Change of Major

World Languages and Cultures

The student must meet with the department chair in order to discuss a change of major and to set up an Individualized Change of Major Agreement (ICMA). This ICMA will serve as a contract, and will be valid over the following two academic quarters. Students must meet the following requirements by the end of this period in order to be accepted into the World Languages and Cultures (WLC) major:

Requirements

1. Must be at least in the sophomore level by the time they enter the WLC major (students may apply during their freshman year). PLEASE NOTE: WLC will not readily accept applications from senior-level students.
2. Must be in good academic standing in the quarter they plan to transfer.
3. Must have a minimum 2.5 GPA overall. A minimum 2.75 GPA in courses in the primary language (Spanish at this time) is required. Students with a GPA that does not meet this requirement may still apply, but they must address in their application any extenuating circumstances that may exist that make a justifiable case for acceptance into the major.
4. Must have credit in at least SPAN 103 or its equivalent (e.g., credit by examination, substitute credit, credit from a community college, etc.), and they should have also taken at least one Spanish course at Cal Poly.
5. Must have sequential credit in Spanish courses at the time of application. That is to say that course prerequisites cannot be taken after the fact.
6. Students who have not met these minimum requirements, but who have a demonstrated interest in the major by having taken coursework in the secondary language may be given consideration.

To Apply

Meet with WLC Department Chair

The above policy also applies to students wishing to add the modern languages and literatures major as a second major.

Students who enter into an Individualized Change of Major Agreement (ICMA) with the department and are not accepted into the WLC major within two quarters will not be eligible to reapply to the major. In this event, students are advised to consider pursuing a minor offered by the World Languages and Cultures Department (currently Spanish, French and/or German).

Department Contact: John Thompson, Department Chair, 805-756-1212

For questions, please contact the WLC Department (Building 47-Room 28), 805-756-1205 or 805-756-2269