Animal Science Department

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Academic Advising

Academic Advising is designed to help students reach their educational and career goals; it is a shared task between an advisor and a student. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student to make decisions about their goals, and academic advisors can assist in this process by helping the student understand options, determine resources and, when necessary, identify alternatives.

CAFES Advising Center

Location: Bldg. 74M-A
Email: cafesadvising@calpoly.edu
CAFES Advising Website

CAFES Peer Advising Team

CAFES Peer Advisors can support you with general questions about policies, forms, registration, finding classes, minors, and course options.  Virtual and in-person drop-in advising (no appointment needed) is available Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. - noon during the academic year. Not available during academic holidays; Limited availability during finals week.

Peer Advisor Drop-In:

Not available during finals week or academic holidays

Click here to wait in line for the next available drop-in advisor either virtually or in-person. (Please do not select the "in-person" option until you physically arrive in advising building (Bldg. 74M-A).

If you can't make drop-in but still have questions, please email CafesAdvising@calpoly.edu and include: First and Last Name, EMPL ID, Major, multiple options of days and times available, and advising topic(s).

ASCI Specific Peer Advising Hours 

Drop-in hours and appointments available for Fall 2024:


 

Monday 9am - 1pm

Tuesday 9am - 12:30pm

Wednesday 11am - 2pm

Friday 9am - noon


ASCI Department Academic Advisor

 

Major specific advisors are available by appointment and email only (no drop in hours available). 1st year students should contact the Mustang Success Center for academic advising. ASCI and DSCI students in their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th + year should reach out to CAFES Advising to schedule an appointment: cafesadvising@calpoly.edu. 
 
You must be a fully matriculated student to schedule an advising appointment with an Academic Advisor. 
 
If you are a prospective student or an incoming first year that has not started classes yet, please direct your questions to the Animal Science Department or the Mustang Success Center (your advising center).
 
Incoming transfer students, please wait until after Transfer SLO Days to schedule an appointment. Your advisor will be leading a major specific workshop that addresses which classes to enroll in and can answer questions about your transfer coursework at that time.
 

 

When should I meet with a Professional Advisor?

 

Help with proper course selection and degree requirements
 
Graduation planning - mapping out courses to graduate on time
 
How to use and interpret the Degree Progress Report - questions or concerns about credit
 
Understanding and adhering to academic policies
Providing suggestions and referrals for other campus support services
 
Course substitutions for approved electives (past catalogs)
 
Understanding transfer credit from universities or community colleges
 
Questions about academic
probation, disqualification, and readmission to the university

 

ASCI Faculty Advisors

ASCI & DSCI Faculty provide additional advising for students especially regarding career paths, graduate school, course content, and course substitutions.

How do I find my faculty advisor?

Each student in our department is assigned a faculty advisor during their first week at Cal Poly. Change of Major students will be assigned a faculty advisor once their ICMA has been approved. If you do not remember who your faculty advisor is, please contact the Animal Science Office: animalscience@calpoly.edu.

 

Office of the Registrar Support

The Records Unit of the Registrar will be available Monday through Friday via a Virtual Front Desk to assist students with registration issues, leaves of absence, term and course withdrawals, and transcript inquiries. Questions for the Evaluations Unit will continue to be handled over email and their phone line.

Records Virtual Front Desk:
Monday through Friday
9 a.m. - 12 p.m., 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Email/Contact Information  - Who should I Contact?

 


Financial Aid Advising

Financial Aid Advisors Assigned by Student's last name

Academic and Faculty Advisors are not able to answer questions about your financial aid. Please contact Financial Aid by email at financialaid@calpoly.edu or phone call to 805-756-2927 before dropping below 12 units.

Academic Resources:

 

ASCI Department - Tentative Course Offerings

Use this document to check when ASCI and DSCI classes are being offered: 

Terms Typically Offered

Use this document to check when classes across Cal Poly are typically offered by their department. You can also see this information in the Cal Poly Catalog

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Four-Year Flow Charts & Curriculum Sheets

Cal Poly offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities for students and there are many ways you can plan your schedule. The major flow charts are meant to give you an example and guide for when to take your classes so you can graduate in 4 years. Students should develop a four-year plan with their adviser and check with their adviser each quarter to make sure that they are on track for graduation.

