Cal State East Bay General Education Program & 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 people 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.
• Personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engagement at local and global levels, intercultural knowledge and competence, and ethical reasoning and action. 

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, all baccalaureate students must complete a minimum of 43 semester units of GE distributed over six subject 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.

43 units of General Education (Lower-division and Upper-division GE Courses)

The GE program requires a minimum of 43 semester units of GE, including a minimum of 9 semester units of upper-division GE, distributed over six subject areas (GE Areas 1-6 ), as specified in the GE Area descriptions below.  Transfer students must earn a minimum of 34 semester units in lower-division GE courses that meet the requirements of the CSU 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 43 semester units must be from approved upper-division GE courses taken within the CSU.  At CSUEB, upper-division courses are numbered 300-499.  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 Subject 1 and 2 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 the GE Subject Area 1A English Communication, 1B Critical Thinking and Composition, 1C Oral Communication, and area 2 Mathematical Concepts and 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 all Subject Areas, no one course or test can be used to clear more than one GE Area requirement.  American Institutions (U.S. Code) classes may be double-counted with GE if the U.S. Code courses are certified for GE credit.  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 Subject Areas 1B, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 may count that course for both requirements.

Lower-Division GE Requirements (34 Semester Units) and Learning Outcomes

Subject Area 1. English Communication (9 Semester Units)

Students should complete this area of the GE requirements (along with GE Area 2) during their freshman year.  Students must take one course (minimum 3 semester units) from each GE Area: 1A, 1B, and 1C.

Students taking courses in fulfillment of GE Areas 1A, 1B, and 1C, 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. 

1A English Composition (3 semester units)

The 1A course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better to satisfy GE Area 1A. Any approved 1A course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area 1A until a passing final course grade is posted.
GE Area 1A  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 GE Area 1A requirement, students will be able to:

1. Explain and demonstrate the principles and rhetorical perspectives of effective writing in English, including its form, content, and style.
2. Advocate for a cause or idea, presenting facts and arguments in an organized and accurate manner.
3. Practice the discovery, critical evaluation, and reporting of information.

1A courses will have a corresponding support class for students classified as needing support.

Courses approved for Area 1A are listed here: GE Area 1A Courses     

1B Critical Thinking and Composition (3 semester units)

Prerequisite: 1A The Critical Thinking and Composition course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better to satisfy GE Area 1B. Any approved 1B course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area 1B until a passing final course grade is posted. There will be a course cap of 30 for any 1B Critical Thinking and Composition course. 

GE Area Critical Thinking 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, mainly through written composition. Upon completion of the GE Area 1B requirement, students will be able to:

1. Identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments.
2. Logically construct arguments to support and refute claims using evidence.
3. Reason inductively and deductively.
4. Distinguish matters of fact from judgments, opinions, and/or fallacies.
5. Write for at least two different audiences (e.g. academic, general, and/or professional).
6. Engage in writing for specific purposes (e.g. critical thinking, analytical writing, informal writing, and/or research).
7. Apply critical thinking and logical reasoning in the development and organization of ideas in written texts.
8. Consider multiple perspectives using primary and/or secondary sources, and when appropriate, incorporate key disciplinary concepts when presenting ideas in writing.
9. Revise writing with critical feedback provided by the instructor at important junctures throughout the semester in order to improve development, clarity, coherence, and correctness. 

Courses Approved for 1B are listed here: GE Area 1B Courses    

1C Oral Communication (3 semester units)

The 1C course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better to satisfy GE Area 1C.  Any approved 1C course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area 1C until a passing final course grade is posted. As appropriate, American Sign Language may be substituted for oral communication.

GE Area 1C 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 GE Area 1C 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.

4. Critically evaluate oral presentations. 

Courses approved for 1C are listed here: GE Area 1C Courses    

Subject Area 2.  Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (3 semester units)

The Area 2 course must be passed with a C- (CR) or better satisfy GE Area 2.  Any approved Area 2 course with an In Progress Grade (i.e., I, RP, or RD) will not be counted in Area 2 until a passing final course grade is posted.  Students must attempt to complete this area of the GE requirement during their freshman year. 
Area 2 courses provide practice in computational skills as well as engagement in more complex mathematical work.  Upon completion of the Subject Area 2 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.
3. Apply quantitative reasoning skills in a variety of real-world contexts, defined by personal, civic, and/or professional responsibilities.  

Courses approved for Area 2 are listed here: GE Area 2 Courses   

Subject Area 3.  Arts and Humanities (6 semester Units)

Across the disciplines in Subject Area 3 coursework, students will investigate the key principles and concepts in the arts and humanities and the critical roles they play in society.  Subject Area 3 courses may include participation in individual aesthetic, creative experiences; however, Subject Area 3 excludes courses that solely emphasize skills development.  See the GE Advisor website which explains the GE requirements.

