General Education Requirements
General Education for Undergraduate Students
At ºÚÁÏÍø, General Education is an important part of the undergraduate educational experience. A well-planned General Education program of study will provide students with the skills they will need to excel in whatever disciplines they choose to pursue.
College students all across the United States complete a GE program toward becoming a well-educated person. General Education is the key to a most successful future. A well-planned GE program of study provides students with the skills they will need to excel in whatever discipline(s) they choose to pursue. Employers are hiring and promoting people who have more than just knowledge in a discipline; they are looking for people who can do things like write and speak clearly, solve problems, work well in diverse teams, and make ethical decisions. These are some of the essential skills of GE. As a successful student, one of your responsibilities is to seek out information to work with advisors to plan to take a set of GE courses that best suits your current interests and future directions.
This site offers much of the information needed to build your best GE Program. The links below provide further information on the importance of General Education, as well as information on requirements and approved courses.
- 2021 General Education
Students who began continuous enrollment in Fall 2021 or later at ºÚÁÏÍø, a California Community College, or other California State University must follow this pattern.
- 2019 General Education Designation Changes
In 2018, ºÚÁÏÍø aligned our GE requirements with Executive Order 1100 from the CSU Chancellor’s Office. Students who began continuous enrollment in Fall 2018 or later at a California Community College or other California State University must follow this pattern.
- 2018 General Education
Students who first enrolled at ºÚÁÏÍø in Fall 2018 or Spring 2019 must follow this pattern.
- 2012 General Education
Students who began continuous enrollment in Fall 2012 or later at a California Community College or other California State University must follow this pattern.
- 2008 General Education
Students who began continuous enrollment between 2008 and Spring 2011 can follow this pattern or may elect the 2012 pattern.
- 1999 General Education
​Students who began continuous enrollment between 1999 and Spring 2008 at a California Community College or other California State University can follow this pattern or may elect the 2012 pattern.
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Students enrolled prior to 1999 or with questions related to the appropriate General Education pattern should contact the University Center for Undergraduate Advising.
Why do Students Have to Take GE Courses?
Students may enter college with a specific major in mind, but no matter what they will call themselves professionally, EVERYONE needs some of the same skills to be a well-educated person. EMPLOYERS will expect you to solve problems and make good decisions using complex information, to act ethically, to contribute to a team of diverse people, and to communicate your ideas effectively in writing and in speech. You are also becoming a citizen of our diverse democracy and of the world. Fellow citizens in each COMMUNITY for which you are a member will expect you to contribute productively to society and to make responsible decisions.
Leading experts in higher education as well as many large companies who seek to employ the best college graduates have worked together to define the most desirable skills. These skills are the outcome statements below. Notice that ‘knowledge’ is only one aspect of the most desirable skills.
See the GE Learning Outcomes available from the ºÚÁÏÍø Academic Senate for information on Student Learning Outcomes.
- English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (Category A)
- Science, Technology and Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (Category B)
- Arts and Humanities (Category C)
- Social Sciences and Citizenship (Category D)
- Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (Category E/ Lower Division - Fall 2018 only)
- Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (Category E- For Students on GE Pattern Prior to 2018)
- Capstone Courses (Category F- For Students on GE Pattern Prior to 2018)
- Additional GE Requirements: Global Issues and Human Diversity
Only courses on the General Education Master Course List at the time the student takes the course shall count for General Education.
Major courses and campus-wide required courses that are approved for GE credit shall also fulfill (double count for) for GE requirement for students entering in Fall 2018. Students who entered prior to Fall 2018 must take a minimum of thirty-five (35) units outside the student's major. Courses in the major department include all courses housed in the department offering the major, regardless of prefix. (For example, courses in French and Italian are in the same department.)
A cross-categorized course may be counted (at the student's option) in any one of the approved categories A- E, but not in more than one. Where appropriate exams exist, Foundation and Explorations requirements may be met by external examinations, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams. Students are also required to take a Writing Intensive course
Students are expected to complete the Upper Division General Education requirement at ºÚÁÏÍø. An exception will be made for students who transfer from another CSU campus after completing some of the upper-division GE requirement at that campus. To be accepted toward this requirement at ºÚÁÏÍø, the transfer course must be approved for upper division general education credit at the campus offering the course. Other courses may be used, on an individual basis, to meet the requirement if they are approved for General Education at the campus offering the course and if the purpose of the course meets the criteria for a ºÚÁÏÍø Upper Divison General Education course.
Students who transfer from baccalaureate institutions other than the CSU after completing upper-division General Education courses may petition to have one or more such courses accepted toward the requirement. Such petitions will be evaluated on the basis of the criteria above.
