105LGeneral Physics II Laboratory1
PHY 1120LPhysics for Future Leaders Laboratory1
PHY 2200LEngineering Physics I Laboratory1
PHYS 1121College Physics I4
PHYS/HNRS 1141General Physics I4
PHYS/HNRS 1143General Physics II4
PSC 1101Physical Science for Elementary Educators I4

AREA 6: Ethnic Studies (3 units) 

ES 2252Global Origins of Race in the U.S.3
ES 2253Introduction to American Indian Studies3
ES 2254Introduction to African American Studies3
ES 2255Introduction to Latina/o/x Studies3
ES 2256Introduction to Asian American Studies3
ES 3304Race and American Literature4
ES 3312Race and Media Studies4
ES 3382Racial Capitalism4

Upper-Division General Education (9 units)

Upper Division 2 or Upper Division 5 Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences (3 units) 

One course in Upper-Division Area 2/5
AERO 3300Engineering Numerical Analysis4
AERO/HNRS 3310Air and Space3
ASTR 3324Longitude, Navigation, and Timekeeping3
BIO 3312Human Genetics3
BIO 3315Biology of Cancer3
BIO 3318Genetic Engineering Technology3
BOT 3311Plants, People and Civilization4
CHEM 3318Genetic Engineering Technology3
CHEM 3350Biochemistry: Fundamentals and Applications4
CHEM 3352Biochemistry4
CHEM 3374Chemical and Biological Warfare3
ENVE 3323Engineering for the Environment3
ENVE 3324Introduction to Air Pollution3
GEOG/AG/EDES/ENGR/ISLA/SCM/UNIV 3350The Global Environment3
GMA 3370International Political Economy3
GRC 3200Color Management3
ISLA 3305Public Engagements with STEM3
MATH 3051Combinatorics I3
MATH 3111Number Theory3
MATH 3301Complex Analysis3
MATH 3351Differential Equations and Boundary Value Problems3
MCRO 3321Microbes, Food, and Microbiome3
MGT 4410Quantitative Managerial Methods3
NAU 3330Meteorology3
OCN 3320Oceans and Climate3
PHYS 3305Classical Mechanics I3
PSC 3320Energy, Society, and the Environment3
PSC/HNRS/UNIV 3392Collaboratively Developing Sustainable Technologies Globally3
PSY 3344Behavioral Genetics3
SCM 3360Selected Environmental Issues of California's Central Coast3
STAT 3210Engineering Statistics3
STAT 3310Probability and Random Processes for Engineers3
UNIV/AG/ISLA/SCM 3330Cal Poly Land: Nature, Technology, and Society3
WGQS/ES/HNRS 3350Gender, Race, Culture, Science, and Technology4

Upper-Division 3 Arts and Humanities (3 units) 

