SDSU Campus Tour Notes

Concert Venue & Sustainability

  • The concert venue does not offer discounted student tickets.

  • Students can watch concerts from underneath the library, where there is seating available.

  • The sustainability club, Green Love, hosts a week-long event and brings in artists for students.

100 Years, One Hundred Stones

  • The sculpture is named after having 100 stones from a 100-mile radius of campus.

  • In the center, there is a black circle that acts as an echo chamber.

KBPS Studios

  • KBPS studios hosts various filming projects and commercials for San Diego.

  • They hire student anchors for broadcasting and journalism experience.

Fundraising Campaign

  • A wall displays names of donors who have contributed over 100,000100,000.

  • The campaign has raised over 815,000,000815,000,000 for research and scholarships.

Transportation Alley

  • Students use skateboards, bikes, and golf carts to travel across campus.

  • It takes about 15 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other.

Campus Community Centers

  • SDSU has nine different campus community centers:

    • Asian Pacific Islander

    • DESI American Center

    • Guthan Emmett Thompson Black Resource Center

    • Women's Resource Center

    • Native Resource Center

    • Latinx Resource Center

    • Pride Resource Center

    • Undocumented Resource Center

    • Center for Intercultural Relations

    • Center for Transformative Justice

CalPulli Health Center

  • Located in the CalPulli Police Center.

  • Serves as the primary healthcare provider on campus (except for emergencies, where students should call 911).

  • Four floors, each with a different purpose for students.

First Floor: Student Health Services

  • Students can book appointments with registered nurse practitioners.

  • A pharmacy is available for prescriptions and over-the-counter medications (band-aids, sunscreen, etc.).

  • Services include vaccinations, immunizations, x-rays, and physicals.

  • Most services are included in tuition and fees, except for out-of-pocket expenses like x-rays or medications.

Second Floor: Student Disability Services

  • Resources for students with disabilities (permanent or temporary, visible or not).

Third Floor: Counseling and Psychological Services

  • Prioritizes students’ mental health.

  • Offers counseling, a well-being center with relaxing chairs, workshops, group therapy sessions, and more.

  • A therapy dog named Luna is available for students to visit.

Fourth Floor: Well-being and Health Promotion

  • Focuses on students' well-being and health education.

  • Offers dietitian workshops, cooking classes with chefs, reproductive health workshops, and more.

Flu Shot Program

  • Every October, the “St. Jude the Flu” program provides flu shots across campus.

Student Activities and Organizations

  • SDSU has almost 400 student activities and organizations.

Greek Life

  • Over 40 recognized fraternities and sororities with over 4,000 members.

  • A dedicated Greek Life Center is available.

Alumni Programs

  • Opportunities to connect with past, present, and future alumni.

  • Aztec Mentor Program: Alumni mentor junior and senior students.

Fowler Athletic Center

  • Home to the SDSU Hall of Fame and coaches' offices.

  • Includes state-of-the-art basketball facility, the Jeff Jacobs Jam Center.

Sports Deck

  • Located on top of Parking Structure 7 for track and field.

Safety Measures

  • Blue emergency poles are located around campus.

  • SDSU Police prioritize the health and safety of students.

  • SDSU SAFE app is available.

  • A black and red trolley/shuttle runs from 7 PM to midnight.

Aztec Recreation Center (ARC)

  • Main gym on campus with over 134,000134,000 square feet.

  • A rock climbing wall extends from the first to second floor.

  • Six group fitness classrooms (jujitsu, cycling, barre, yoga, etc.).

  • Over 60 group fitness classes per week (Pilates, Aztec Abs, Cycle Core, self-defense, kickboxing, etc.). All included in tuition.

  • Flexible hours: 5:30 AM to 1 AM.

  • Second floor: track, workout equipment, and a multi-purpose court.

Athletics

  • SDSU competes in the Mountain West Conference with 18 Division One teams.

  • 22 club teams with over 800 athletes.

  • Intramural teams available.

Partnerships and Facilities

  • Aqua Plex: Main pool for water polo and individual swimming lessons.

  • Tony Gwynn Baseball Stadium.

  • Partnership with Mission Bay Aquatic Center (10-minute drive from campus) offering paddleboard yoga, kayaking, sailing, surfing, etc.

  • Group fitness classes can be taken for a whole semester for a grade.

Student Health Services Q&A

  • Students can typically get same-day appointments.

Changing Majors Q&A

  • Switching into specifics in engineering or nursing is difficult after admission.

  • Switching other majors is generally an easy process.

International Affairs Complex

  • Includes three offices:

    • Global Education Office: Study abroad programs (hundreds of programs in over 50 countries; 34 academic majors require study abroad).

    • Passport Office: Open to everyone.

Viejas Arena

  • Location where President John F. Kennedy gave a speech before his assassination.

  • Snapdragon Stadium is the new football stadium (three trolley stops west).

  • Viejas Arena is another concert venue (artists: Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Drake, Kendrick Lamar; comedians: Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, etc.).

  • Used for convocation and graduation ceremonies.