Please visit the Cal Poly Catalog using the link below to access a copy of your major flow chart or curriculum sheet. Also listed are direct links to your major courses as listed in the Cal Poly Catalog. Please make sure to note which catalog you are on beforehand (2022-2026, 2021-2022, 2020-2021, etc).

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Career Elective Areas

Groups of courses in specific fields

The curriculum for a bachelor's degree in Animal Science allows students to take classes that will prepare them for the career of their choice. Students have the option to take classes from nine different Career Elective Areas (CEA) to complete their curriculum. This flexibility allows Animal Science students to get the most out of their education at Cal Poly. These classes will apply to major requirements, approved electives, and free electives depending on your catalog.

Students that start Cal Poly as freshman should discuss their career interests and course choices with their faculty adviser during their second year. Transfer students should discuss course choices with their faculty adviser during their first or second quarter at Cal Poly.

Students can decide to follow one of the following Career Elective Areas or take classes from a variety of areas.

Career Elective Areas 

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Minor Requirements

The minor requirements are listed on the Cal Poly Registrar's website.

Minors are a great way to gain experience in different areas and expand the scope of your resume. Please note, that students are not able to declare a minor that is already within their major. For example, an Animal Science student cannot declare an Equine Science Minor. 

This website includes a list of all minors at Cal Poly, their curriculum requirements, and instructions on how to declare: Minors at Cal Poly  

Animal Science Department Minors:

Dairy Industries Minor

Equine Science Minor

Poultry Management Minor

Meat Science and Processing Minor

Rangeland Resources Minor


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Senior Project

ASCI 477 | ASCI 478 | ASCI 479

The senior project is a required capstone course for all Cal Poly students. Students develop project ideas while consulting faculty advisers, and these ideas should generally reflect students’ interests in a particular animal-based discipline or species. Senior projects can be a research project, an in-depth literature review, an advanced enterprise management experience, or a pre-planned educational internship. Whatever the type of project, students are encouraged to choose project topics that are challenging, incorporate knowledge and skills learned in the past courses, provide opportunity for independent thought, and can be accomplished with the provided facilities, animals, equipment, materials and time.

Fulfilling the Senior Project Requirement in ASCI and DSCI

In the Animal Science Department, the Senior Project can be met through completing any one of three options-ASCI 477 or 478 or 479. Each approaches the senior project experience a little differently and, therefore, will appeal to students in different ways. Completion of any ONE of these, however, will fulfill the Senior Project requirement.

Senior Project Course Descriptions: 

ASCI 477. Senior Project - Research Experience in Animal Science. 3 units

Term Typically Offered: F, W, SP
Prerequisite: Senior standing, ASCI 363 and consent of instructor. 
Recommended: one course in statistics.

Independent research experience in a specific area of animal science conducted under faculty supervision. Satisfies senior project requirement. Minimum 90 hours required. This course (477) typically involves work done in a research capacity within the activities and/or laboratory of the faculty member. Projects and responsibilities are variable according to the type of research being performed.

ASCI 478. Senior Project - Advanced Internship Experience in Animal Science. 3 units

Term Typically Offered: F, W, SP
Prerequisite: ASCI 363 and senior standing and approval by Faculty advisor of your choice. 

Independent internship experience conducted under faculty supervision focusing on a discipline area of animal science. Completion of a project as a component of the internship. Satisfies senior project requirement. Minimum 90 hours required. Under the 478 option, students participate in an internship which includes the completion of a project approved by the faculty member and department head. This project is typically presented to the department faculty or other public forum as a condition of completion. An application is available from the ASCI Department office.

ASCI 479. Senior Project - Current Topics in Animal Science. 3 units

Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: Senior standing and ASCI 363.

Critical evaluation and formal presentation of current issues facing animal agriculture. Evaluation of current topics, analysis of supporting evidence and logic, and synthesis and formal presentation of the resulting perspectives on different approaches to current challenges. 3 lectures. This option is a structured course in which students complete a series of assignments, write one or more papers, deliver presentations and participate in debates relative to current topics in Animal Science. 

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