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. 80M-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.
Peer Advisor Drop-In:
Not available during finals week or academic holidays
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 2026:
ASCI Department Academic Advisor
When should I meet with a Professional Advisor?
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 phone or email 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. See below for contact details:
| how to contact | contact information |
|---|---|
| records@calpoly.edu | |
| Phone |
805-756-2531 Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 4:00 pm |
| In-Person |
Our office is located at the Mustang Business Park is not located on Cal Poly's campus and is not open to the public. |
| how to contact | contact information |
|---|---|
| evaluations@calpoly.edu | |
| Phone |
805-756-2396 Monday - Friday 10 am - 12 pm |
| In-Person |
Our office is located at the Mustang Business Park is not located on Cal Poly's campus and is not open to the public. |
Our office is closed on weekends and holidays.
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:
BS Animal Science Degree Requirements
BS Dairy Science Degree Requirements
Previous Catalogs - Catalogs Prior to 2022-2026
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
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
Meat Science and Processing Minor
Rangeland Ecology and Management Minor
Senior Project
ASCI 4477 | ASCI 4478 | ASCI 4479
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 4477 or 4478 or 4479. 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 4477 Senior Project - Research Experience in Animal Science (2 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP, SU
Prerequisite: Senior standing; ASCI 363 or ASCI 3363; and consent of instructor. Recommended: STAT 218 or STAT 1110.
Independent research experience in a specific area of animal science conducted under faculty supervision. Satisfies senior project requirement. Formerly ASCI 477.
ASCI 4478 Senior Project - Advanced Internship Experience in Animal Science (2 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP, SU
Prerequisite: Senior standing; ASCI 363 or ASCI 3363; and consent of department head.
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. Formerly ASCI 478.
ASCI 4479 Senior Project - Current Issues in Animal Science (2 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: Senior standing; and ASCI 363 or ASCI 3363.
Critical evaluation and formal presentation of current issues facing animals in managed systems. Evaluation of current trends and emerging issues, analysis of supporting evidence and logic, and synthesis and formal presentation of the resulting perspectives on different approaches to current challenges. Course may be offered in classroom-based or online format. 2 lectures. Formerly ASCI 479.