Electing a Different General Education Pattern
A new General Education pattern is effective Fall 2018. Students who enter Fall 2018 or later must follow this pattern unless they hold catalog rights to a prior General Education pattern. Students who are under a prior General Education pattern may elect to complete the new pattern. Students should see an advisor in the University Center for Undergraduate Advising or their respective department/program area prior to making this decision. The advisor can file an Advisor Request electronically to formally request the change with Enrollment Services.
Monitoring Progress
Students should regularly run their Academic Requirements Report on to monitor their completion of all degree requirements including General Education. The report is updated with the latest enrollment changes including grades, transfer credit evaluations, and advisor approved adjustments every time it is generated. For assistance in understanding the report see "Using Academics - Progress to Degree."
Finding Courses
Students can find courses that meet General Education requirements by the following:
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Review the list of General Education Approved Courses
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. This list is updated nightly and includes courses sorted by General Education requirement.
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Search for Classes on . The 'Catalog search' will display current information including course descriptions, pre-requisites and the GE requirements the course is certified to meet. The Additional Search Criteria allows you to search for GE classes being offered in a GE category. The 'Class Search' will also display current enrollment status information. Here is a sample catalog result from MyºÚÁÏÍø:
For More Assistance
The University Center for Undergraduate Advising and other special program and advising centers are great resource for students who need assistance navigating the General Education requirements.
Beginning Fall 2008, the General Education course list is maintained on the CSU web site and contains all currently certified courses. The list below reflects courses offered Fall 2008 or after which are not currently active reflecting the period when they were eligible for GE credit.
Subject/ Number |
Title | GE Category |
GE Designation |
Begin Term | End Term |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A/ST 300I | TRADITIONAL ASIA | C3, D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary, Global |
Fall 1988 | Winter 2011 |
A/ST 301I | MODERN ASIA | D2 | Capstone / Interdisciplinary; Global |
Fall 1988 | Winter 2011 |
A/ST 334 | EAST ASIAN LIT AND CULTURES | C2a | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Winter 2011 |
AFRS 205 | INTRO TO AFRICAN AMER LIT | C2a | Explorations | Fall 2001 | Winter 2015 |
AFRS 304 | THE AFRICAN COLONIAL EXPERIENCE |
D2 | Spring 1993 | Winter 2014 | |
ARAB 250 | ARABIC FOR ARABIC SPEAKERS | C2 | Explorations | Spring 2007 | Winter 2015 |
ASAM 221 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN ASIAN AMERICA |
D2 | Explorations | Fall 2003 | Fall 2014 |
BIOL 111 / 111L |
INTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTION/ DIVERSITY |
B1a | Explorations | Fall 2008 | Summer 2010 |
BIOL 211A | BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES I | B1a | Explorations | Fall 1995 | Summer 2009 |
BIOL 211C | BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES LABORATORY |
B1a | Explorations | Spring 1999 | Summer 2009 |
BIOL 3091 | HUMAN BODY AND MIND | E | Fall 2000 | Summer 2009 | |
C/LA 314I | INTRO TO CONTEMPORARY EUROPE | D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 1993 | Summer 2009 |
C/LA 315I | CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN SOCIETY |
D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 1993 | Summer 2009 |
CHIN 111 | ACCELERATED CHINESE HERITAGE STUDENTS I |
C2C | Fall 2005 |
Winter 2015 | |
CHIN 211 | ACCELERATED CHINESE HERITAGE STUDENTS II |
C2C | Fall 2005 |
Winter 2015 | |
CLSC 3301 | PIRATES, MERCHANTS, AND MARINES |
D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2007 |
Summer 2009 |
COMM 171 | VOICE & APPLIED SPEAKING | A2 | Foundation | Fall 1992 | Summer 2012 |
CWL 336 | SOUTHEAST ASIAN LIT AND CULTURES |
C2a | Explorations | Fall 2004 | Summer 2009 |
ED P 373 | NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION: Interaction of Mind and Body |
C1,D2, E | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 1997 | Winter 2016 |
EDSE 490 | THE POLITICS OF DISASTER: HURRICANE KATRINA & ITS AFTERMATH |
D2 | Human Diversity; Capstone/Service Learning |
Spring 2010 | Spring 2010 |
ES P 300I | ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY |
D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary, Global Issues |
Spring 2005 | Winter 2012 |
ETEC 100 | TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING | E | Fall 2006 | Spring 2012 | |
FIN 309 | CONSUMER IN LEGAL & ECON ENVIRON |
D2, E | Spring 2009 | Summer 2016 | |
GEOG 322 | GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AMERICA | D2 | Fall 2006 | Winter 2014 | |