ROTC

  • Army, Navy, and Air Force recruiters are available.

Performing Arts District

  • Over 175 plays and performances every year.

  • Open to all majors.

    • Prebys Stage: Spring floor for dancers and a world-class sound system.

    • Bill and Evelyn Lambton Stage: Outdoor dynamic space.

    • Dean Joyce M. Gattas Pavilion: Ticket office.

    • Smith Recital Hall: Free concert every Wednesday at noon.

    • Main Stage Theater: Film festivals.

    • Notable alumni in film: Kathleen Kennedy (president of Lucasfilm), Darla K. Anderson (producer of Coco), and Justin Samuel Halpern (producer on Abbott Elementary).

Academic Colleges

  • Seven academic colleges:

Professional Studies and Fine Arts (PSFA/ESSA)

  • Majors: Communication, public relations, hospitality and tourism management, criminal justice, art dance, different performing majors, music, and more.

  • Programs: Speech and debate, ensembles, and Arts Alive (painted benches around campus).

College of Sciences

  • Majors: Astronomy, biology, chemistry, mathematics and statistics, psychology, and more.

College of Arts and Letters

  • Over 38 majors in humanities, social sciences, political science, languages, sustainability, and more.

  • Oldest woman's studies program and second oldest LGBTQ+ studies program.

  • Ranked number 13 in international business.

Sundial

  • Named after George A. Coaster in 1978.

  • Used to mark the center point of campus.

  • Campus is larger than Disneyland Park.

Hepner Quad

  • Water tower named after Edward T. Hardy (SDSU’s second president).

  • Bells at the top play holiday tunes and the SDSU fight song.

  • Filming location for the movie Bring It On.

College of Health and Human Services

  • Majors: Kinesiology, Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, Gerontology, Food and Nutrition, Social Work, and nursing.

  • SHARP simulation center with simulations of giving birth, having a stroke, etc.

  • Study abroad requirement (or a task to waive it).

  • Over 25 clubs and organizations.

Mediterranean Garden

  • One of the favorite spots to study.

College of Engineering

  • Majors: Aerospace, mechanical, chemical, construction, computer, and more.

  • Partnerships with MIT, the University of Washington, NASA, and the International College of Engineering.

  • Recognized as a top university for engineering (US News & World Report).

  • Initiatives: Women in engineering, engineering fraternities/sororities.

  • Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex with the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad and the Lavin Entrepreneurial Center.

  • Shake Smart restaurant started by students through the Lavin Entrepreneurial Center.

Hello Walkway Garden

  • Faculty Advancement for Student Success: Advisors for undeclared students and the Weber Honors College.

Sammy T. Black

  • Statue of SDSU’s first president.

  • Touching his left foot brings good luck.

Love Library

  • Named after SDSU’s fourth president, Malcolm A. Love.

  • Six stories (two underground).

  • 24-hour area with a BCD cafe and a computer lab.

  • Librarians provide research assistance.

Dining on Campus

  • Restaurant-based campus with over 50 diverse dining locations.

  • Charles B. Bell Junior Pavilion: Food court (Panda Express, Halal Shack, Rubio’s Tacos, etc.).

  • Six out of 10 markets with 8,000 products.

  • Other eateries: Broken Yolk, sushi, acai bowls, Mexican food, carbonara pasta, and The Garden (buffet style).

SDSU Bookstore

  • One store with a Lululemon partnership.

  • Partnerships with Nike and Air Jordan.

  • First floor: SDSU merch and Ask Technology (technology at an educated price).

  • Second floor: Books.

  • Books on Books program for 21.5021.50 per unit.

  • Aztec Proud program: Donations for student scholarships (over 500,000500,000 raised since 2014).

College of Education

  • Three undergraduate majors: Child and family development, liberal studies, and leadership studies with four minors.

  • Credential program for future teachers, educators, counselors, and professors.

  • American Sign Language fulfills the language requirement.

  • Over 15 clubs and organizations.

Fowler College of Business

  • Majors: Accounting, marketing, finance, general business, and many more.

  • Over 60,000 alumni with 30,000 in San Diego.

  • Named after Ron and Alexis Fowler who donated over 25,000,00025,000,000.

  • Career Management Center exclusively for business students.

Career Fairs

  • Held for every college on campus.

  • Often in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.

Campus Amenities & Housing

  • UPS stores on both sides of campus.

  • First-year residence halls are spread out across campus.

  • Required to live on campus for two years if you are a non-local student.

Residence Halls

  • Residential learning communities are thematic-based (e.g., surfing floor).

East Campus Recreation Area

  • Maya, Ameca, Zura and Tanochika host first-year redidence Halls.

  • Common area with a pool, basketball/volleyball courts, and a barbecue area.

  • Utilities included, on-site laundry, and 24-hour security.

  • Three types of meal plans with 35 venues.

  • Room types: single, double, triple, and odds (triple is the most common).

  • Halls are coed with single-gender rooms and restrooms.

  • Communal restrooms and showers require shower shoes.

  • Virtual tours are available via a QR code.