COMS Curriculum FAQs

 

I’m thinking about switching to the new COMS requirements. How do I know if this is a good idea?

Whether switching to the new requirements makes sense will depend on your specific degree progress. For third and fourth year students who have already completed many of the major requirements and support courses, it will probably make the most sense to stay on your current catalog. But you can still use the Focus Areas to guide you in deciding which classes to take for your upper-division COMS electives (you need to take 5). Also, if you realize that you have taken a lot of classes in a particular focus area, you can mention that in your job, internship, or graduate school application materials.

If you are are second year student or a third year student who has not yet completed many major requirements, you might be able to switch to the new curriculum without losing much or any of your degree progress.

If you are considering switching, you should meet with CLA advising as well as the Department Chair (Dr. Lauren Kolodziejski) or the Associate Chair (Dr. Nelson) to discuss how switching to the new requirements would impact your Degree Progress.

 

For students on a catalog before Fall 2022: What if I want to complete the new COMS major requirements instead of the requirements listed in my catalog? 

If you are currently on a catalog older than the 2022-2026 catalog, you would need to change your catalog to follow the new major requirements and pursue a focus area. 

Before changing your catalog year, it is important to speak with CLA Advising and the COMS Department Chair (Dr. Kolodziejski) or the COMS Department Associate Chair (Dr. Leslie Nelson) to see how this change could impact your graduation date. There may be reasons why changing your catalog year may not be right for you (i.e. it may change your GE requirements, or you may lose credit for classes you’ve already completed). 

Once you have confirmed a change in catalog makes sense for you, changing your catalog year is quite easy. Simply visit the following registrar website: https://registrar.calpoly.edu/registrar_forms. Once there, scroll down to “Change of Catalog (Powerform).” For the “advisor’s email” entry, make sure to enter the email of the person you spoke with (the department chair or department associate chair). They will then receive a notification and get you headed in the right direction.