HIST 346 | THE EUROPEAN CINEMA OF COMMUNISM, FASCISM, AND RESISTANCE |
C2A, D2 | Global Issues, Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2004 | Summer 2015 |
HIST 347 | TRADITION & CRISIS: JEWS OF EASTERN EUROPE |
D2 | Global Issues | Spring 2006 | Summer 2013 |
JAPN 370 | JAPAN LITERATURE ENGLISH TRANSLATION |
C2a | Spring 2008 | Winter 2014 | |
JOUR 220 | UNDERSTANDING NEWS MEDIA | D2 | Explorations | Spring 2008 | Winter 2012 |
JOUR 311 | REPORTING AND INFORMATION GATHERING |
Writing Intensive | Fall 2004 | Winter 2015 | |
KIN 332 | SOCIOCULTRAL DIMENSIONS OF SPORT & HUMAN MOVEMENT |
D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Summer 2013 | |
MATH 108 | STATISTICS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE | B2 | Foundation | Fall 2007 | Winter 2010 |
MATH 117 | PRECALCULUS MATHEMATHICS | D2 | Foundation | Spring 1997 | Winter 2014 |
MICR 101 | INTRO TO HUMAN DISEASE | B1ANL | Summer 2016 | ||
MICR 200 | GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS |
B1a | Explorations | Summer 2016 | |
MICR 300I | HUMAN IMMUNOLOGY SELF DEFENSE |
D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 1989 | Summer 2012 |
NRSG 481I | PARENTING | D2,E | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Spring 2004 | Spring 2009 |
NSCI 309 | WOMEN IN SCIENCE | BIaNL, B1bNL, D2 |
Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Spring 1998 | Summer 2014 |
NSCI 375 | Science and Society | B1aNL, B1bNL |
Interdisciplinary | Fall 1998 | Winter 2016 |
PHIL 362I | ETHICS AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY |
C2b | Explorations | Spring 1997 | Summer 2009 |
PHIL 452I | LAW, PHILOSOPHY & HUMANITIES | C2b | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Spring 1996 | Fall 2009 |
POSC 210 | ISSUES OF AMERICAN POLITICS | D2 | Fall 2001 | Fall 2013 | |
POSC 215 | ISSUES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS | D2 | GLOBAL | Fall 2001 | Fall 2013 |
POSC 220 | ISSUES IN GLOBAL POLITICS | D2 | GLOBAL | Spring 1988 | Fall 2013 |
PROF 388I | TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY | E | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Spring 2006 | Summer 2010 |
PROF 417I | TECHNOLOGY, ETHICS & SOCIETY | D2 | Global; Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2006 | Summer 2010 |
PROF 457I | WORKING AROUND THE WORLD | D2 | Global; Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2006 | Summer 2010 |
PSY 370I | ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY | D2, E | Explorations | Fall 2006 | Summer 2009 |
PSY 375I | COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY | D2 | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Fall 2003 | Summer 2009 |
R/ST 338 | MEDIEVAL THOUGHT IN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM |
C2b | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Fall 2005 | Spring 2013 |
R/ST 339I | THE QUR'AN | C2b | Explorations | Fall 2007 | Summer 2009 |
R/ST 485 | CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUS THOUGHT |
C2b | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Fall 2013 |
RUSS 101A | FUNDAMENTALS OF RUSSIAN | C2c | Explorations | Spring 1988 | Fall 2013 |
RUSS 101B | FUNDAMENTALS OF RUSSIAN | C2c | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Fall 2013 |
RUSS 201A | INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN | C2c | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Fall 2013 |
RUSS 201B | INTERMEDIATE RUSSIAN | C2c | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Fall 2013 |
U/ST 301 | THE URBAN SCENE | D2 | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Spring 2008 | Winter 2014 |
W/ST 101 | WOMEN & THEIR BODIES | E | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 102 | WOMEN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY | D2 | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 307I | US WOMEN & ECON-MONEY SEX PWR | D2 | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â, Human Diversity |
Fall 1997 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 309I | WOMEN IN SOCIETY | D2 | Capstone/ ​I²Ô³Ù±ð°ù»å¾±²õ³¦¾±±è±ô¾±²Ô²¹°ù²â |
Spring 1999 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 318I | U S WOMEN OF COLOR | C2a, D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary, Human Diversity |
Spring 2004 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 319 | ETHNIC EXPERIENCE IN US | D2 | Human Diversity | Fall 1993 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 365I | POP CULT:WOMEN, GEND,SEXUALITY | C3, D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary, Human Diversity |
Spring 2004 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 382 | WOMEN AND LITERATURE | C2a | Explorations | Fall 1988 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 401I | BODIES AND BORDERS | D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary, Global Issues |
Fall 1999 | Summer 2009 |
W/ST 424 | WOMEN & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE | D2 | Global Issues | Spring 2003 | Summer 2009 |
WGSS 309 | WOMEN IN SCIENCE | B1aNL, B1aNL, D2 | Capstone/ Interdisciplinary |
Summer 1998 | Winter 2014 |