<p>I’m really interested in knowing more about this major because it looks like it allows you to pursue a custom course of study, which I plan on turning into something of an engineering physics major. I have a few questions though, I plan on going to grad school; will this affect it? has anybody done this before? Do you guys think this is a good idea?</p>
<p>GENE is a really unique major in that you actually allowed to customize your degree from a range of courses. From orientation, if i correctly recall, GENE is most popular with students who want to dabble in in a range of engineering disciplines before figuring out what path they want to follow (and of course, at a later time switch out). Most students, however, choose to stay within the GENE program.</p>
<p>I’m in BMED but we share the orientation class with GENE. Our flowcharts are also basically identical, excluding the open-choice classes. Be sure to check out the GENE-specific flowchart: (<a href=“http://eadvise.calpoly.edu/policy/forms/gene_flow0507.pdf[/url]”>http://eadvise.calpoly.edu/policy/forms/gene_flow0507.pdf</a>)
Compare these classes in the cal poly catalog (<a href=“http://catalog.calpoly.edu/)%5B/url%5D”>http://catalog.calpoly.edu/)</a>, and be sure to browse the calpoly GENE webpages.</p>
<p>Also be aware that, over time, your changing registration schedule may push you from your “ideal” course of study, especially with all those options.</p>
<p>You said you wanted to follow some kind of engineering “physics” major. I am unfamiliar with freedom of choices granted to GENE majors, but I am also not sure that the “individual courses of study” imply taking just any engineering/science class you want. Most engineering students take Physics I-III (kinematics, optics/waves, magnetism/electricity … basically your AP Physics curriculum but more in-depth) and BMED at least has the choice of taking an additional upper-level physics (i took a statistics class instead). Please check with an adviser or someone knowledgeable for information about whether your B.S. degree goals are possible under the GENE major…</p>
<p>I do not see how choosing this major will determine grad school admissions, especially since you did not mention exactly what you wanted to follow, and what kind of grad school you are looking forward to attend. I will tell you that i chose poly with its 4+1 year M.S. General Engineering+specialization program in mind, although i now question whether 5 years is remotely possible. As a side note, you may want to consider sporting a minor as well … possibly physics?–Not that i’d want to do that.</p>
<p>in any case I hope that helped. of course, if you are truly interested, do give the campus a visit and talk around</p>
<p>Thank you vc, you helped a lot. </p>
<p>I should’ve done my research first >_<. I visited the link you posted and looked at the major requirements for EE (a major that interests me) and it seems as though they require 3 classes of support electives and 12 units of technical electives, of which two classes must be in EE. I could use the support electives and one of my technical electives to get a physics minor without any extra classes. Or I could pursue the physics major with the Electronics concentration. </p>
<p>As far as grad school, I’m thinking about studying EE,however, I plan on doing solid state devices, which is very physics heavy from what I hear. do you think it would be better to do the physics major or the EE major + physics minor?</p>
<p>I can’t say I know enough to provide a recommendation. Of course, you do not have to have an undergrad engineering degree to study EE in graduate school. Still, my gut feeling says go with the EE program</p>
<p>And now that you mention it, EE + a physics minor seems amazingly compatible with each other and your goals. I highly doubt, though, that you will be able to earn the minor without taking extra classes. EE covers all the required classes for the minor (great!), but its unlikely that all–if any of the electives will line up. Again, you do not have complete freedom over your electives; check the calpoly catalog under the physics and EE major/minor descriptions and you will see.</p>
<p>Even if none of your electives line up, the added work from the minor (12 units of upper-level sciences) can be done in a single quarter’s work.</p>