Change of major requests are approved based on meeting the minimum standards listed below and space availability in the respective program. During the last two years, students who have met the minimum standards have been immediately accepted into the College of Engineering. However, students not meeting the minimum standards have not been accepted and they were referred to other campuses and/or majors outside of the College of Engineering (the denied students probably number about 20 to 30 students per year).

Students wishing to transfer into Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering should be aware that many very good students are not accepted because they do not meet the minimum standards (which are higher due to the impacted status of these four majors).

Students should meet with a College of Engineering Advising Center advisor during posted walk-in hours as early as possible and all questions regarding the minimum standards for change of major will be addressed at that time.

College of Engineering students under administrative probation will not automatically be accepted when they are under contract (even if they meet the minimum criteria for transfer).

Former College of Engineering students who left the College of Engineering in poor standing and transferred to a major at Cal Poly outside of the College of Engineering must meet with the Executive Director of the College of Engineering Advising Center if they are considering returning to the College of Engineering to discuss what options, if any, they may have to return to the College.

College of Engineering students who are trying to change their major into Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering or Mechanical Engineering will be subject to the published administrative probation policies if they fail to make minimum progress towards their declared major (as is true for any engineering student not meeting the minimum progress requirements).

Links to the minimum standards for each major:
AERO
BMED
CE
CPE
CSC
EE
ENVE
GENE
IE
MATE
MFGE
ME
SE