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Engineering that starts with you

Our students don’t wait to become engineers. From day one, they design, build and test solutions to real problems. Learn by Doing is more than a motto — it’s how we teach, preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly evolving profession.

mechanical and electrical engineering students on boat with the Expeditionary Ocean Power Generator (ExOPG)

Programs Built Around Doing

Explore undergraduate and graduate programs designed for hands-on learning. Apply theory from your first semester through labs, design projects and interdisciplinary collaboration.

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student assembles the structure of the CubeSat satellite in a cleanroom on campus

Research With Real Impact

Faculty and students work side by side to advance technologies, launch startups and solve complex global challenges through interdisciplinary research and innovation.

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students walking outside of Bonderson building

Support for Your Success

From advising and career services to tutoring and community programs, we provide the guidance and resources that help engineers thrive from day one to graduation.

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Engineering Beyond the Classroom

Our engineers extend learning far beyond lectures. Students lead projects, build vehicles, launch hardware and represent the college on national stages through more than 90 student organizations and competition teams.

Explore Student ORGANIZATIONS

Members of Cal Poly Racing test out their BAJA SAE vehicle at their test course near Cuesta College.

Members of Cal Poly Racing test out their BAJA SAE vehicle at their test course near Cuesta College.
Students in aerospace engineering professor Paulo Iscold’s class learn the ins and outs of one of Cal Poly’s planes.

Students in aerospace engineering professor Paulo Iscold’s class learn the ins and outs of one of Cal Poly’s planes.
Students assemble the structure of the CubeSat satellite in a cleanroom on campus.

Students assemble the structure of the CubeSat satellite in a cleanroom on campus.
Cal Poly sailors stay focused during the 2025 Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup. Competing aboard a Catalina 37, the team fine-tunes their strategy as they navigate the dynamic waters of the Pacific.

Cal Poly sailors stay focused during the 2025 Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup. Competing aboard a Catalina 37, the team fine-tunes their strategy as they navigate the dynamic waters of the Pacific.
At the 2025 SAE Aero Design West competition, teams had to design a plane with a wingspan of up to 15 feet that can carry the heaviest possible payload while staying under a maximum takeoff weight of 55 pounds.

At the 2025 SAE Aero Design West competition, teams had to design a plane with a wingspan of up to 15 feet that can carry the heaviest possible payload while staying under a maximum takeoff weight of 55 pounds.
Rémy Lacchia (left) and Shelbi Sullaway test the redesigned adaptive paddleboard on Lopez Lake. The updated design features improved stability and maneuverability, ensuring a smoother experience for wheelchair users on the water.

Rémy Lacchia (left) and Shelbi Sullaway test the redesigned adaptive paddleboard on Lopez Lake. The updated design features improved stability and maneuverability, ensuring a smoother experience for wheelchair users on the water.
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STORIES OF ENGINEERING IMPACT

Engineering Advantage is the college's magazine, showcasing the students, faculty, and industry partners driving innovation across the College of Engineering. Explore stories featuring hands-on projects, groundbreaking research, and the ideas shaping the future of engineering.

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What’s Happening in Engineering

Cal Poly mechanical engineering seniors Matthew Podgorski, right, and Gabe Haarberg, second from right, explain the accessible garden box during Project Expo. The team later installed the project in Heather McColley’s medically fragile classroom at Oceano Elementary School.
Features

Cal Poly Seniors Build Learning Tools for Medically Fragile Students

Students collaborate in a College of Engineering classroom. New faculty scholars Puneet Agarwal and Jiun-Yao Cheng will help guide the responsible integration of artificial intelligence across the college’s programs.
Features

Faculty Scholars to Guide AI Innovation in Engineering Education

Members of Cal Poly’s PHAT team celebrate their first-place overall finish in NASA’s 2026 Human Lander Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama. The mechanical engineering senior project team won the $10,000 top prize for a cold-water system designed to support future lunar and Mars missions.
Features

Cal Poly Team Wins NASA Human Lander Challenge With Cold-Water System for Space Missions

Muppet Me
Features

Muppet Me: A Senior Project With Character

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Ready to Build What’s Next?

Your engineering journey starts with action. At Cal Poly, you’ll learn by doing, collaborate across disciplines and graduate prepared to solve real-world challenges from day one.

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