<p>I was just accepted to Cal Poly SLO in the GENE program and wanted to hear some thoughts about the program.</p>
<p>To those who are in the program, do you enjoy it? Do you feel as though you made the right decision?</p>
<p>Also, how easy is it to switch majors within the engineering college? Because i will most likely dabble in multiple areas of engineering, wouldn’t it be logical to figure out which one you enjoyed most and then switch to that college?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance guys!</p>
<p>I am not a GENE but am a third year Biomedical Engineering major. I do have knowledge on it however because they are in the same department and I am an engineering ambassador (give tours of the CENG)</p>
<p>The program is great as a introduction to different engineering majors. However, the program is meant to be towards students who want to major in a specific type of engineering that may not be it’s own major at Cal Poly–such as nuclear engineering or petroleum engineering. This way they get a engineering degree with an emphasis on what they are interested in. </p>
<p>It is fairly easy to switch between the engineering majors, especially out of GENE. The main thing is to keep your GPA up (above a 3.0). Keep an open mind and stay persistent and you will figure out what you are interested in within the first two years. Also, talking early on with different professors can help as well. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>supergerbil: My daughter just got accepted into the GENE program at Cal Poly as an incoming freshman and is leaning towards eventually transferring into Biomedical Engineering. Will she be able to take some courses in the Biomed Eng major as a freshman or sophomore? As long as she keeps up her grades, how soon can she transfer majors? We noticed that GENE was in the same dept as Biomed Eng and hoped that it would make it easier to transfer. Maybe you can give us a tour of the CENG sometime!</p>
<p>My son started out as a GENE major as well and just transferred to ME. It was a cinch. He met with the academic counselor and was notified electronically after registering for classes for his second quarter. He also had a very high GPA after his first quarter. He made a comment that the easiest change in majors in the college of engineering is between GENE and Bio Med as they are in the same department. Bio Med actually came out of the GENE department which is why they are still administratively together. Your daughter will most likely not be able to choose Bio Med classes in her first quarter as she will receive a block schedule that is chosen for her. After the first quarter she can choose classes on her own and she most likely can take those classes after speaking to a counselor – these folks are always available.</p>
<p>OsakaDad: Thanks for the good information about transferring majors. Sounds like the key to a smooth transition is keeping up your grades! It’s kind of ironic but I’ve heard of students struggling in a major and trying to transfer out, but couldn’t due to grade issues.</p>
<p>We just booked our flights for the Cal Poly Open House - so excited!</p>
<p>You will absolutely LOVE the Open House. Do not forget the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market on Thursday evening. And the Rodeo is an absolute must! Make sure that you attend all events. There is no wasted time at the Open House.</p>
<p>COparent,</p>
<p>What OsakaDad said is true. It is an easy switch between the two, not only because they are in the same department but also because GENE is generally meant for the purpose of switching in or out of until a student is sure of their major. Hence, I would say it is just as easy to switch from GENE into ME or CE (keeping in mind that the student’s GPA is solid enough).</p>
<p>As far as the classes go, you shouldn’t worry. Freshmen year, the two majors take exactly the same two classes (ENG 110 in the fall, and BMED/ENG 111 in the winter or spring). Even though I was a BMED, I took ENG 111 because they are essentially the same class. Sophmore year, BMED students take BMED 212 which GENE can get into as well. If she is planning to switch out of GENE, I definitely recommend doing it by the middle of sophmore year.</p>
<p>And definitely! I love giving tours =] Open house is a great experience as well and I am sure you will learn a lot about Cal Poly and CENG then!</p>
<p>I’ve heard that you need at least a 3.5 GPA to change majors within Engineering. Is that true?</p>
<p>The minimum required GPA to change engineering majors is 2.0 almost entirely across the board. </p>
<p>It looks like the rumor that you must maintain a 3.5 to change majors is completely FALSE. Here is the link: [Changing</a> Majors | Engineering Advising Center](<a href=“http://eadvise.calpoly.edu/majors/changing-majors/]Changing”>http://eadvise.calpoly.edu/majors/changing-majors/)</p>
<p>The only exception that I could find is cut and pasted below:</p>
<p>“College of Engineering students transferring into ME must complete a minimum of one quarter at Cal Poly and have a 2.75 grade point average. Specific Policy for students who entered GENE upon entry into Cal Poly and who remained in the major: These students transferring into ME must complete a minimum of one quarter at Cal Poly and have a 2.0 grade point average.”</p>