Area 3 (including upper-division 3) must be completed with courses from at least two different disciplines as represented by course (department) prefix, e.g., ART, ENGL, MLL, MUS, PHIL. 

3A Arts (3 semester units)

GE Area 3A 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 GE Area 3A  requirement, students will be able to (same as above):

1. Evaluate the impact of the arts on their life.
2. Examine the cultural and/or historical context(s) of the arts.
3. Describe the ways that diverse identities influence the creation and experience of art.
4. Identify the role of art in diverse settings.

Courses approved for Area 3A are listed here:  GE Area 3A Courses    

3B Humanities (3 semester units)

GE Area 3B 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 GE Area 3B requirement, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate the impact of the humanities on your life.
2. Examine the cultural and/or historical context(s) of the humanities.
3. Describe the ways that diverse identities influence experiences in the humanities.

Courses approved for Area 3B are listed here: GE Area 3B Courses    

Subject Area 4. Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 Semester Units)

Students learn from courses in Subject Area 4 disciplines that social, political, and economic institutions and/or principles are interwoven. Through fulfillment of the Subject Area 4 requirement, students will be prepared for active civic engagement and informed participation in public debate regarding social, political, and economic issues. Students will examine contemporary and historical topics in a variety of cultural contexts.  Courses that emphasize skills development and professional preparation are excluded from Subject Area 4. There must be two different disciplines across the 6 units in Area 4 and UD-4. Upon completion of the GE Area 4 requirement, students will be able to:

1. Explain how social, political, and economic institutions and/or principles intersect with each other.
2. Describe how people produce, resist, and/or transform social, political, and economic institutions/principles.
3. Investigate contemporary and/or historical events/issues from a social science perspective.

Courses approved for Area 4 are here: GE Area 4 Courses      

Subject Area 5. Physical and Biological Sciences (7 units)

Subject Area 5 courses focus on scientific theories, concepts and data about the physical and biological aspects of the world. Through their courses in Subject Area 5 disciplines, students will achieve an understanding and appreciation of scientific principles and the scientific method, as well as the potential limits of scientific endeavors and the value systems and ethics associated with human inquiry. The Subject Area 5 laboratory must support learning by exposing students to scientific inquiry, the empirical nature of science, and hands-on experiences in any instructional modality. Three semester unit science courses with an embedded laboratory may be used to meet the laboratory requirement as long as the minimum unit value is met for Subject Area 5. Stand-alone laboratories shall be a minimum of 1 semester unit and shall have a prerequisite or co-requisite of the associated lecture course.

5A Physical Science (3 units)

Upon completion of the GE Area 5A 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.
3. Describe the potential limits of scientific endeavors, including the accepted standards and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Courses approved for Area 5A are listed here: GE Area (5A) (5A & 5C) Courses   

5B Biological Science (3 units)

Upon completion of the GE Area 5B 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.
3. Describe the potential limits of scientific endeavors, including the accepted standards and ethics associated with scientific inquiry.

Courses approved for Area 5B are listed here: GE Area (5B) (5B & 5C) Courses   

5C Laboratory (1 unit)

(May be embedded in a 5A or 5B course, as long as 7 units are met for lower-division Subject Area 5).
Laboratory or field activities that are not a component of a 5A or 5B course must be a prerequisite or co-requisite of a 5A or 5B course in the same discipline.
GE Area 5C courses emphasize active engagement, collaboration, hands-on experiences that facilitate understanding of science concepts and the development of sound science practices and habits of mind.
Upon completion of the GE Area 5C requirement, students will be able to:

1. Apply their knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about the physical and life sciences through laboratory activities.
2. Apply their understanding of scientific practices, including the scientific method in a laboratory setting.
3. Apply accepted standards related to safety and ethics associated with conducting and communicating scientific inquiry, while completing laboratory activities.

Courses approved for Area 5C are listed here: GE Area 5C courses   

Subject Area 6.  Ethnic Studies (3 Semester Units)

Courses must meet 3 of the following 5 outcomes to be certified for Area 6.  The 3 outcomes that are met in the course will be published in the course syllabus.  Upon the completion of the Area 6 requirement, students will be able to:  

1. Using a comparative or focused approach, explain and analyze core concepts such as racialization, racism, white supremacy, racial capitalism, critical race theory, intersectionality, women of color feminisms, queer of color theory, (counter)hegemony, eurocentrism, self-determination, food justice in communities of color, environmental justice, liberation, decolonization, genocide, sovereignty, indigeneity, imperialism, settler colonialism, antiBlackness, or anti-racism as analyzed in Native American/American Indian/Indigenous Studies, Chicana/o/x or Latina/o/x Studies, African American/Black/Africana/African Descended/Descendent of Enslaved African Studies, Asian/Pacific Islander/Middle Eastern/South Asian (APIMESA) American Studies.

