<p>Is it difficult to get the classes you need in order to graduate in 4 years? I hear the main issue with Cal Poly engineering is availability of classes and this can lead to some engineering students not graduating for 5 or 6 years.</p>
<p>It can certainly be done in 4 years if you work very hard, take a full load every quarter, take only what is required for your degree, and pass everything on the first try. The engineering programs at CP include tons of labs, and have difficult support classes, so it is an ambitious undertaking.</p>
<p>My son graduated ( just this past in August) with his B.S. in Materials Engineering after 4 years + 1 summer (13 quarters) at Cal Poly . He had AP credit for the first chemistry class and Calc I. He took a full load of 16-18 units each quarter and would have been done in 4 years except for the fact that he had to re-take 3 or 4 support courses because of low grades. This left him with 3 GE’s to take in the summer after his 4th year.</p>
<p>He used his “priorities” for registration strategically and had to “crash” a few classes, but was always able to get the courses he needed though not always with the professor or time of day that he wanted. With careful planning and hard work, engineers CAN graduate in 4 years (perhaps even with one or two failed classes). </p>
<p>I think many don’t get done in 4 years because a.) they take a lighter load, b.) they don’t pass every class on the first try, c.) they want to take some extra “interest” classes that don’t count toward their degree and d.) they love living in SLO and aren’t in a big hurry to move away and start working 50 weeks a year!! My son took took “Wine and Religion”, and some extra machine shop classes just because he wanted to. He also took “Earthquakes”, not sure if this counted toward his degree or not.</p>
<p>Are all the courses needed to graduate on the MatE flowchart?</p>
<p><a href=“http://mate.calpoly.edu/media/uploads/MATE11-13Flowchart.pdf[/url]”>http://mate.calpoly.edu/media/uploads/MATE11-13Flowchart.pdf</a></p>
<p>Or are there other requirements?</p>
<p>Also, in general and for materials engineering major courses, how many students are there typically in a class?</p>
<p>The flowchart should have everything (maybe not some pre-reqs) As for students in a class, that depends on how big your year is. The department is small enough that the entire year is usually in most of their classes all together. So 40 or so students.</p>