Transfer Course Criteria for
Art and Design
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 the San Luis Obispo campus at 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
Required Courses
English Communication
- Oral Communication
- English Composition
- Critical Thinking and Composition
Mathematics
- Any CSU GE Area 2 Mathematics or Statistics course
Major Related
Select two of the following four courses:
- ART 1101/Fundamentals of Drawing
- ART 1102/2D Design
- ART 1103/3D Design
- ART 2212/Renaissance to Modern Art
Desired Courses
Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and Foreign Languages
- Any CSU GE Area 3 course
Literature/Philosophy course strongly encouraged as preparation for the analytical reading that typifies upper-division major and GE courses in the College of Liberal Arts.
Major Related
One of:
- ART 1184/Beginning Sculpture
- ART 2282/Beginning Painting
Any major course not taken for required major courses above:
- ART 1011/Fundamentals of Drawing
- ART 1102/2D Design
- ART 1103/3D Design
- ART 1104/4D Design
- ART 2212/Renaissance to Modern Art
Required Courses
English Language Communication and Critical Thinking
- Oral Communication
- Written Communication/English Composition
- Critical Thinking
Mathematics
- MATH 112/The Nature of Modern Mathematics
or any CSU GE Area B4 Mathematics or Statistics course
Major Related
Select two of the following four courses:
- ART 101/Fundamentals of Drawing
- ART 102/Art and Design Foundation Studies I
- ART 104/Art and Design Foundation Studies III
- ART 212/ART History—Renaissance through Baroque Eras
Desired Courses
Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and Foreign Languages
- Any CSU GE Area C course
Literature/Philosophy course strongly encouraged as preparation for the analytical reading that typifies upper-division major and GE courses in the College of Liberal Arts.
Major Related
- ART 209/Beginning Painting
- ART 224/Introduction to Artificial Lighting for Photography
Any major course not taken for required major courses above:
- ART 101/Fundamentals of Drawing
- ART 102/Art and Design Foundation Studies I
- ART 104/Art and Design Foundation Studies III
- ART 212/ART History—Renaissance through Baroque Eras
All information is subject to change without prior notice.