Cal State East Bay General Education Program & Breadth Requirements

• Purpose of General Education (GE)
• Objectives
• GE Requirements
• Lower-Division Requirements
• Upper-Division Requirements
• GE Checklist
• Quarter System GE Requirements
• Other Breadth Requirements

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The Purpose of General Education

General Education (GE) empowers students to become independent thinkers, able to transform their learning into meaningful action.  Cal State East Bay’s GE Program is designed to educate its students holistically and is central to the university experience.  The GE Program provides students with opportunities to explore disciplines and ideas that are new, that may change their world perspectives, and that help define them as educated citizens of the global community.  

While a college diploma opens doors to career and employment opportunities, the true value of the degree is not the degree itself but the experiences and relationships developed while in college–the value is in the journey not the destination.  Cal State East Bay’s campus community is dedicated to supporting students through their journey.  Although students may struggle to make meaning and see the immediate benefits of their college curriculum as they look to the end goal of graduation, Cal State East Bay is focused on its graduates being educated people whose quality of life will be vastly improved by the college experience.  Students should make the best use of all opportunities and resources open to them, including the selection of courses that make up their GE pathway.

Objectives

Every undergraduate student at Cal State East Bay follows a degree program composed primarily of major courses and GE courses.  Successful completion of these courses assures that graduates make measurable progress toward becoming truly educated persons who can contribute to a diverse society.  The GE Program and Breadth Requirements are designed and organized to help students attain the program’s objectives, which are aligned to Cal State East Bay’s Institutional Learning Outcomes and to the Essential Learning Outcomes of the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative, all of which express the knowledge, skills, and values Cal State East Bay graduates are expected to attain.  These outcomes include:

• knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and arts;
• intellectual and practical skills, including inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, information literacy, teamwork, and problem solving; and
• personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engagement at local and global levels, intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, and foundations and skills for lifelong learning. 

General Education Requirements

All Cal State East Bay undergraduate students participate in the General Education (GE) Program, along with their major program, to develop and bolster a breadth of knowledge and skills.  Cal State East Bay has a vibrant and meaningful GE Program that incorporates state-mandated and CSUEB-specific (“local”) requirements.

By CSU policy (Executive Order 1100), all baccalaureate students must complete a minimum of 48 semester units of GE distributed over five areas.  Transfer students who have earned lower division GE credit from a California community college, another CSU, or the University of California prior to attending Cal State East Bay will have those lower division credits honored.  However, transfer students still must complete 9 semester units of upper division GE at CSUEB (or another CSU campus).  Important GE policies to keep in mind are detailed in the following sections.

48 Units of General Education (Lower-division and Upper-division GE Courses)

The GE program requires a minimum of 48 semester units of GE, including a minimum of 9 semester units of upper-division GE, distributed over five areas (GE Areas A-E), as specified in the GE Area descriptions below.  Transfer students must earn a minimum of 39 semester units in lower-division GE courses that meet the requirements of the CSU or IGETC transfer plan and complete a minimum of 9 semester units of upper-division GE at a CSU.

9 Units of Upper-division GE

At least 9 of the 48 semester units must be from approved upper-division GE courses taken within the CSU.  At CSUEB, upper-division courses are numbered 300 and above.  Upper-division GE should not be taken until earning a minimum of 60 semester units (junior standing) in all baccalaureate-level coursework. Lower-division GE courses in Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4 must be passed with grades of C- (CR) or better before enrolling in any upper-division GE course. 

Minimum Course Grades

Grades of C- (CR) or better are required in GE Area A1 Oral Communication, A2 Written Communication, A3 Critical Thinking, and B4 Quantitative Reasoning.  In all other GE areas, grades of D (or CR) or better are required for GE credit.   

Double-counting of GE with Other Requirements

Major courses and campus-wide required courses will also fulfill (double count for) the GE requirement provided the courses are certified for GE credit.  

