Changing Major
Our Philosophy
The Orfalea College of Business wants to maximize the likelihood of student success. We require convincing evidence from our Change of Major applicants to ensure they will thrive in our curriculum. The application process fairly assesses each student inquiry so available spaces are filled by the most qualified students.
General Guidelines
- Review Cal Poly’s General Change of Major Policy in full.
- Transfers are NOT eligible to change majors into the Orfalea College of Business. You can view available minors on the Academic Advising site.
- Students are required to complete at least one full quarter (12 units) at Cal Poly before being eligible to enter into an Individualized Change of Major Agreement (ICMA) because we require a Cal Poly SLO Cumulative GPA to determine eligibility.
- Students are required to research their intended major and make a well-informed decision prior to inquiring.
- Eligible students who enter into a Change of Major Agreement (ICMA) and do not complete the agreement’s requirements, either by failing to complete the terms or by opting out due to a change of plan or interest, will not be eligible to pursue the same major again during their career at Cal Poly.
- Students must be able to graduate within 4 years of their start date at Cal Poly. A realistic quarter-by-quarter graduation plan will be required to demonstrate whether this is feasible.
Change of Major Process
- Attend a university-wide Change of Major Workshop.
- Meet with an advisor in the Mustang Success Center (first year students only).
- Meet with an academic advisor in your current major/college.
- Research careers and industries with Career Services’ career exploration online tools.
- Peer Advisors at Orfalea Student Services are available to answer any questions about the Change of Major process. Please do not schedule an appointment with one of our professional advisors unless advised to do so by the OCOB Change of Major Team. Direct your questions to cobadvis@calpoly.edu
- Academic Record at Cal Poly:
- It is recommended for students to meet the Cal Poly SLO Cumulative GPA requirements of the intended major before submitting an inquiry. Major specific GPA recommendations are listed below.
- GPA requirements will be re-evaluated each term during the academic year and are subject to change.
- Ability to Complete Degree Requirements Within Expected Graduation Timeline:
- Students must be able to feasibly complete new degree coursework within a four-year time frame from their start date at Cal Poly.
If you do not meet the above requirements in full, you may still submit an inquiry so that we can evaluate you on an individual basis. Students are not evaluated on whether or not they have completed BUS or ECON curriculum courses at the time of their inquiry.
Reminder – Students in their first term at Cal Poly are eligible to inquire and the grades from the first term will be used when the selection process occurs at the end of the term.
- Complete the COM Inquiry Form through the My Cal Poly Portal.
- Log onto your Cal Poly Portal
- Click on the ACADEMICS tab
- Click on the “Change of Major” link on the bottom right of the page
Once you submit your inquiry, you will receive an email response from the department within 10 business days indicating that your submission has been received.
The selection process will occur at the end of the term in which the inquiry was received. Only one inquiry per student is necessary.
Students will be informed about the decision on the Friday after Finals week has concluded and all course grades have been posted.
Selection Process
For each term, a select number of applicants will be admitted based on available space in each program. All applicants will be evaluated on their Cal Poly GPA and academic progress factors listed above. Meeting the minimum GPA qualifications for each program does not guarantee admission to the new major. Students may be eligible to inquire in a future term if they have not exceeded the maximum academic progress requirements.
Major Change
If admitted, students will be immediately changed to the new major within the first few weeks of the following term they were selected. Students will work with the advising office to create an Individualized Change of Major Agreement (ICMA) that provides an immediate change to the target major.
Major Specific GPA Recommendations
Business Administration – 3.5 Cal Poly GPA
Economics – 3.3 Cal Poly GPA
Industrial Technology & Packaging – Good Academic Standing set by University Policy