How to Apply to Chemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: B.S. Chemistry and B.S. Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, with a Polymers and Coatings Concentration, Admission by Major with Applicants Competing Within the Same Major, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is part of the California State University (CSU) system. Undergraduate chemistry is taught by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics. This guide follows Cal Poly’s admissions site, the college’s major pages and the department’s website, and covers domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Where the official pages say nothing, we write “not published” or “not stated in the pages we read” and point you to where to check. The department also offers a Biochemistry degree, which is covered here; medicine, pharmacy and nursing degrees are outside this guide, so see Cal Poly’s website.

1. Degrees and tracks

• The department’s undergraduate degrees: the undergraduate program page lists B.S. Chemistry (certified by the American Chemical Society, ACS), B.S. Chemistry with a concentration in Polymers and Coatings, B.S. Biochemistry, B.S. Biochemistry with a concentration in Polymers and Coatings, B.S. Biochemistry or Chemistry with a Teaching Option, and a blended B.S./M.S. in Polymers and Coatings. Credit totals and required-course lists are in Cal Poly’s course catalog and are not given in the pages we read, so check the catalog.
• Curriculum: the college’s chemistry page says the curriculum includes general, analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry as well as biochemistry, with an emphasis on laboratory work, especially current techniques and instrumentation; students can do independent research under faculty guidance, including a senior project; general chemistry is taught in studio classrooms that combine lecture and lab. The Biochemistry page describes the same curriculum. Labs that may appear include advanced spectroscopy, biochemistry, chromatography, coatings formulations, computational chemistry, inorganic synthesis, nanoscale imaging and materials characterization, NMR, organic synthesis, polymer characterization and synthesis, protein techniques and quantitative analysis.
• Polymers and Coatings concentration: the department says both B.S. degrees can add this concentration, covering the physical and organic chemistry of polymers, surface chemistry, coatings science and extensive lab work; every student in the concentration does an industrial internship, usually in the summer, and industry-sponsored scholarships are available to qualified students; the major page says the concentration is ACS-certified.
• Blended programs: the major page says chemistry majors can earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree together: B.S. Chemistry with M.S. Biomedical Engineering, or B.S. Chemistry with M.S. Polymers and Coatings; the department says the M.S. in Polymers and Coatings Science can be combined with either B.S. in a 4+1 program, and to contact the graduate coordinator of the Polymers and Coatings program.
• Teaching option: both B.S. degrees have a pathway to a teaching credential; students interested in middle and high school science teaching are told to contact the single subject teaching credential advisor.
• Cooperative education and research: the major page says students can work with faculty on real research and, through the cooperative education program, work full-time in industry or government for pay or academic credit.
• Calendar note: the department’s pages have a “Quarter to Semester Transition” section whose content is not in the pages we read, and the cost page estimates costs by quarter (fall, winter and spring); check with Cal Poly which term structure applies to fall 2027 entry.

2. How admission works: by major, at the time you apply

• Choose Chemistry or Biochemistry on the application: as section 4 explains, Cal Poly requires a major on the application and admits by major, with applicants competing only within the same major; list an alternate major. Chemistry and Biochemistry are separate majors, so choose between them when you apply.
• Thresholds inside the major: the department pages we read do not give a major GPA requirement, seat limit or conditions for changing majors after enrollment; changing majors is prohibited after the application change deadline (31 January) and not guaranteed after admission (admissions “impaction” page).
• Advising: the department’s page links an office-hours schedule file; the advising process itself is not described in the pages we read.

3. Prerequisites, high school courses and AP/IB credit

• High school courses: see the A–G list in section 4. For chemistry applicants, the Cal Poly requirements include two years of laboratory science (four recommended) and three years of mathematics (five recommended, with two further years of advanced math suggested). The department’s own high school chemistry, physics or calculus requirements are not published.
• AP/IB credit and starting courses: the pages we read do not say how Cal Poly awards AP or IB credit, nor how introductory chemistry or math placement works; check with Cal Poly admissions and the department.
• Chemistry competitions: the pages we read do not say how competitions such as the Chemistry Olympiad are viewed in admissions.

