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Transfer Course Criteria for

Animal Science


Along with the general selection criteria, every major has required and recommended coursework for transfer students to have completed in order to be considered competitive during the selection process.

Required Courses

Before applying to a major, you should successfully complete or be in the process of completing the required courses to maximize (but not guarantee) your chance of selection. You must complete these units by the spring of the term before your intended fall enrollment to receive consideration during the selection process.

Desired Courses

Because Cal Poly is highly impacted and selection to all majors is very competitive, desired courses should also be successfully completed or in progress when you apply for admission.

Evaluating Your Courses

All the courses listed are Cal Poly Courses. You can use www.assist.org to identify the course equivalencies between Cal Poly and the California Community Colleges. Be sure to use the corresponding academic year in which you completed the course. If you are out-of-state or a transfer student from another four-year institution, you may have to compare your catalog course descriptions with Cal Poly’s catalog to identify the equivalent courses. Cal Poly is unable to evaluate transcripts for you prior to selection.

Course Listings

Fall 2024

Required Courses

English Language Communication and Critical Thinking

  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication/English Composition
  • Critical Thinking

Mathematics

  • MATH 118/Precalculus Algebra
    or Math 161/Calculus for the Life Sciences I

Biology

  • BIO 111/General Biology
    or BIO 161/Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology

Chemistry

  • CHEM 127/General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 128/General Chemistry II

Desired Courses

Statistics

  • STAT 218/Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences

Chemistry

  • CHEM 212/Introduction to Organic Chemistry
    or CHEM 216/Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences I (Even though both CHEM 212 and CHEM 216 are acceptable for the major, the CHEM 216 course is required by postgraduate schools. Therefore, you should take a course equivalent to CHEM 216 if you are interested in pursuing a pre-veterinary, premedical, other type of health sciences career, or graduate school after college.)
  • CHEM 129/General Chemistry III (The full year of General Chemistry is recommended if you are interested in pursuing a pre-veterinary curriculum.)
Fall 2025

Required Courses

English Language Communication and Critical Thinking

  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication/English Composition
  • Critical Thinking

Mathematics

  • MATH 118/Precalculus Algebra
    or Math 161/Calculus for the Life Sciences I

Biology

  • BIO 111/General Biology
    or BIO 161/Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology

Chemistry

  • CHEM 127/General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 128/General Chemistry II

Desired Courses

Statistics

  • STAT 218/Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences

Chemistry

  • CHEM 212/Introduction to Organic Chemistry
    or CHEM 216/Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences I (Even though both CHEM 212 and CHEM 216 are acceptable for the major, the CHEM 216 course is required by postgraduate schools. Therefore, you should take a course equivalent to CHEM 216 if you are interested in pursuing a pre-veterinary, premedical, other type of health sciences career, or graduate school after college.)
  • CHEM 129/General Chemistry III (The full year of General Chemistry is recommended if you are interested in pursuing a pre-veterinary curriculum.)

All information is subject to change without prior notice.