Overview

The Art and Design program at California Polytechnic State University allows you to explore and expand your creative skills and emphasize individual vision, experimentation, problem solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration informed by global awareness.

Courses in history, theory and technical skills will help create a foundation for your personal and creative direction and career goals. Through team projects, you will have the opportunity to interact and work with the other disciplines you will encounter after graduation.

The department is committed to cultural diversity and our courses include material with significant multicultural influences. The program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Learn by doing

The Art and Design program prepares you to explore the world in unexpected ways, to develop a discriminating eye and to take calculated risks through dynamic visual expression in a range of media. With 17,000 square feet of studio space, you have room and resources to experience how art is made, put your skills into practice and develop your professional portfolio.

Careers

Art and Design graduates find careers in many different areas, including graphic and web design, art and creative directing, advertising, video and cinema productions, gallery curation, photography, education and more.

Major employers of our graduates include Amazon Web Services, Apple, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman and many more businesses throughout California and all over the country.

Accreditation

The BFA in Art and Design is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Design History

Digital Art

Art Theory and Practice

Beginning Painting

Art History - Renaissance through Baroque Eras

Critique, Discourse and Practice

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-02 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

184 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Luis Obispo, United States

Disciplines

Design Visual Arts View 856 other Bachelors in Design in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Coursework: They look at the college-prep coursework you have taken during high school, including the courses you have in progress or planned during 12th grade

GPA: For the purposes of your application, they'll consider your 9th-11th grade weighted GPA
Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience: Cal Poly takes activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs and extracurricular activities into consideration

Make sure you have a copy of your transcripts, current and planned class schedules, household annual income and social security number (if available).

There is a $70 application fee per campus at the time you apply, unless you qualify for an application fee waiver

English proficiency exam results

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

27357 USD / year

≈ 27357 USD / year
Out-of-State

27357 USD / year

≈ 27357 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

14037 USD / year

≈ 14037 USD / year

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

United States

1100 - 1800 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Art and Design.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Learn by doing

Careers

Accreditation

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

San Luis Obispo

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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