2026-2028 Catalog

Courses


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B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

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S

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U

W

Bailey College of Science and Mathematics (OCNSCM)

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science (AG)

  • Agribusiness (AGB)
  • Agricultural Education and Communication (AGC, AGED)
  • Animal Science (ASCI, DSCI)
  • BioResource and Agricultural Engineering (BRAE)
  • Experience Industry Management (EIM)
  • Food Science and Nutrition (FDSC, FSN, NUTR)
  • Marine Transportation (CRU, DL, NAU)
  • Military Science (LDR, MSL)
  • Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences (ERSC, ESCI, NR, SS)
  • Naval Science (NSC)
  • Plant Sciences (PLSC)
  • Wine and Viticulture (WVIT)

College of Architecture and Environmental Design (EDES)

  • Architectural Engineering (ARCE)
  • Architecture  (ARCH)
  • City and Regional Planning (CRP)
  • Construction Management (CM)
  • Landscape Architecture (LA)

Orfalea College of Business (BUS, ECO, ECON, GSA, GSBIBLITP, MGT)
 
College of Engineering (EM, ENGENGRFFFPE, TEM)

  • Aerospace Engineering (AERO)
  • Biomedical Engineering (BMED)
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering (CE, ENVE)
  • Computer Engineering (CPE)
  • Computer Science (COMCSC)
  • Electrical Engineering (EE)
  • Engineering Technology (CEP, EPO, ET)
  • General Engineering (ENGR)
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME)
  • Materials Engineering (MATE)
  • Mechanical Engineering (ME)

College of Liberal Arts (CLAHUM)

Extended, Professional, and Continuing Education (GS)
 
Interdisciplinary or University-Wide  

  • Honors Program (HNRC, HNRS)
  • Intercollegiate Athletics (ATHL, PE)
  • Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies Program (LAES)
  • Library (LIB)
  • University Studies (UNIV)

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

Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)

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.

Further information on pathways to meeting this degree requirement may be obtained from the Office of Writing and Learning Initiatives, Kennedy Library (35) Room 202A (805-756-2067), or on the GWR webpage, https://writingandlearning.calpoly.edu/gwr.

GWR Courses

ARCH 4460Senior Architectural Thesis Theory and Research Seminar3
BIO 4443Climate Change Biology4
BIO 4452Cell Biology3
BIO 4461Senior Project - Research Proposal2
BIO 4463Senior Project - Meta-analysis in Biology2
COMS 3332Rhetorical Criticism3
COMS 3385Media Criticism3
ENGL 3310Corporate Communication3
ENGL 3311Writing With Style3
ENGL 3313Multilingual/Multimodal: Writing Transnational Spaces3
ENGL 3315Writing Sustainability, Equity, and Resilience3
ENGL 3317Humanistic Perspectives in Technical and Professional Editing3
ENGL 3330British Literature: Beginnings to 14853
ENGL 3331British Literature: 1485 to 16603
ENGL/HNRS 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 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/HNRS 3347African American Literature3
ENGL 3348Asian American Literature3
ENGL 3349Trans Literatures3
ENGL 3350The Modern Novel3
ENGL 3351Modern Poetry3
ENGL/HNRS 3352Modern Drama3
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 3375World Cinema3
ENGL/HNRS 3380Themes in Literature and Culture3
ENGL 3381Topics in Diversity in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century US Literature3
ENGL 3393Theory and Practice of Tutoring Writing4
ENGL 3611Literary Themes4
ENGL 3618Research Topics in Diversity in Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century U.S. Literature4
ENGL 3621Contemporary U.S. Dramatic Literature3
ENGL 3625Research Topics in Queer and Trans Literature and Media4
ENGL 3626Intermediate Topics in Film4
ENGL 3627Intermediate Topics in Writing4
ENGL 3632Writing Grant Proposals and Fundraising Appeals3
ENGL 3636Copywriting3
GRC 4290User Experience Research Methods3
HIST 3307Modern European Thought and Culture4
HIST 3350/HNRS 3353The Scientific Revolution: 1500-18004
HIST 3351The History of Modern Science Since 18004
HLTH 3305Drugs in Society3
KINE 3323Sport and Gender3
KINE 3324Sports, Media, and United States Popular Culture3
KINE 3325Sport and Physical Activity Throughout Civilizations3
MATE 4300Materials Selection for the Life Cycle3
PHYS 3339Communicating Physics1
TH 3305Diversity in U.S. Theatre3

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.