For Areas A, B, C, and D, no one course or test can be used to clear more than one GE Area requirement.  Both American Institutions (U.S. Code) classes may be double-counted with GE if the Code courses are certified for GE credit.  Transfer students from institutions that allow both U.S. Code classes to double-count with GE will have those agreements honored. Students who take a course that is approved for both GE and Overlay may count that course for both requirements.  Students who take a course that is approved for Second Composition and one of GE Areas A3, B, C, or D may count that course for both requirements.

Lower-Division GE Requirements (39 Semester Units) and Learning Outcomes

Area A. Communication in the English Language and Critical Thinking (9 Semester Units)

Students should complete this area of the GE requirements (along with GE Area B4) during their freshman year.  Students must take one course (minimum 3 semester units) from each GE Area: A1, A2, and A3.

Students taking courses in fulfillment of GE Areas A1 and A2 will develop knowledge and understanding of the form, content, context, and effectiveness of communication.  Students will develop proficiency in oral and written communication in English, examining communication from the rhetorical perspective and practicing reasoning and advocacy, organization, and accuracy.  Students will enhance their skills in the discovery, critical evaluation, and reporting of information, as well as reading, writing, and listening effectively.  

A1. Oral Communication (3 semester units)

Area A1 courses emphasize communication theory and provide several speaking and listening experiences in multiple modes, e.g., small-group discussion, interpersonal communication, and persuasive discourse presented extemporaneously.  Upon completion of the A1 requirement, students will be able to:

1. speak effectively when making oral presentations in English;
2. explain the principles of effective oral communication, including form, content, context, and style;
3. advocate for a cause or idea, presenting facts and arguments in an organized and accurate manner; and
4. critically evaluate oral presentations.

The A1 course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better to satisfy GE Area A1.  Any approved A1 course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area A1 until a passing final course grade is posted.  As appropriate, American Sign Language may be substituted for oral communication.

Courses approved for Area A1 are listed here: GE Area A1 Courses  

A2.  Written Communication (3 semester units)

Area A2 courses emphasize the rhetorical principles that govern reading and writing.  These principles are fundamental to logical thinking and clear expression.  For reading, they presume open-mindedness combined with critical thinking and analytical skills.  For writing, they presume an awareness of audience, context, and purpose.  Upon completion of the A2 requirement, students will be able to:

1. write effectively in English;
2. explain the principles and rhetorical perspectives of effective writing, including its form, content, context, and style;
3. advocate for a cause or idea, presenting facts and arguments in an organized and accurate manner; and
4. practice the discovery, critical evaluation, and reporting of information.

The A2 course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better to satisfy GE Area A2.  Any approved A2 course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area A2 until a passing final course grade is posted.  Students must attempt to complete this area of the GE requirement during their freshman year. 

Courses approved for Area A2 are listed here: GE Area A2 Courses  

A3.  Critical Thinking (3 semester units)

Area A3 courses emphasize the development of clarity and rigor in reasoning and its presentation, and the ability to understand, represent, and evaluate the presentations of reasoning made by others.  Upon completion of the A3 requirement, students will be able to:

1. understand logic and its relation to language, elementary inductive and deductive reasoning, and formal and informal fallacies;
2. demonstrate the ability to distinguish among different sorts of claims, such as statements of opinion, reasoned judgments, proofs, and articles of faith;
3. develop the ability to identify, analyze, evaluate, and present arguments, and construct arguments both to support and refute claims; and
4. develop the ability to reason inductively and deductively. 

The A3 course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better satisfy GE Area A3.  Any approved A3 course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area A3 until a passing final course grade is posted. 

Courses approved for Area A3 are listed here: GE Area A3 Courses  

Area B. Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (9 Semester Units)

Lower-division Area B courses emphasize the key principles and concepts in the natural sciences and mathematics or statistics and the important roles that scientific practice, inquiry, and quantitative reasoning play in advancing scientific knowledge and discovery. 

Students must choose one course from each lower-division GE Area B: B1, B2, and B4.  At least one of the B1 or B2 courses must have a laboratory component, prerequisite, or co-requisite to satisfy GE Area B3.  