4. Timeline, selection and materials

• Application window (first-year and transfer alike): apply through Cal State Apply, the application for all CSU campuses, from 1 October to 30 November, with a 11:59 p.m. Pacific deadline and no late applications; the last day to request changes is 31 January; admission decisions are sent by 1 April; and you must accept or decline on the Application Status Portal by 1 May. The pages show no year, but they give 31 January 2027 as the music and art and design portfolio and supplement deadline, which indicates the 2027 entry cycle; check it anyway.
• Fee and aid timing: $70 per campus unless you qualify for a fee waiver (the application tells you at submission). The California Dream Act application opens on 1 October and the FAFSA should be filed early; scholarships are awarded from April through August.
• You must choose a major: the selection page says Cal Poly requires a major on the application and applicants compete only against others in the same major; admission is competitive in all majors. The impaction page says the threshold differs by major, depending on capacity and the number of applicants; applicants are encouraged to list an alternate major, which may be considered if space is available; changing majors is prohibited after the application change deadline and not guaranteed after admission.
• Multi-Criteria Admission (MCA): the selection page lists the intended major, college-prep coursework (including 12th-grade courses in progress or planned, based on self-reported information; do not send official transcripts unless asked), the 9th–11th grade weighted GPA (weight for honors, college-level, AP or IB courses for up to eight semesters), activities and work experience, and other variables; it stresses that GPA and test scores “when applicable” cannot predict a result alone. Whether SAT or ACT scores are required or accepted is not spelled out in the pages we read; check Cal Poly’s admissions pages.
• High school courses (A–G): history/social science 2 years (one of world history, cultures or historical geography and one of U.S. history; or half a year of U.S. history plus half of civics or government); English 4 years (5 recommended); mathematics 3 years (5 recommended; algebra 2 years covering Algebra 1 and 2, geometry 1 year; Cal Poly recommends two further years of advanced math such as trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus or statistics for better chances); laboratory science 2 years (one physical and one biological science; 4 recommended; covering two of biology, chemistry and physics); language other than English 2 years (4 recommended); visual and performing arts 1 year; electives 1 year. Seventh- and eighth-grade math and language courses can be entered on the application.
• Admit profile: the first-year profile (2025 preliminary data, not by major): College of Science and Mathematics 15,276 applied, 4,624 selected, target 786, GPA 4.11–4.25; whole university 71,171 applied, 20,513 selected, target 5,500, GPA 4.04–4.25. The page does not explain the “Target” column further.
• Impaction and local preference: the CSU considers Cal Poly impacted at the campus level and for all undergraduate programs (more qualified applicants than spaces), so meeting minimum CSU requirements does not guarantee admission; preference goes to local applicants who graduate from high schools in San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County and southern Monterey County; all applicants are encouraged to apply to an alternative CSU campus offering their major.

5. Domestic applicants

• Costs (2026–27 estimate, students enrolling for the first time in fall 2026, College of Science and Mathematics): California residents—tuition and fees $14,682; housing $12,682 (residence hall), meals $7,656, books and materials $1,160, miscellaneous $2,586, transportation $1,466 and loan fees $72, with listed totals of $40,304 living in a residence hall, $43,106 off campus and $34,342 living with family. Non-residents also pay non-resident tuition of $14,130 (30 units at $471 per unit) and an opportunity fee of $8,804, with listed totals of $63,238 in a residence hall and $66,040 off campus. These are for fall 2026 entrants; figures for fall 2027 entry are not published in the pages we read, so check the costs page.
• Residency for tuition purposes: whether you pay in-state or out-of-state tuition is separate from being a California resident and follows state rules; Cal Poly decides after admission and asks for documents only when needed.
• Financial aid: the first-year cost and aid page says most aid and scholarships require the FAFSA, and that Cal Poly offers scholarships, grants, loans and work-study depending on funds, enrollment status and financial need.
• Department aid: the department says industry-sponsored scholarships exist for the Polymers and Coatings concentration and links an ACS Scholars Program application; amounts and conditions are not given in the pages we read.
• Local preference: see “Impaction and local preference” above.

6. International applicants

• Overall requirements: the international selection page says international students educated in the United States meet the general first-year requirements; those educated outside the U.S. must meet country-based entry requirements; all must meet the minimum English exam scores. The application window is the same as for domestic applicants (1 October to 30 November, Cal State Apply), with an international file completion deadline of 15 February (31 January for art and design, music and transfer architecture), and an earlier submission is recommended; decisions are due by 1 April.
• Transcripts: the transcripts page says first-year applicants have every school attended in grades 9–11 (including in-progress or fall coursework) send transcripts directly to Cal Poly, which will say whether an independent evaluation of the international credentials is required, at the applicant’s cost; IB students also need official predicted IB scores; documents must be in the native language with a certified English translation; do not send transcripts until you have submitted the application.
• English: applicants whose native language is not English need the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. TOEFL iBT minimum 80 if taken before 21 January 2026, or 4.5 if taken on or after that date (institution code 4038); IELTS minimum 6.5, taken within two years; Duolingo minimum 115, taken within two years. Undergraduate applicants educated for at least three years in an institution whose language of instruction is English may request a waiver, with a form and official transcripts; it is reviewed as an appeal, with a letter within about three weeks. The page also lists citizenships (for example Australia, Canada except Quebec, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom) with an automatic waiver.
• Funds and aid: the international tuition page says Cal Poly does not provide financial aid to international students, applicants must show they or a sponsor can pay their expenses, and they should not count on a job; work opportunities in San Luis Obispo are limited and subject to visa regulation.
• Costs (2026–27 estimate, College of Science and Mathematics): on top of the non-resident total, international students pay an international student fee of $900 and mandatory health insurance of $1,533, with a listed total of $68,473 (the same figure in the on-campus and off-campus columns). The page says the undergraduate full-time average for an international student is 45 units per academic year.