ART 3310Art of the Americas3
ART 3311Nineteenth Century Art of Europe and the United States3
ART 3314History and Contemporary Practices of Photography3
ART 3317Asian Art Survey3
ART 3320Michelangelo3
ART 3321Themes in Renaissance Art3
ART 3322Themes in Modern and Contemporary Art3
ART 3323New Media Art History3
ART 3324Politics of Abstraction3
ART 3327Intersectional Feminist Art Histories3
COMS 3308Group Performance of Literature3
COMS 3386Communication, Media, and Politics3
DANC 3321Cultural Influence on Dance in the United States3
EGL 3309British Literature of the Sea3
EGL 3310U.S. Literature of the Sea3
EGL 3315World Literature of the Sea3
EGL 3320Literature of the Fantastic3
EGL 3330Literature and Psychology3
EGL 3340Multicultural Literature in America3
EGL 3345Literature and the Environment3
ENGL 3311Writing With Style3
ENGL 3313Multilingual/Multimodal: Writing Transnational Spaces3
ENGL 3317Humanistic Perspectives in Technical and Professional Editing3
ENGL 3330British Literature: Beginnings to 14853
ENGL 3331British Literature: 1485 to 16603
ENGL 3332British Literature: 1660 to 17983
ENGL/HNRS 3333British Literature: 1798 to 18323
ENGL 3334British Literature: 1832 to 19143
ENGL 3335British Literature: 1914 to Present3
ENGL 3339Introduction to Shakespeare3
ENGL 3340Intermediate U.S. Literature: Beginnings to 18653
ENGL/HNRS 3341U.S. Literature: 1865 to 19143
ENGL/HNRS 3342U.S. Literature: 1914 to 19563
ENGL/HNRS 3343U.S. Literature: 1956 to Present3
ENGL/HNRS 3345Women Writers of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries3
ENGL 3346Multiethnic Literature of the U.S.3
ENGL/HNRS 3347African American Literature3
ENGL 3348Asian American Literature3
ENGL 3349Trans Literatures3
ENGL 3350The Modern Novel3
ENGL 3351Modern Poetry3
ENGL/HNRS 3352Modern Drama3
ENGL 3354The Bible as Literature and in Literature and the Arts3
ENGL 3371Film Styles and Genres3
ENGL 3372Film Directors3
ENGL 3373Topics on Gender Representations in Film3
ENGL 3374Disability and Diversity in U.S. Film3
ENGL 3375World Cinema3
ENGL/HNRS 3380Themes in Literature and Culture3
ENGL 3381Topics in Diversity in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century US Literature3
ENGL 3386Creative Nonfiction3
ENGL 3387Fiction Writing3
ENGL 3388Poetry Writing3
ENGL 3611Literary Themes4
ENGL 3618Research Topics in Diversity in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century U.S. Literature4
ENGL 3621Contemporary U.S. Dramatic Literature3
ENGL 3624Topics in Queer and Trans Literature and Media3
ENGL 3625Research Topics in Queer and Trans Literature and Media4
ENGL 3626Intermediate Topics in Film4
ES 3300Chicana/o/x Non-Fiction Literature4
ES 3301Latina/o/x Literature of the United States4
ES 3302Chicana/o/x Literature4
ES 3303Latina/o/x Poetry4
ES 3324Chicana/o/x Film4
ES 3340Cultural Production and Ethnicity4
FR 3305Literature in French3
FR 3350French Literature in English Translation3
GER 3304German Culture and Society3