B1.  Physical Science (3 semester units)

Upon completion of the B1 requirement, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about the physical sciences;
2. demonstrate an understanding of scientific practices, including the scientific method; and
3. describe the potential limits of scientific endeavors, including the accepted standards and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Courses approved for Area B1 are listed here: GE Area B1 Courses  

B2.  Life Sciences (3 semester units)

Upon completion of the B2 requirement, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about the life sciences;
2. demonstrate an understanding of scientific practices, including the scientific method; and
3. describe the potential limits of scientific endeavors, including the accepted standards and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Courses approved for Area B2 are listed here: GE Area B2 Courses  

B3.  Laboratory Activity

Area B3 courses emphasize active engagement, collaboration, and hands-on experiences that facilitate understanding of science concepts and the development of sound science practices and habits of mind.  Upon completion of the B3 requirement, students will be able to:

1. apply their knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about the physical and sciences through laboratory activities;
2. apply their understanding of scientific practices, including the scientific method in a laboratory setting; and
3. demonstrate accepted standards and ethics associated with scientific inquiry, while completing laboratory activities. 

Laboratory activities that are not a component of a B1 or B2 course must have a prerequisite or co-requisite of a B1 or B2 course in the same discipline.

Courses approved for Area B3 are listed here: GE Area B3 Courses  

B4.  Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (3 semester units)

Area B4 courses provide practice in computational skills as well as engagement in more complex mathematical work.  Upon completion of the B4 requirement, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate a proficient and fluent ability to reason quantitatively;
2. demonstrate a general understanding of how practitioners and scholars collect and analyze data, build mathematical models, and/or solve quantitative problems; and
3. apply quantitative reasoning skills in a variety of real-world contexts, defined by personal, civic, and/or professional responsibilities.  

The B4 course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better satisfy GE Subarea B4.  Any approved B4 course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area B4 until a passing final course grade is posted.  Students must attempt to complete this area of the GE requirement during their freshman year. 

Courses approved for Area B4 are listed here: GE Area B4 Courses  

Area C.  Arts and Humanities (9 Semester Units)

Across the disciplines in Area C coursework, students will cultivate intellect, imagination, sensibility, and sensitivity.  Students will respond subjectively as well as objectively to aesthetic experiences and will develop an understanding of the integrity of both emotional and intellectual responses.  Students will cultivate and refine their affective, cognitive, and physical faculties through studying works of the human imagination.  In their intellectual and subjective considerations, students will develop a better understanding of the interrelationship between the self and the creative arts and of the humanities in a variety of cultures.  

Students must complete three courses (minimum 9 units) from GE Areas C1 Arts and C2 Humanities, with at least one course from each of C1 and C2.  Area C (including upper-division GE Area C4) must be completed with courses from at least three different disciplines as represented by course (department) prefix, e.g., ART, ENGL, MLL, MUS, PHIL.  

C1.  Arts (3 semester units)

Area C1 courses integrate the evaluative and descriptive aspects of the history, theory, aesthetics, and criticism of different works, forms, styles, and schools of art.  Upon completion of the C1 requirement, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate an appreciation of the arts using their intellect, imagination, sensibility, and sensitivity;
2. respond to aesthetic experiences in the arts and develop an understanding of the integrity of both emotional and intellectual responses; and
3. in their intellectual and subjective considerations, demonstrate an understanding of the relationship among the self, the creative arts, and culture.

Courses approved for Area C1 are listed here: GE Area C1 Courses  

C2.  Humanities (3 semester units)

Area C2 courses emphasize the ideas and theories behind the intellectual and cultural traditions of humans using historical, linguistic, literary, philosophical, and rhetorical approaches and methods.  Upon completion of the C2 requirement, students will be able to:

1. show appreciation for the humanities using their intellect, imagination, sensibility, and sensitivity;
2. develop their affective and cognitive faculties through studying great works reflecting the rich diversity of human imagination and/or inquiry; and
3. engage in critical self-reflection relating themes in the humanities to the students’ own lives.

