Degree Program Concentrations and Emphasis

The General Engineering program is unique in that you can design your own engineering curriculum. Students have been very creative in crafting meaningful and exciting academic plans such as chemical engineering, sustainable energy, engineering entrepreneurship, peace engineering, product design, audio engineering, education, and pre-medical studies. We have developed suggested course recommendations for some of the more common concentrations, but the combinations are endless.

There are both required courses in a variety of engineering, math and science topics; general education courses; and a full year (40 quarter units) of emphasis electives (that you choose). You can find all the degree requirements for your catalog year on Cal Poly’s website. You will automatically be assigned the catalog year that corresponds to your first year at Cal Poly. You may select later catalogs if desired but cannot select a previous catalog. To define your emphasis electives, you will file an Individualized Course of Study (ICS) sometime before your third year at Cal Poly. This ICS becomes your curriculum, and your degree progress will be tracked to this bespoke curriculum.

See General Engineering advising information for the ICS process.

Open house and New Student’s Day