FAQ ABOUT ART & DESIGN FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

WHAT CLUBS/EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE ART & DESIGN DEPARTMENT?

Solid minors to try: Graphic Communication (GrC), CIA (or Comp Sci if you want to cry), Packaging (ITP), Marketing/Entrepreneurship
Can I add an art minor (studio or photo or art history) as an art major?
- Nope, but take the classes you want anyways! They usually count for your degree-applicable electives for your BFA, too!
What about programs in other colleges?
- If there are other courses under different colleges you want to take, a great minor to look at is the MAST (Media, Arts, Society, and Technology) minor, which counts several of our required courses in the BFA degree.
- Most minors don’t require any extra time (years-wise) to complete, so go for it if there’s another field you like! It’s nice to have a break from Dexter once in a while and meet people outside your major. Find the Minor Catalog here.

A portable computer is required, as well as access to the Creative Cloud Suite. Adobe has partnered with Cal Poly to give students a really great deal ($29.99/year!)
Some recommended tools are also a means for backup, whether it be an external hard drive or cloud storage service such as Backblaze.
For more information, visit this link https://artdesign.calpoly.edu/students/tech-requirements

Downtown SLO art galleries hold Art After Dark every first Friday of the month!
There are a lot of design studios in SLO that AIGA will sometimes take people to tour.

Sometimes! Especially in the beginning, when all first-year Art and Design students take a Foundation series of courses together that expose you to all of the different media each concentration works with (so you’ll get experience with photography, 2D and 3D design, and digital design tools)
Follow up: I’m terrified of [Adobe/studio lighting equipment/working with oils] because it’s not my concentration. Do I have to be good at everything?
- No, you’ll learn what you need to know! The foundations introduce you to everything at a higher level, and then your concentration-specific courses will dive into your specific field at a lower, more in-depth level.
- You might even find a new hobby/passion in a different concentration!
Again, check out SAC to make some friends in different concentrations and different majors—that’s our department's all-inclusive club, so you’ll meet people in different years, too, which is great for getting adjusted and feeling more at home here.

That’s okay! Take a look at the Cal Poly Catalog and see if another major, concentration, or minor program might align more closely with what you want to do.
Be sure to talk to your professors and peers about their experience—tell them what you want to do, what you’re interested in, and what they would recommend you take inside and outside of the department.
Remember that your major doesn’t have to line up exactly with what you want to do, too. You’ll still learn valuable skills in whatever concentration you’re in (art foundations, color, design principles, software and tools, and how to advocate for yourself and your work) that will help you in all of those fields that are almost—but not quite—your major.
And, unless you’re sure you want to major in something else after you’re in Art and Design, just stay here! It’s hard to switch back in if you switch out to a different major and then decide you want to come back later.

Yes! Study abroad can help you find your independence, direction for life after college, and a lot more friends! It also aids in course completion.
There are also certain programs that offer internship/ job opportunities if that interests you as well.
You should go to the international and study abroad fairs your first year to get an idea of what programs you may want to join. Getting started on this sooner rather than later is a big help, even if you don’t end up wanting to go abroad.
Depending on the program you choose, you may be able to take major/minor courses abroad or you may just want to take GE or elective courses. If you choose a non-CalPoly affiliated program, you will have to submit a course substitution request which can take 2-3 weeks to process, so thinking ahead is more efficient. It can be done last minute, but it becomes very stressful for you, your advisor, and other Cal Poly officials.
Talking to a peer advisor or study abroad advisor can aid you in making a decision.

How much time do you spend each week in class? On homework?
- It's not uncommon for professors to ask their students to spend 6-9 hours on their work/ projects per class per week (25-35 total or 3-5 per day).
What does homework in the major look like? (Projects!)
- Ask a student! They’ll be happy to talk about their portfolios.
What tips do you have for balancing such a heavy major with your other coursework/jobs/extracurriculars?
- Know how much you can handle. Get as much as you can out of your experience here at Cal Poly, but know that you have to keep yourself healthy! Recommend to hold off on searching for jobs in your first couple of quarters or first year so you can get a feel for the workloads that you’ll be experiencing.