Selected Topic Courses

Selected topic courses are academic credit-bearing courses in the Cal Poly catalog that provide a generic course vehicle to offer special topics on an "as needed basis." The most common selected topic courses, 270, 470, 471, 570, 571, are available to all academic programs, and have the same generic course description. The specific topic title appears in the Class Schedule and on the students' transcripts.

A list of selected topic course descriptions can be found at Selected Topic Courses on the website of the Office of the Registrar.

Sustainability Focused Courses
Sustainability Related Courses

Sustainability Focused Courses

Sustainability is an integral part of the content and learning objectives of the following courses. These courses have been reviewed by the Academic Senate’s Sustainability Committee for their relation to Cal Poly’s Sustainability Learning Objectives (SLOs) and illustrate how sustainability issues are relevant across the university’s entire curriculum. These courses help students identify, analyze, and design innovative solutions for currently unsustainable environmental, economic, and social practices.

In 2019, Cal Poly was awarded a gold rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The sustainability focused courses offered at Cal Poly are a key part of that rating. If you are an instructor who teaches a course focused on or related to sustainability that is not included in SUSCAT, or if you are a student who has taken such a course but do not see it listed here, please contact suscat@calpoly.edu.

AG/EDES/ENGR/GEOG/ISLA/SCM/UNIV 3350The Global Environment3
AG 4452Leadership Seminar on Issues Affecting California Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources4
AGB 3326Natural Resources Economics and Valuation3
ARCH 3341Architectural Systems Integration I4
ARCH 3342Architectural Systems Integration II5
ARCH 4401Advanced Architectural Design5
ASCI 2232Small Ruminant and Rangeland Management3
BIO 2217Wildlife Conservation Biology3
BIO 3343Principles of Conservation Biology3
BIO 4427Wildlife Management4
BIO 4443Climate Change Biology4
BIO 4446Ecosystem Ecology4
BRAE 2220Introduction to Biological Systems4
BRAE 3348Energy for a Sustainable Society3
BRAE 3349Water for a Sustainable Society3
BRAE 4448Bioconversion3
CE 3337Water Resources & Environmental Engineering4
CE 5527Sustainable Mobility3
CE 5533Sustainable Urban Stormwater Management4
CHEM 3372Environmental Chemistry3
CM 3317Sustainability and the Built Environment3
CRP 3336Introduction to Environmental Planning4
CRP 4404Environmental Law4
CRP 4408Water Resource Law and Policy4
CRP 4445Green Infrastructure3
CRP 4458Hazard Mitigation Planning and Resilient Design3
CRP 5103Creating Sustainable and Resilient Communities4
EDES 1123Place, People, and the Built Environment3
EDES 3350The Global Environment3
EDES 4406Sustainable Environments4
EDES 4408Implementing Sustainability Principles4
EE 4420Sustainable Energy Generation3
EE 4434Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage Systems3
EE 4450Solar Photovoltaic System Engineering I3
EE 5520Advanced Solar-Photovoltaic Systems Design3
EIM 3313Sustainability in the Experience Industry3
EIM 3328Environmental Leadership and Community Engagement3
ENGL 3315Writing Sustainability, Equity, and Resilience3
ENGR 3350The Global Environment3
ENVE 3337Water Resources & Environmental Engineering4
ERSC 3335Soil, Water, and Civilization3
FDSC 1110Introduction to Food Science and Sustainability3
GEOG 3350The Global Environment3
HIST 4432United States Environmental History4
HLTH 4410Global Health3
HNRS 1164Sustainability and Communities3
HNRS 3391Engaging in Sustainable Global Development3
HNRS 3392Collaboratively Developing Sustainable Technologies Globally3
ISLA 3350The Global Environment3
ITP 4411Packaging Sustainability3
LA 2203Landscape Ecology: Concepts, Issues, and Interrelationships3
LA 3320Studio IV - Landscape Performance and Design4
LA 3322Studio V - Environmental Planning and Design4
LA 4410Sustainability, Resilience, and Climate Ecology in Design3
LA 4413Social Equity and Design3
LA 4414Advanced Landscape Construction3
LA 5521Ecological Urban Design3
MATE 4420Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials4
MATE 4481Materials and the Environment3
ME 4456HVAC&R Air and Water Distribution for Sustainable Building Environments3
ME 4457Environmentally Efficient and Sustainable Refrigeration Systems3
MSCI 1111The Oceans3
MSCI 4439Marine Fisheries and Conservation4
NR 3304Agroecology4
NR 3306Natural Resource Ecology and Habitat Management4
NR 3316Environmental Literacy: An Integrative STEM Approach3
NR 3323Human Dimensions in Natural Resources Management3
NR 3324Social Dimensions of Sustainable Food Systems3
NR 3326Natural Resources Economics and Valuation3
NR 3328Environmental Leadership and Community Engagement3
NR 3349Water for a Sustainable Society3
NR 3360Ethnicity, Culture, and the Environment in the United States3
NR 4404Environmental Law4
NR 4408Water Resource Law and Policy4
NR 4414Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Operations2
NR 4416Environmental Impact Analysis and Management4
NR 4417Natural Resource Protection and Policy3
NR 4442Environmental Life-Cycle Analysis3
NR 4445Systems Thinking in Environmental Management3
PHYS 3314Ocean Dynamics3
PLSC 1123Introduction to Sustainable Site Horticulture3
PLSC 3301Horticultural Production Techniques3
PLSC 3332Sustainable Site Design and Systems3
PLSC 3444Climate Smart Agriculture3
PSC 3320Energy, Society, and the Environment3
PSC 3391Engaging in Sustainable Global Development3
PSC 3392Collaboratively Developing Sustainable Technologies Globally3
PSY 3311Environmental Psychology3
SCM 3316Environmental Literacy: An Integrative STEM Approach3
SCM 3350The Global Environment3
SCM 3360Selected Environmental Issues of California's Central Coast3
SOC 3308Sociology of the Environment4
SOC 4431World Population Processes and Problems4
SS 1130Soils in Environmental and Agricultural Systems3
SS 2221Soil Health and Plant Nutrition4
SS 3444Climate Smart Agriculture3
UNIV 3350The Global Environment3
UNIV/PSC/HNRS 3391Engaging in Sustainable Global Development3
UNIV/PSC/HNRS 3392Collaboratively Developing Sustainable Technologies Globally3