GER 3305German Literature3
GER 3350German Literature in English Translation3
HIST 3307Modern European Thought and Culture4
HIST 3309Cultures of the African Diaspora4
HIST 3319A Cultural History of Southeast Asia4
HIST 3320The Age of Revolution in the Americas4
HIST 3337Colonial Latin America4
HUM 3325Globalization of Culture3
HUM 3350Maritime Culture3
HUM 3380Ethical Inquiry3
ISLA/HNRS 3303Values and Technology3
ISLA/HNRS 3320Issues in Values, Media and Culture3
ISLA 3335Feminist Studies of Popular Culture and Whiteness3
ISLA 3345Independent Cinema and Film Festivals3
ISLA 3360Feminist Studies of Disability in Popular Culture3
KINE 3325Sport and Physical Activity Throughout Civilizations3
MU 3324Music and Society3
PHIL 3301Philosophical Topics3
PHIL 3309Early Greek Philosophy through Plato3
PHIL 3310Aristotle and Hellenistic Philosophy3
PHIL 3312Medieval Philosophy3
PHIL 3313Early Modern Rationalism3
PHIL 3314Early Modern Empiricism3
PHIL 3315Kant and 19th Century European Philosophy3
PHIL 3317History of Analytic Philosophy3
PHIL 3318Phenomenology3
PHIL 3319Existentialism3
PHIL 3321Philosophy of Science3
PHIL 3322Philosophy of Technology3
PHIL/HNRS 3323Ethics, Science, and Technology3
PHIL 3327Robot Ethics3
PHIL 3328Technologies and Ethics of Warfare3
PHIL 3331Ethics3
PHIL 3332History of Ethics3
PHIL 3333Political Philosophy3
PHIL 3334Philosophy of Law3
PHIL/HNRS 3335Social Ethics3
PHIL 3336Feminist Ethics, Gender, Sexuality and Society3
PHIL 3337Business Ethics3
PHIL 3339Biomedical Ethics3
PHIL 3340Environmental Ethics3
PHIL 3341Professional Ethics3
PHIL 3342Philosophy of Religion3
PHIL 3343Power, Alienation, and Political Life3
PHIL 3350Aesthetics3
PHIL 3351Philosophy of Literature3
PHIL 3361Indian Philosophy3
PHIL 3362Chinese and East Asian Philosophy3
PHIL 3369Postmodernism3
RELS 3301Religions of Asia3
RELS 3302Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam3
RELS 3304Judaism3
RELS 3306Hinduism3
RELS 3307Buddhism3
RELS 3310Christianity3
RELS 3311Islam3
RELS 3370Religion, Gender, and Society3
RELS 3372Spiritual Extremism: Asceticism, Mysticism, and Madness3
RELS 3374Religion and Violence3
RELS 3378Religion and Contemporary Values3
RELS 3390Topics in Religious Studies3
SPAN 3305Literary Works in Spanish3
SPAN 3307Spanish and Latin American Film3
SPAN 3340Chicanx/Latinx Works in Spanish3
SPAN 3350Hispanic Literature in English Translation3
SPAN 3351Chicanx/Latinx Works in English3
TH 3305Diversity in U.S. Theatre3
TH 3390Global Theatre and Performance3
WGQS 3327Intersectional Feminist Art Histories3
WGQS 3335Feminist Studies of Popular Culture and Whiteness3
WGQS 3336Feminist Ethics, Gender, Sexuality and Society3
WGQS 3360Feminist Studies of Disability in Popular Culture3
WGQS 3370Religion, Gender, and Society3
WGQS 3385Porn Studies4
WLC 3307World Cultures through Film3
WLC 3310Humanities in World Cultures3
WLC 3312Humanities in Chicanx/Latinx Cultures3
WLC 3350Literatures in World Cultures3

