Guidelines for Minors

A minor is defined as a coherent course of study which stands alone from a major and provides a student with broad knowledge of and competency in an area outside the student's major. A minor may not be taken in the same major as the student's degree program (e.g., a student majoring in history may not complete a minor in history, whereas a student majoring in crop science may complete a minor in plant protection).

  1. A minor consists of 24 to 30 units with at least half of the units from 300-400 level courses and at least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly.
  2. Not more than one-third of the courses in a minor can be graded Credit/No Credit (CR/NC), except for courses which have mandatory CR/NC grading.
  3. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor (foreign language minors must have a 2.75 GPA).
  4. The minor will be completed along with the requirements for the bachelor's degree. Courses in the minor may be used to satisfy major and general education requirements.
  5. Students who wish to complete a minor are to contact the department offering the academic minor as early as possible in the program and fill out the appropriate agreement form. The minor is declared when the student requests a graduation evaluation in the Evaluations Office.
  6. The completion of the minor will be noted on the student's transcript but will not be shown on the diploma. In no case will a diploma be awarded for the minor.

The following provides a complete list of all the minors offered by the CAED and its departments: Architectural Engineering; Architecture; Construction Management; City & Regional Planning; and Landscape Architecture.

Architectural Engineering Minor

The minor is designed for students wishing to pursue a more in-depth education in structures. The coursework exposes students to analytical, design, and construction issues relevant to the structural design process. Students work with an advisor to develop a sequence of courses that focus on either structural design or structural analysis. The program is tailored for students majoring in architecture, construction management, and civil engineering. Enrollment is limited and acceptance into the program is dependent upon the student’s performance in structures related courses.

Program Coordinator: Brent Nuttall
Email: bnuttall@calpoly.edu

Architectural Engineering Minor web page

City & Regional Planning Minor

The City and Regional Planning minor provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of the science and art of city planning and its relationship with other environmental design professionals. The student is provided with an understanding of how growth and change affect the physical, social and economic aspects of the city. The minor helps the student understand the relationships among land use, transportation, housing and the environment. It includes courses that build skills in the preparation of plan documents, land use studies and environmental studies. Laboratory courses provide opportunities to get involved in community building and plan-making projects.

The minor is excellent preparation for students interested in gaining skills at creating visions of the future, participation in government and community organizations, and enhances skills in disciplines that have linkages with cities and the built and natural environments. It provides the student with the knowledge, skills and values that help people build better communities and cities.

Twenty-seven/twenty-eight units are required to complete the CRP Minor.

Required Courses (16 units) CRP 212 Introduction to Urban Planning - 4 units CRP 213 Population, Housing and Economic Applications or CRP 214 Land Use and Transportation Studies - 4 units (each)

Select two courses from the following: CRP 203 Intermediate Environmental Design or approved equivalent - 4 units CRP 336 Regional and Environmental Planning Foundations - 4 units CRP 341 Community Design Laboratory - 4 units CRP 342 Regional and Environmental Planning - 4 units

Electives (11/12 units) Select three courses from the following: CRP 215, 314, 334, 402, 404, 408, 410, 411, 412, 420, 427, 430, 435, 436, 442, 444, 446, 447, 453, 457, 483; EDES 406 or EDES 408

Construction Management Minor

The Construction Management Minor provides students with an introduction to the body of knowledge expected of persons pursuing careers in the construction industry. This minor will give a student a competitive edge when applying for certain jobs by providing concepts, tools and skills for a career in one of the professions involved in the built environment.

The Construction Management Minor is recommended for majors in Architecture, Architectural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Enrollment in the minor is limited and selection will be made based upon the applicant’s performance in his or her major courses. Applications are available in the Construction Management office (21-245) and should be submitted and approved by the Department before pursuing any CM minor courses.

Program Coordinator: Allan Hauck
Email: ahauck@calpoly.edu

Construction Management Minors web page

Integrated Project Delivery Minor

This minor is offered by the Construction Management Department, and is specific and intentional in its design. It is intended to provide an “interdisciplinary” understanding of the design and construction process. It is designed to serve students that will be engaged in the A/E/C industry and be involved in integrated services project delivery.

Program Coordinator: Barbara Jackson
Email: bjackson@calpoly.edu

Construction Management Minors web page

Real Property Development Minor

Real estate development has been described as the financial engine by which the built environment is created and modified. If you wish to facilitate communities, which are more interesting, more sustainable, or better address social issues you need to understand how the development processes operate. The developer, working with many other professionals, makes and remakes our urban and suburban landscapes. The process of real property development touches all aspects of environmental design and the built environment. The minor focuses on understanding the process of real estate development and the role of private and public developers. You will acquire skills in financial analysis of projects, an understanding of how landuse law works, how site and environmental design are used to enhance and improve the built environment and knowledge of how projects are managed during the construction phase. You will learn how the private or public developer starts out with an idea and evaluates its feasibility. You will be introduced to how developers work with other professionals, such as lenders, architects, landscape architects, engineers, city planners, environmental specialists, community leaders, builders, and public agencies to make their ideas become a reality. Courses are designed to prepare students for entry level employment with professionals engaged in real estate development. Courses include aspects of practitioners’ real world experiences and knowledge of state-of-the-art practices, techniques, and challenges. Courses in the minor are chosen to help you learn about the economics, environmental design, and regulatory factors, which influence: housing, retail, office, industrial, and commercial sectors. You will gain a clearer understanding of how these processes impact green development, urban infill, place-making, and transit oriented development.

This minor will help any student who is interested in the built environment, and wants to deepen his or her knowledge of how projects get initiated, reviewed for financial feasibility, and move through the development and construction processes. The minor helps expand the types of employment opportunities available to you by making you more competitive in getting internships and in better understanding your own major area of study.

Program Coordinator: Dan Panetta
Email: dpanetta@calpoly.edu

Download the Real Property Development Minor Application (pdf)

Sustainable Environments Minor

This minor educates students within the college in the principles and various aspects of sustainable environmental design with global, regional and local perspectives and concepts. It provides students with the knowledge and abilities needed to integrate concerns for ecology, social equity and economics within the context of human and natural resource systems and the built environment.

Program Coordinator: Margot McDonald
Email: mmcdonal@calpoly.edu

Download the Sustainable Environments Minor Application (pdf)

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