Courses approved for Area C2 are listed here: GE Area C2 Courses  

Additional Arts (C1) or Humanities (C2) course (3 semester units)

Students must take a third lower-division Area C course in either Area C1 or C2 to complete the lower-division Area C requirement.

Area D.  Social Sciences (9 Semester Units)

Students learn from courses in multiple Area D disciplines that human social, political and economic institutions and behavior are inextricably interwoven. Through fulfillment of the Area D requirement, students will develop an understanding of problems and issues from the respective disciplinary perspectives and will examine issues in their contemporary as well as historical settings and in a variety of cultural contexts. Students will explore the principles, methodologies, value systems and ethics employed in social scientific inquiry. 

Students must choose three lower-division courses (minimum 3 units each) approved for GE Area D1-3.  Area D (including upper-division GE Area D4) must be completed with courses from at least three different disciplines as represented by course (department) prefix, e.g., ANTH, ECON, HIST, POSC, SOC.   

D1-3.  Lower-division Social Science Electives (9 semester units)

Upon completion of the lower-division Area D requirement, students will be able to:

1. specify how social, political, economic, and environmental systems and/or behavior are interwoven;
2. explain how humans individually and collectively relate to relevant sociocultural, political, economic, and/or environmental systems-how they produce, resist, and transform them;
3. discuss and debate issues from the course’s disciplinary perspective in a variety of cultural, historical, contemporary, and/or potential future contexts; and
4. explore principles, methodologies, value systems, and ethics employed in social scientific inquiry. 

Courses approved for Area D1-3 are listed here: GE Area D1-3 Courses  

Area E.  Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 Semester Units)

Area E courses may address topics such as human behavior, sexuality, nutrition, physical and mental health, stress management, physical literacy, information literacy, social relationships, relationships with the environment, implications of death and dying, and avenues for lifelong learning.   Students who need additional support in their A2 or B4 courses may be required to take 2 semester units of General Studies Foundations of Success (GS 101A  and GS 101B ) courses taken during each term (1 unit per term) of the freshman year to partially satisfy their Area E and provide additional academic support.  Foundations of Success courses focus on building networks and communities of support; developing self-agency and growth mindset; practicing strategies for college success; finding and using campus resources; engaging in community (campus and beyond); understanding major and GE requirements; and planning for sophomore year and beyond. Information literacy courses focus on the skills needed to find relevant resources; access, evaluate, and organize information; understand the ethical, social, and legal dimensions; and select and use appropriate technology.  The Information Literacy courses are particularly useful when taken concurrently with Second Composition courses.

Upon the completion of the Area E requirement, students will be able to:

1. develop intellectual, practical, and/or physical skills and abilities that will serve them throughout their lives;
2. apply their learning to other pursuits within and outside of the classroom; and
3. demonstrate the capacity to make informed and ethical decisions. 

Courses approved for Area E are listed here: GE Area E Courses  

Upper Division GE Requirements (9 Semester Units) and Learning Outcomes

At least 9 of the 48 semester units of GE must be from approved upper-division GE courses taken within the CSU.  At CSUEB, upper-division courses are numbered 300 and above.  Upper-division GE should not be taken until earning a minimum of 60 semester units in all baccalaureate-level coursework.  Lower-division GE courses in Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4 must be passed with grades of C- (CR) or better before enrolling in any upper-division GE course.

B6.  Upper-division Science Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (3 semester units)

Subarea B6 courses integrate and build upon the quantitative analysis/reasoning skills and science content knowledge attained through lower-division Area B. Upon completion of the B6 requirement, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate advanced and/or focused science or quantitative content knowledge in a specific scientific field, using appropriate vocabulary and referencing appropriate concepts (such as models, uncertainties, hypotheses, theories, and technologies);
2. apply advanced quantitative skills (such as statistics, algebraic solutions, interpretation of graphical data) to scientific problems and evaluate scientific claims;
3. demonstrate understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry and the experimental and empirical methodologies used in science to investigate a scientific question or issue; and
4. apply science content knowledge to contemporary scientific issues (e.g., global warming) and technologies (e.g., cloning), where appropriate. 