Upper-Division 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units)

Area 4 includes two lower-division courses (see 4A and 4B above) and one upper-division course (Upper-Division Area 4). These three courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.

ANT 3345Human Behavioral Ecology3
ANT 3360Human Cultural Adaptations3
ART 3333Social Justice Art: Activist Cultures, Politics, and Pedagogies3
COMS 3305Persuasion3
COMS 3316Intercultural Communication3
COMS 3320Intergroup Communication3
COMS 3384Media Effects3
ENG 3310Engineering Ethics3
ENGL 3310Corporate Communication3
ES 3310Hip-Hop, Poetics, and Politics4
ES 3311Beyonce: Race, Feminism, and Politics4
ES 3325African American Genders and Sexualities4
ES 3330Chinese American Experiences4
ES 3335Filipina/o/x American Experiences4
ES 3345Queer Ethnic Studies4
ES 3351Gender, Race, Class, Nation: Critical Computing and Engineering Studies4
ES 3360Indigeneity and the Land4
ES 3380Critical Race Theory4
ES 3381Social Constructions of Whiteness4
GEOG 3308Global Geography3
GEOG 3370Geography of Latin America3
GEOG 3380Geography of the Caribbean3
GMA 3300U.S. Foreign Policy3
GMA 3310The Geopolitics of Energy3
GMA 3315China and its Neighbors3
GMA 3320Ocean Environmental Management3
GMA 3325Indian Ocean Rim3
GMA 3330Maritime Security3
GMA 3335Maritime California3
GMA 3340International Migration3
GMA 3350Political Geography3
GMA 3355Cross-Cultural Competence3
GMA 3365Polar Politics3
GMA 4405International Maritime Organizations3
GMA 4415Strategy and War3
GMA 4420Cybersecurity3
GMA 4425Civil Conflict3
HIS 3300Maritime History of the United States3
HIST 3306The Witch-Hunts in Europe: 1400-18004
HIST 3308The Transatlantic Slave Trade4
HIST/HNRS 3310East Asian Cultures and Civilizations4
HIST 3311Comparative World Environmental History and Sustainability4
HIST 3316Modern East Asia4
HIST/HNRS 3317The Lure of the Sea4
HIST 3318The City in the Modern World4
HIST 3321United States Civil War4
HIST 3322/3322Modern United States History4
HIST 3326United States Foreign Relations since 18984
HIST 3333Early Modern Europe: 1450-18004
HIST/HNRS 3334Modern Europe: 1789-19144
HIST 3335/HNRS 3336Modern Europe since 19144
HIST 3336The Allies at War: Democracy, Dictatorship, and the Struggle for Freedom - 1939-19454
HIST 3338Modern Latin America4
HIST 3350/HNRS 3353The Scientific Revolution: 1500-18004
HIST 3351The History of Modern Science Since 18004
HIST 3355/HNRS 3336History of Network and Information Technologies4
HLTH 3305Drugs in Society3
HLTH 3322Public Health Policy and Advocacy3
HLTH 3344Health Care Systems3
HLTH 3348Public Health and Mental Health3
KINE 3323Sport and Gender3
KINE 3324Sports, Media, and United States Popular Culture3
KINE 3382Psychological Aspects of Injury in Sport and Physical Activity3
LAW 3300International Law3
LAW 3315Admiralty Law3
LS 3350Identity and Equity in American Schools3
POLS 3325Global Political Issues3
POLS 3332World Food Systems3
POLS 3337U.S. and China in the Contemporary World3
POLS/HIST 3338Critical Issues in U.S. Politics3
POLS 3348Early U.S. Political Thought3
POLS 3349Contemporary U.S. Political Thought3
PSC 3391Engaging in Sustainable Global Development3
PSY 3304Intergroup Dialogues3
PSY 3311Environmental Psychology3
PSY 3318/3318Psychology of Aging3
PSY 3352Psychology of Conflict and Justice4
RELS 3344Approaches to Religion and Spirituality3
SOC 3315Global Race and Ethnic Relations3
SOC 3321Migration3
SOC 3326Sociology of the Life Course3
SOC 3343Sociology of the Global South3
SOC 3350Identity and Equity in American Schools3
SPAN 3380Spanish for the Professions3
UNIV/HNRS/PSC 3391Engaging in Sustainable Global Development3
WGQS 3301Contemporary Issues in Women's and Gender Studies3
WGQS 3302Contemporary Issues in Queer Studies3
WGQS 3330Feminist/Queer Transnational Studies3
WGQS 3345Queer Ethnic Studies4
WGQS 3351Gender, Race, Class, Nation: Critical Computing and Engineering Studies4
WLC 3315Critical Issues in Latin American Studies3

United States Cultural Pluralism (USCP)

USCP courses must fulfill all of the following criteria; and, according to AS-836-17, they must also address the Diversity Learning Objectives (DLOs). USCP courses must:

  1. Focus on one or more diverse groups (identified in the Cal Poly Statement on Diversity) whose contributions to American society have been impeded by cultural, legal, economic, and political conflict or whose social, cultural, legal, economic, and political opportunities have been restricted in the United States;
  2. Cover the historical and/or contemporary social issues resulting from conflict or restricted opportunities that include but are not limited to problems associated with discrimination based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, abilities, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or race in the United States;
  3. Address the diverse intellectual, philosophical, and cultural perspectives of historically marginalized people in the United States;
  4. Emphasize the voices and contributions of historically marginalized groups in the United States such that the course content must prominently include sources written and/or produced by historically marginalized people;
  5. Foster critical thinking skills by using intersectional frameworks of analyses that are necessary for adequately understanding and analyzing various social issues related to diversity and equity in the United States;
  6. Require students to examine critically their own beliefs, attitudes, and potential biases related to historically marginalized people in the United States.