Sustainability Related Courses

The  “sustainability-related” courses listed here, like the sustainability focused courses above,  have also been reviewed by the Academic Senate’s Sustainability Committee for their relation to Cal Poly’s Sustainability Learning Objectives (SLOs) and also illustrate how sustainability issues are relevant across the university’s entire curriculum. While these courses address crucial issues in environmental, economic, and social sustainability, they may not center these issues as prominently in the course content and learning objectives. For that reason, they are listed as sustainability- “related” rather than sustainability-“focused.”

In 2019, Cal Poly was awarded a gold rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The sustainability related courses offered at Cal Poly are a key part of that rating. If you are an instructor who teaches a course focused on or related to sustainability that is not included in SUSCAT, or if you are a student who has taken such a course but do not see it listed here, please contact suscat@calpoly.edu.

ARCH 2241Architectural Technology Fundamentals I4
ARCH 2242Architectural Technology Fundamentals II4
ARCH 5501Architectural Graduate Research Studio I5
ARCH 5502Architectural Graduate Research Studio II5
BIO 3327Wildlife Ecology3
BIO 4422Environmental Physiology4
BUS 4401Strategic Management3
CE 1111Introduction to Civil Engineering1
CM 3318Housing and Communities3
CRP 3334Cities in a Global World3
EIM 3302Environmental and Wilderness Education3
ELAP 5512Education Organization and Management3
FDSC 3330Food Processing and Engineering I4
FSN 1111Elements of Food Processing3
GEOG 3308Global Geography3
GEOG 3370Geography of Latin America3
GEOG 3380Geography of the Caribbean3
GRC 3080Product Development for Cross-Device Interaction3
GRC 4700Advanced Consumer Packaging3
GSB 5563International Business Tour3
HIST 3311Comparative World Environmental History and Sustainability4
ITP 1150Power Systems and Renewable Energy3
ITP 3341Packaging Polymers and Processing3
LA 2210Materials and Techniques of Landscape Construction4
LA 2220Studio II - Site Based Design3
LA 2222Studio III - Design for Implementation3
LA 3304Contemporary Issues in Cultural Landscapes3
MATE 2190Materials Science of Sports, Food, and Functional Clothing3
MATE 3359Living in a Material World3
ME 3355Introduction to Sustainable Energy Usage in Buildings3
ME 4438Nuclear Power Plant Design and Operation3
ME 4439Nuclear Energy Resources4
ME 4455Building Energy Performance and Modeling3
NR 1140Careers in Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences1
NR 3312Technology of Wildland Fire Management3
NR 4413Agricultural Law4
PHYS 3310Physics of Energy2
PSC 2201Physical Oceanography3
SS 1120Introductory Soil Science4
SS 3321Soil Morphology4
SS 4440Forest and Range Soils3

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