Courses approved for Subarea B6 are listed here: GE Area B6 Courses  

C4.  Upper-division Arts or Humanities (3 semester units)

Subarea C4 courses integrate and build upon the skills and content knowledge attained through lower-division GE coursework, particularly in Subareas A1, A2, A3, C, and E.  Subarea C4 courses require skills in advanced writing, critical thinking, information literacy, oral communication (or sign language), and collaboration with peers.  Upon completion of the C4 requirement, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply the principles, methodologies, value systems, and thought processes employed in the arts and humanities;
2. analyze cultural production as an expression of, or reflection upon, what it means to be human; and
3. demonstrate how the perspectives of the arts and humanities are used by informed, engaged, and reflective citizens to benefit local and global communities. 

Courses approved for Subarea C4 are listed here: GE Area C4 Courses  

D4.  Upper-division Social Sciences (3 semester units)

Subarea D4 courses integrate and build upon the skills and content knowledge attained through lower-division GE coursework, particularly in Subareas A1, A2, A3, D, and E.  Subarea D4 courses require skills in advanced writing, critical thinking, information literacy, oral communication (or sign language), and collaboration with peers.  Upon completion of the D4 requirement, students will be able to:

1. analyze how power and social identity affect social outcomes for different cultural and economic groups using methods of social science inquiry and vocabulary appropriate to those methods;
2. demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply accurately disciplinary concepts of the social or behavioral sciences; and
3. demonstrate an understanding of and ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences. 

Courses approved for Subarea D4 are listed here: GE Area D4 Courses  

GE Checklist

Cal State East Bay students are required to fulfill the 48-unit General Education (GE) pattern as described in the GE Checklist.  Download the checklist here: GE Checklist .  Although courses approved for GE credit at the time of publication are noted in this catalog, new courses may be added and some courses may lose their GE certification. 

Students with Quarter System GE Catalog Rights

Students who have quarter system GE Catalog rights will notice that GE Area F and Subarea B5, as well as the “Cultural Groups and Women” Overlay requirement do not exist in this Catalog. 

Students who have not fulfilled Subarea B5 may satisfy the requirement by taking an additional B1 or B2 course or by taking a course that is listed in this Catalog as equivalent to a quarter-based course that had approval for Subarea B5 in the 2017-8 Catalog, provided that the course is taken before Fall Semester, 2021.

Students who need to satisfy 4 quarter units of Area F can use the courses on this list: Area F courses .  Note: 1 semester unit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter units. They may also take a course(s) that is equivalent to a course approved for Area F under quarters, but the student cannot count the course for both Area F and another area of GE.

Students who have not fulfilled the Cultural Groups and Women Overlay under quarters may take any semester-based Diversity Overlay course  to satisfy the quarter-based requirement.

Other Breadth Requirements

Beyond the CSU requirements for GE, Cal State East Bay requires baccalaureate students to take a Second Composition course, courses in three Overlay areas, and courses to satisfy the American Institutions (“Code”) requirement.  These requirements are described below.

Second Composition     

Students must complete the Second Composition requirement by the time they reach “junior” standing.  Before taking the Second Composition course, students must pass a course satisfying GE Subarea A2 with a grade of “C-” or above or “CR.”  Second Composition courses may also be GE certified.  Transfer students who did not satisfy this requirement at their previous college must take Second Composition during their first semester at Cal State East Bay.  Some California community colleges refer to this as the “A4” requirement.  The student learning outcomes for all Second Composition courses are described below.

Upon the successful completion of the Second Composition course, students will be able to:

1. complete a variety reading and writing tasks that incorporate subject-matter knowledge;
2. adjust their writing for different audiences, showing awareness of expectations for academic writing in general and adhering to discipline-specific conventions when appropriate;
3. demonstrate critical thinking and logical reasoning, including strategies common in a discipline, in the development and organization of ideas in written texts;
4. take into account multiple perspectives and key disciplinary concepts when presenting their ideas in writing;  and
5. revise their writing in response to feedback in order to improve development, clarity, coherence, and correctness.