In addition to satisfying these criteria, USCP courses must also address the Diversity Learning Objectives.

Students are required to complete one USCP course. This course also fulfills a requirement for Major, Support, General Education, or Free Elective category.

USCP and General Education Area F are separate degree requirements. The same course (either Cal Poly or transfer) cannot satisfy both requirements.

The following courses fulfill the United States Cultural Pluralism requirement.

COMS 3316Intercultural Communication (Upper-Division 4) 13
DANC 3321Cultural Influence on Dance in the United States (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 2203Literature Survey: The Multicultural Eighteenth Century4
ENGL 2204Literature Survey: Multicultural Romanticism4
ENGL 2241U.S. Literature: Beginnings to 1865 (3B) 13
ENGL 2274Survey of Queer and Trans Literature and Media (3B) 13
ENGL 3303Intermediate Literature: The Multicultural Eighteenth Century4
ENGL 3304Intermediate Literature: Multicultural Romanticism4
ENGL 3340Intermediate U.S. Literature: Beginnings to 1865 (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3342U.S. Literature: 1914 to 1956 (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3343U.S. Literature: 1956 to Present (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3345Women Writers of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3346Multiethnic Literature of the U.S. (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3347African American Literature (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3348Asian American Literature (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3349Trans Literatures (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3374Disability and Diversity in U.S. Film (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3381Topics in Diversity in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century US Literature (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3618Research Topics in Diversity in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century U.S. Literature (Upper-Division 3) 14
ENGL 3621Contemporary U.S. Dramatic Literature (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3624Topics in Queer and Trans Literature and Media (Upper-Division 3) 13
ENGL 3625Research Topics in Queer and Trans Literature and Media (Upper-Division 3) 14
ES 1112Race, Culture, and Politics in the United States (4A) 13
ES 2220African American Popular Culture (3A) 13
ES 2221Native American Popular Culture (3A) 13
ES 2222Asian American Popular Culture (3A) 13
ES 2223Latina/o/x Popular Culture (3A) 13
ES 3300Chicana/o/x Non-Fiction Literature (Upper-Division 3) 14
ES 3301Latina/o/x Literature of the United States (Upper-Division 3) 14
ES 3302Chicana/o/x Literature (Upper-Division 3) 14
ES 3303Latina/o/x Poetry (Upper-Division 3) 14
ES 3310Hip-Hop, Poetics, and Politics (Upper-Division 4) 14
ES 3324Chicana/o/x Film (Upper-Division 3) 14
ES 3325African American Genders and Sexualities (Upper-Division 4)4
ES 3330Chinese American Experiences (Upper-Division 4) 14
ES 3335Filipina/o/x American Experiences (Upper-Division 4) 14
ES 3345Queer Ethnic Studies (Upper-Division 4) 14
ES 3360Indigeneity and the Land (Upper-Division 4) 14
ES 3380Critical Race Theory (Upper-Division 4) 14
ES 3381Social Constructions of Whiteness (Upper-Division 4) 14
HIST 2201United States History to 1877 (4A) 13
HIST 2202United States History Since 1877 (4A) 13
HIST 2206United States Cultures (4A) 13
HIST 2208Survey of California History3
HIST 3321United States Civil War (Upper-Division 4) 14
HIST 3322Modern United States History (Upper-Division 4) 14
HIST 4405Black History in the United States to 18774
HIST 4406Black History in the United States since 18774
HLTH 1155Multicultural Perspectives and Health (4B) 13
HLTH 1160Women's Health and Society (4B) 13
JOUR 2219Mass Media in a Cross-Cultural Society3
KINE 3323Sport and Gender (Upper-Division 4) 13
KINE 3324Sports, Media, and United States Popular Culture (Upper-Division 4) 13
LS 3350Identity and Equity in American Schools (Upper-Division 4) 13
MU 2221Jazz Styles (3A) 13
MU 2227Popular Music of the United States (3A) 14
MU 3325Music of the United States4
PHIL 3336Feminist Ethics, Gender, Sexuality and Society (Upper-Division 3) 13
POLS 3310Politics of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in the U.S.3
POLS 3343Civil Rights in the U.S.3
POLS 4445Voting Rights and Representation3
PSY 3359Topics in Multicultural Psychology4
PSY 3372Multicultural Psychology4
PSY 4475The Social Psychology of Prejudice4
RELS 3370Religion, Gender, and Society (Upper-Division 3) 13
SOC 2216U.S. Race and Ethnic Relations3
SOC 3321Migration (Upper-Division 4) 13
SOC 4423Gender and Work4
SPAN 2206Spanish for Heritage Speakers (3B) 13
SPAN 3340Chicanx/Latinx Works in Spanish (Upper-Division 3) 13
SPAN 3351Chicanx/Latinx Works in English (Upper-Division 3) 13
TH 3305Diversity in U.S. Theatre (Upper-Division 3) 13
WGQS 2201Gender and Sexuality in US Society and Politics (4A) 13
WGQS 3301Contemporary Issues in Women's and Gender Studies (Upper-Division 4) 13
WGQS 3302Contemporary Issues in Queer Studies (Upper-Division 4) 13
WGQS 3327Intersectional Feminist Art Histories (Upper-Division 3) 13
WGQS 3350Gender, Race, Culture, Science, and Technology (Upper-Division 2/5) 14
WGQS 3385Porn Studies (Upper-Division 3) 14
WGQS 4450Feminist Theory4
WLC 3312Humanities in Chicanx/Latinx Cultures (Upper-Division 3) 13
1

