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General Engineering

College of Engineering


General engineering allows you to customize your studies to reach beyond a single engineering department and receive a broad education that addresses new or evolving areas of engineering.

San Luis Obispo, California

The general engineering curriculum brings together mathematics, the fundamental sciences, engineering sciences, engineering design and the liberal arts. The flexible, student-driven environment allows you to develop core competencies and an individualized area of expertise.

General Engineering Curriculum

General (or Multidisciplinary) Engineering Concentration

The general concentration is a broad-based engineering program that covers several major engineering disciplines in detail.

Individualized Course of Study (ICS) Concentration

The ICS Concentration allows you to create a plan of study with the GENE Director in order to reach your academic and professional goals. The curriculum includes more than 40 units of technical electives to give you room to study your area of interest. Past students have chosen to focus on audio engineering, chemical engineering, sustainable energy, engineering entrepreneurship, product design and pre-med studies.

About the Program

General Engineering is a great option if you are interested in an education that covers several areas of engineering or you would like to study an area of engineering that is not covered in a different department.

This program attracts self-motivated people who have a clear idea of what they want to pursue for their career. You will choose between a broad general curriculum or an Individualized Course of Study, allowing you to craft a customized program. Examples of emphasis areas pursued in the past include audio engineering, chemical engineering, sustainable energy, engineering entrepreneurship, product design and pre-med studies.

Learn by Doing

The flexible nature of this program allows you to explore new and important areas as well as unearth new areas of study and career paths. You can study chemical engineering and learn to design and manufacture medicine, focus on entrepreneurship and develop new methods of making sustainable energy, complete medical school prerequisites while studying an emerging engineering field and more.

Student production of an Opera with theatrical lighting and sound on stage.

Manage Concert Tech

Work in audio engineering and prep the lighting, video and sound for music venues.

Our Graduates

General engineering graduates are ready for immediate entry into the professional engineering field and often rise to leadership roles in companies across California, the nation and the world.

General engineering graduates have gone on to advanced studies as well as careers in education, project management, technical sales, law, entrepreneurship, medicine and many other paths defined by their keen intellects and adventuresome spirits.