7. Applicants from China

• Country-based entry requirement: the table lists China as “Required: Senior Middle School Diploma; Preferred: Gaokao.” So the gaokao is listed as preferred; how it is used and how scores are viewed is not published, so ask Cal Poly admissions (admissions@calpoly.edu).
• Transcripts and evaluation: see above; transcripts from Chinese schools need the original language plus a certified English translation, and Cal Poly says after receiving them whether an independent evaluation is required. Requirements for Chinese school-exam documents are not stated in the pages we read.
• English: see above; TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, with a possible waiver for undergraduate applicants who spent at least three years in an English-medium school.
• International curricula: IB students must submit official predicted IB scores. How AP or IB credit is awarded is not described in the pages we read.

8. Undergraduate research, internships and outcomes

• Research and senior project: the major page says students can do independent research under faculty guidance, including a senior project; the department’s research page encourages undergraduates to join faculty-supervised projects as soon as they can, during the academic year and in summer through a funded summer research program, and its careers page mentions International Research Experiences for Undergraduates (IREU).
• Internships and careers: the department’s careers page says the department is associated with the American Chemical Society (ACS), students can join the campus Student Affiliate Chapter and move to full membership after graduation, internship and graduate-study information is posted on bulletin boards on the fourth level of the Baker Center, and ACS offers webinars on entrepreneurship. The department also links an application for the ACS Scholars Program (details are on the ACS site and are not given in the pages we read).
• Outcomes: the major page says many graduates enter doctoral programs in California and across the country, while others work in environmental analysis, the health professions, biotechnology, industrial research and production, pharmacology, teaching, toxicology, food science, wine and viticulture, and fermentation (the Biochemistry page adds genetics-related directions). The department’s careers page also lists patent law, polymers and coatings technology at private firms. No employment or graduate-study figures are given.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer student: the transfer selection page we read does not define the term; transfers follow the same window as first-year applicants—1 October to 30 November through Cal State Apply, with a $70 fee, some changes allowed until 31 January, and an update of fall grades and planned winter/spring courses requested in January; decisions come by 1 April and acceptance is due 1 May. Applicants from California community colleges can use the CSU Transfer Planner.
• Selection: the transfer selection page says applicants also declare a major and compete only within it. Most majors require at least 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter units) before transfer, completed by the end of the previous spring for fall entry; applicants must complete four general education courses (the “Golden Four”: critical thinking, with some engineering majors excluded; mathematical concepts/quantitative reasoning; oral communication; written communication), each with a grade of C- or better. The CSU requires an overall college GPA of at least 2.00, but Cal Poly is highly impacted and admitted students typically have higher GPAs; applicants must be in good standing at their last school, and activities, work experience and residence are also considered. Each major has its own transfer criteria and required coursework, shown only after selecting a major on the “major-specific transfer criteria” page; the content for chemistry or biology is not in the pages we read, so select the major on that page to check.
• International transfers: the international selection page says they must meet the general transfer requirements and the English exam requirements, and a university abroad must be recognized by the International Association of Universities; the transcripts page adds that transfer applicants who attended an international school must submit an evaluation from World Education Services in addition to official transcripts.
• Department-specific transfer information: the pages we read give no Chemistry or Biochemistry transfer requirements (such as required prerequisite courses or GPA); select “Chemistry” or “Biochemistry” on the admissions “major-specific transfer criteria” page to check, or contact the department.

Sources: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Chemistry (Cal Poly major page); Biochemistry (Cal Poly major page); Chemistry and Biochemistry: academics; Chemistry and Biochemistry: undergraduate program; Chemistry and Biochemistry: prospective students; Chemistry and Biochemistry: careers and internships; Chemistry and Biochemistry: research; Bailey College of Science and Mathematics; Undergraduate admissions; Impaction; First-year selection criteria; High school course requirements; First-year student profile; First-year dates and deadlines; First-year how to apply; First-year cost and aid; International selection criteria; Country-based entry requirements; English exam requirements; International transcripts; International dates and deadlines; International how to apply; International tuition and fees; Transfer selection criteria; Major-specific transfer criteria; Transfer dates and deadlines; Transfer how to apply; Residency for tuition purposes; Undergraduate costs 2026-27. The admissions pages show no year for most dates, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. Costs are the 2026-27 estimates shown; check Cal Poly for the latest details.