frequently asked questions

Student with tower of boxes
Manufacturing engineering Nikolai Prutow stacks cardboard boxes filled with recycling material and lithium batteries outside the Hangar Machine Shop for a research project by professor Tali Freed.

ADMISSIONS

Selection criteria for admissions (First-Year, Transfer, Graduate, International): 

  • Cal Poly admits students at the university level, please visit Admissions for detailed information.

Information for transfer students:

Can I change my major as a newly admitted student:

campus tours

From student-led walking tours to virtual tours, there are a variety of opportunities for you to learn more about campus and get to know all that makes Cal Poly a great place to live and learn.

Learn More

Computer & Technology

What computer model should I purchase, and what specs should it feature?

College of Engineering Laptop Recommendations

 

Can I access lab programs and software from home?

  • Virtual Computer Labs enables the Cal Poly community to access academic software previously only available in on-campus labs using a web browser. Access and Instructions

What type of programs will I be using and can I access them before my classes begin to familiarize myself?

  • MATLAB:
  1. Go to my.calpoly.edu and log in.
  2. Click “Technical Service Request” in the Single Click Links menu.
  3. Click “New Software Request”.
  4. In Software Title field type “MATLAB and Simulink R2021a / R2020a / R2020b for Students”
  5. Select the title that appears.
  6. Click “Yes” to agree to terms.
  7. On Method of Checkout, click “Download”.
  8. Click “Serial & Download Info” button.
  9. Follow Download and Install instructions given.
  10. You may also register with Mathworks using your @calpoly.edu email address to download directly from the developer.

Suggested MATLAB Toolboxes:

Aerospace Toolbox, Audio Toolbox, Bioinformatics Toolbox, Communications Toolbox, Computer Vision Toolbox, Control System Toolbox, Curve Fitting Toolbox, Data Acquisition Toolbox, Database Toolbox, Deep Learning Toolbox, Global Optimization Toolbox, Image Acquisition Toolbox, Image Processing Toolbox, Instrument Control Toolbox, MATLAB Coder, MATLAB Compiler SDK, MATLAB Compiler, Mapping Toolbox, Mixed-Signal Blockset, Model Predictive Control Toolbox, Model-Based Calibration Toolbox, Motor Control Blockset, Navigation Toolbox, Optimization Toolbox, Parallel Computing Toolbox, Partial Differential Equation Toolbox, RF Toolbox, Robotics System Toolbox, Robust Control Toolbox, Sensor Fusion and Tracking Toolbox, Signal Processing Toolbox, SimBiology, Simscape Electrical, Simscape Fluids, Simscape Multibody, Simscape, Simulink, Simulink 3D Animation, Simulink Check, Simulink Code Inspector, Simulink Coder, Simulink Compiler, Simulink Control Design, Spreadsheet Link, Stateflow, Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox, Symbolic Math Toolbox, System Identification Toolbox, Wavelet Toolbox

Where do I go to find General ITS Help Resources (i.e. Adobe Suite, VPN, Office365, AWS Appstream, etc.)?

curriculum

Curriculum Advising: 

Change of Major:

Blended Program:

  • The Blended program is an accelerated path for Cal Poly undergraduates who would like to graduate with both a BS and MS degrees upon completion. In this program, students are able to double-count 8 units of 400 or 500 level of Approved Engineering and/or Science electives for both their undergraduate and graduate requirements.

Graduation Information:

Undergraduate Curriculum

Graduation Curriculum