Courses approved for Second Composition are listed here: Second Composition Courses  

Overlay Requirements

An “Overlay” is a graduation requirement that is fulfilled by completing an approved course.  This requirement “lays over” the GE and major programs, because an Overlay course may be lower division or upper division and may also satisfy a GE or major requirement.  Thus, the student should not need to take additional courses to meet the Overlay requirements.  Please consult with your academic advisor to plan your coursework for your Overlay requirements. 

A minimum of 9 semester units of coursework is required in courses that are linked to three of the University’s Institutional Learning Outcomes (see the Cal State East Bay at a Glance  chapter):  Diversity Overlay, Social Justice Overlay, and Sustainability Overlay. The student learning outcomes for the three Overlay requirements are below.

Diversity Overlay     

After completion of a course designated as fulfilling the Diversity Overlay requirement, students will be able to:

1. describe the histories and/or experiences of one or more U. S. cultural groups and the resilience and agency of group members;
2. identify structures of oppression and the diverse efforts and strategies used by groups to combat the effects of oppressive structures;
3. analyze the intersection of the categories of race and gender as they affect cultural group members’ lived realities and/or as they are embodied in personal and collective identities;
4. recognize the way that multiple differences (including, for example, gender, class, sexuality, religion, disability, immigration status, gender expression, color/phenotype, racial mixture, linguistic expression, and/or age) within cultural groups complicate individual and group identities.

“Cultural group(s)” refers to historically oppressed groups in the United States, such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Latinx, American Indians, Arab Americans, women, and GLBTQ (gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and queer identified people).

Students who satisfied the “Cultural Groups and Women’s Requirement” prior to Fall Semester, 2018 are considered to have satisfied this requirement.

Courses approved for the Diversity Overlay are listed here: Diversity Overlay Courses  

Social Justice Overlay     

After completion of a course designated as fulfilling the Social Justice Overlay requirement, students will be able to:

1. use a disciplinary perspective to analyze issues of social justice and equity;
2. describe the challenges to achieving social justice; and
3. identify ways in which individuals and/or groups can contribute to social justice within local communities, nations, or the world.

Courses approved for Social Justice Overlay are listed here: Social Justice Overlay  

Sustainability Overlay     

After completion of a course designated as fulfilling the Sustainability Overlay requirement, students will be able to:

1. identify the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability, either in general or in relation to a specific problem;
2. analyze interactions between human activities and natural systems;
3. describe key threats to environmental sustainability; and
4. explain how individual and societal choices affect prospects for sustainability at the local, regional, and/or global levels.

Courses approved for Sustainability Overlay are listed here: Sustainability Overlay Courses  

American Institutions Requirement (U.S. Code)    

CSU graduates are expected to have knowledge of: significant events in U.S. history; the role of major ethnic and social groups in these events; the political, economic, social, and geographic context of these events; the U.S. Constitution, U.S. political institutions and processes; the rights and obligations of U.S. citizens; the California Constitution; federal-state relations; and California state and local government, and political processes.  

Competence in these areas may be demonstrated through coursework or exams by:

(a) passing the CLEP exam in American Government or American History I: Early Colonization to 1877 and the California State and Local Government Exam administered by the Testing Office, or

(b) passing two courses (6 semester units) which cover all three US Code (US-1 American History, US-2 U.S. Constitution, and US-3 California State and Local Government) areas.  

Students receiving credit for any US Code courses through a national test such as Advanced Placement, CLEP, or at an out-of-state institution will not receive credit for US-3 California State and Local Government.  The Department of History or Political Science should be contacted for further information.  Students who have completed part of the Code requirement at a California Community College should also consult the corresponding departments to avoid duplicating coursework.  

        Courses approved for U.S. Code areas are listed here: U.S. Code    

Additional details of these and other graduation requirements are provided in the Requirements, Exams & Testing  chapter of the catalog.