Course also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.

Choice of Catalog / Catalog Rights

Cal Poly typically issues a new catalog every one or two years, and the requirements for degree programs may change from one catalog to the next. Students have the right to choose the catalog they will use, as described in Section 40401 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

An undergraduate student remaining in attendance in regular sessions at any California State University campus, at any California Community College, or any combination of California community colleges and campuses of the California State University may, for purposes of meeting graduation requirements, elect to meet the catalog requirements in effect at the campus from which the student will graduate either:

  1. at the term the student began such attendance, or
  2. at the term of entrance to the campus granting the degree, or
  3. at the term of graduation, or
  4. as allowed by campus policy: Cal Poly also allows students to elect the requirements of any catalog in effect during their regular attendance.

Campus authorities may authorize or require substitutions for discontinued courses. A campus may require a student changing his or her major or any minor field of study to complete the major or minor requirements in effect at the time of the change.

For purposes of this section, “attendance” means attendance in at least one semester or two quarters each university year. Absence due to an approved leave of absence or for attendance at another accredited institution of higher learning shall not be considered an interruption in attendance, if the absence does not exceed two years.

Choice of Catalog Older than 10 years for Returning Students

Returning students may request to complete their degrees on a catalog older than 10 years only if all remaining degree requirements at the time they left Cal Poly did not exceed 12 semester (or 16 quarter, if that student attended under the quarter system) units. The decision to approve or disapprove a student's request is based on: (1) Their willingness to complete their remaining degree requirements within a specified timeframe, and (2) Their ability to demonstrate, with written documentation (including a resume), reasonable currency (recency) of knowledge and skills in their degree field to the satisfaction of the faculty in the applicable major, as certified by the department Head or Chair. Both the college dean and the Executive Director of Academic Programs and Planning must give approval.

Currency in the degree field may be demonstrated by additional coursework, in addition to the remaining degree requirements on the student's original catalog, and/or by relevant work experience, to be determined by the department Head or Chair. 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.

The expiration of a catalog is determined by adding 10 years to the last term in which that catalog was in effect (e.g., the 2022-26 catalog will be “older than 10 years” after Summer Term 2036).

Students are not allowed to complete a degree that is no longer offered by the University.

Note: In addition to the remaining degree requirements on the student’s catalog, they may also be required to complete the GWR. Check with the Evaluations Unit in the Office of the Registrar.