Plese see our advisors page.
Generally 8-1 and 2-5. Subject to meetings, emergencies, etc. We are often open until 7 or 8 pm for the convenience of evening students; call us at 909.869.3567 to ask. Summer hours may vary depending on the University summer work schedule.
This is often a complicated question, because it may depend on your curriculum year and option. You must see first your curriculum advisor, and then perhaps your career/personal/course substitution advisor to get an answer to this question; please do not rely on information from your friends, since they probably have different circumstances.
Yes, at least twice a year; some students will have to see an advisor more often. IN ADDITION, you should see your advisor whenever you have a question; please do not rely on information from your friends, since they probably have different circumstances.
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When you have 10 or fewer classes (actually 40 or fewer units, which is generally the same thing) left to complete the Liberal Studies major program -- INCLUDING THE CLASSES YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING -- you may apply for a grad check. Normally this is at the beginning of the quarter before the quarter you graduate. Your advisor doesn't have to sign the form (which is usually available in the LS Dept. Office), but you do have to attach a completed concentration form, which does have to be signed by your curriculum advisor. If you have already filled out and turned in a concentration form before applying for your grad check, make a photocopy of your copy and attach it to your grad check application. If you haven't filled out a concentration form by the time you apply for a grad check, you need to see your curriculum advisor. Grad checks may take up to 3 months to be completed.
By meeting with your curriculum advisor.
This is the most common question curriculum advisors are asked, but one for which each student should take responsibility. You should keep your curriculum sheet up-to-date by highlighting each class as you take it. Keep up with the substitutions posed on the LS website. Then count the number of UN-highlighted classes, divide by the number of classes you take per quarter, and you can figure out an approximate time until graduation.
This is the sheet with three major columns listing all the classes you need to take to graduate. The three columns are labeled, left to right, "Core Courses", "Support Courses" and "General Education". You need to make sure you have the correct curriculum sheet -- the correct option and the correct curriculum year. You should have received this sheet at orientation, but we always have spares in the LS Dept. office.
For classes to take, you need to meet with your curriculum advisor. When you are near graduation with your BA, your curriculum advisor will ask you to attend one or more of the mandatory credential orientations. These are held Thursdays during the academic quarters from 4-6 PM. Check with the Student Services Office (5-228) (909.869.2300) for room, or download this pdf form more information.This information is also given out in the TED 105 and TED 405 classes.
Take as many courses as you can at community colleges. Most of your lower division courses may be taken at Mt. SAC or other community colleges. You can take off up to two consecutive quarters (summer does count!) to attend community college, and still be a continuously enrolled Cal Poly student. Remember that Cal Poly charges a flat fee, so the more courses you take for that fee, the more you get for your money. Community Colleges charge by the unit, so it doesn't matter financially how many courses you take in a given semester. You may take courses simultaneously at Cal Poly and one or more community colleges without letting Cal Poly know; you just eventually have to have your official community college transcripts sent to Cal Poly if you want credit for the courses you took at community college.
By taking more courses each term and attending more terms each year, if you are able to do so and still keep an acceptable GPA.
Most credential programs require a GPA of about 2.7 for admittance. This is a little complicated and there are exceptions, so check with the Credential Services Office (5-228) (909-869-2300) for more information. Most graduate schools require a GPA of 3.0 or higher for admittance.
Isn’t the whole point of the Liberal Studies major was to get out of that test? Here's the deal: Federal (not State) legislation called the No Child Left Behind law (NCLB, or "nickle-bee") requires that all elementary teachers pass a "rigorous state examination" of subject matter to be hired, which in California is the CSET.
OK, what does this mean to you? First, you still need a bachelor's degree to teach. The Liberal Studies curriculum will, in consultation with your curriculum advisor, have you take all the English, Math, Science, History/Social Science, PE, Fine Arts and Human Development courses that we believe prepare you for the CSET. The Liberal Studies subject matter courses and the CSET cover the same material; that is, the program and the test are both "aligned and congruent" with the same set of subject matter standards. So, if you stay in the Liberal Studies program for teachers, you will take the courses to prepare for the CSET while earning your bachelor's degree.
Well, you CAN be an English major, but an English major won't prepare you to pass the CSET -- only the Liberal Studies program for teaching will prepare you for the CSET. The CSET has LOTS of math and science, so unless you're a math/science whiz, you probably can't pass the CSET with the background you would get as an English major.
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