California Polytechnic State University - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Professors at Cal Poly come in many shapes and sizes. Some are exceptionally good, and some are exceptionally bad. Most are very good. The quality of professors really depends on the department. The English department, for example, is known for its small class sizes and professors who will not only know your name but also be willing to help you with anything, even other classes! This is a great opportunity for any one who wants to learn and get the most from their time at Cal Poly. On the other hand, the Industrial Technology department is currently experiencing an exodus of quality professors due to a heated debate over which college IT should be a part of. This can be detrimental to new students as well as seniors.

Overall, Poly professors tend to be down-to-earth, practical, and personable. Most are easy to approach and all have weekly office hours. This makes it convenient to discuss issues with your professor, even though you may have a full schedule and very little time. Throughout their four (or five or six) years here, students will generally form friendships with at least one of their favorite professors.

Free Profile Tools

Do I Stand A Chance?

Calculate YOUR chances of admission at every school CP covers!

__%

Personality Match

Calculate YOUR personality match with every school CP covers!

__%

What'll It Cost Me?

Estimate your out-of-pocket costs at every school CP covers!

$__,___

Students Speak Out

Calsb says: California Polytechnic State University 2016 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

The teachers are friendly and get... The teachers are friendly and get to know you. The workload depends on your major. 12345 Academics: March 17, 2009 Report

CalLT says: California Polytechnic State University 2016 Other

Most of the teachers are pretty... Most of the teachers are pretty cool and really chill. The classes certainly aren't easy, but they teach the material in an interesting way. You can tell that they care about what they're teaching you. You can check out your professors ahead of time at polyratings.com to make sure you get good ones. Cal Poly is a polytechnic school. All of our programs are pretty good. We're by far the best CSU and equal, if not better than some of the UC's as well. Workload depends on how many units you take, but homework is usually pretty reasonable. 12345 Academics: March 16, 2009 Report

CalBW says: California Polytechnic State University 2016 Engineering

The teachers are in general really... The teachers are in general really good. The workload is not that bad—16 units is a full schedule with a decent amount of free time. Cal Poly is known for engineering, agriculture, science, and math. 12345 Academics: March 02, 2009 Report

Calng says: California Polytechnic State University 2016 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

My school is generally known for... My school is generally known for architecture and engineering. The teachers I have had are all really nice, and they know what they are talking about. 12345 Academics: February 24, 2009 Report

thechickenisbad says: California Polytechnic State University 2016 Architecture and Planning

It's nice to have professors... It's nice to have professors teaching you instead of TAs. The only downside is the trouble actually getting classes due to the CSU budget. That's why you'll find so many fifth- and sixth-year seniors. 12345 Academics: March 03, 2009 Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Each quarter during finals week, ASI (Associated Student Body, Inc.) hosts a day of procrastination stations in the University Union where students can take a break by making candles, getting a massage, or eating a pancake breakfast for free!

For many GE classes, study groups are often offered outside of class. The academic skills center also enables students to individually start and organize study groups for particular classes.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Sarah Parr
Hometown: Simi Valley, CA
Major: Journalism/Pre-Law

Sarah is into astrology.

Contributing Author Internship

College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college. Read more about the internship.