2. Apply theory and knowledge such as Critical Race Studies and Women of Color feminisms produced by American Indians/Native Americans/Indigenous people, African Americans/Black people/African diasporic/African Descended/Descendant of Enslaved Africans, Asian/Pacific Islanders/Middle Eastern/South Asian (APIMESA) Americans and/or Latinas/os/xs or Chicanos/as/xs to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived experiences, and social struggles of those groups with a particular emphasis on group affirmation, agency, and praxis.

3. Critically analyze the Black feminist concept of intersectionality and the intersection of race, class, and gender with other axes of oppression including sexuality, sexual violence, religion/spirituality, national origin, immigration and citizenship status, ability, Indigenous sovereignty, language, and/or age as they apply to African American/Black/African diasporic/African Descended/Descendant of Enslaved African, Chicana/o/x or Latina/o/x, Asian/Pacific Islander/Middle Eastern/South Asian (APIMESA) American, and/or Native American/American Indian/Indigenous communities.

4. Critically review how struggle, resistance, rematriation, social justice activism, solidarity, abolition, and liberation, as experienced, enacted, and studied by American Indians/Native Americans/Indigenous people, African Americans/Black people/African diasporic/African Descended/Descendant of Enslaved Africans, Asian/Pacific Islanders/Middle Eastern/South Asian (APIMESA) Americans and/or Latinas/os/xs or Chicanos/as/xs are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics as for example, in health disparities, educational inequities, immigration policies, reparations, settler-colonialism, language policies, media depictions of ethnic/racial groups, racial and sexual violence, prison industrial complex, community development, gentrification, and/or other ethnic politics.

5. Describe and actively engage with American Indian/Native American/Indigenous, African American/Black/African diasporic/African Descended/Descendant of Enslaved African, Asian/Pacific Islander/Middle Eastern/South Asian (APIMESA) American and/or Latina/o/x or Chicano/a/x communities to apply anti-racist, anti-colonial, humanizing, and women of color feminist frameworks to radically reimagine their communities as sites of justice and love. 

Courses approved for Area 6 are listed here: GE Area GE-6 Courses    

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

At least 9 of the 43 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. Lower-division GE courses in Areas 1A, 1B, 1C and Area 2 must be passed with grades of C- (CR) or better before enrolling in any upper-division GE course. Upper-division GE (UD GE) should not be taken until earning a minimum of 60 semester units in all baccalaureate-level coursework. 

UD-3 Upper-Division Arts or Humanities (3 semester units)

GE UD-3 courses will have an explicit prerequisite of completion of GE 1A, 1B, 1C and Area 2, and a strong recommendation for completion of lower-division Subject Area 3.  UD-3 courses require skills in advanced writing, critical thinking, information literacy, oral communication (or sign language), and collaboration with peers.  UD-3 courses will have a maximum capacity of 30 students.
Upon completion of the GE UD-3 requirement, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply 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.
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 UD-3 are listed here:  GE Area UD-3 Courses       

UD-4 Upper-Division Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 semester units)

GE UD-4 courses will have an explicit prerequisite of completion of GE 1A, 1B, 1C and Area 2, and a strong recommendation for completion of Area 4. Courses require skills in advanced writing, critical thinking, information literacy, oral communication (or sign language), and collaboration with peers.  UD-4 courses will have a maximum capacity of 30 students. There must be two different disciplines across the 6 units in Area 4 and UD-4. Upon completion of the GE UD-4 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.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences.

Courses approved for Subarea UD-4 are listed here:  GE Area UD-4 Courses        

UD-5 Upper-division Science or Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning (3 semester units)

GE UD-5 courses will have an explicit prerequisite of completion of GE 1A, 1B, 1C and Area 2, and a strong recommendation for completion of lower-division Subject Area 5. GE UD-5 courses may focus on any area of the natural sciences or mathematics. Upon completion of the GE UD-5 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.
4. Apply science content knowledge to contemporary scientific issues (e.g., global warming) and technologies (e.g., cloning), where appropriate.

Courses approved for Subarea UD-5 are listed here:  GE Area UD-5 Courses      

GE Checklist

Cal State East Bay students are required to fulfill the 43-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. 

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 1A 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. 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     

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

1. Describe the histories, experiences or views of one or more cultural groups.
2. Analyze the overlap or intersection of social identities of oneself and/or other cultural groups (e.g., culture, gender, class, sexuality, religion, disability, immigration status, and/or age).
3. Examine the impact of their own identity on their experiences with and/or views of other cultural groups.

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.
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:
Upon completion of the Sustainability Overlay requirement, students will be able to:

1. Discuss multiple dimensions of sustainability, including the scientific, social, cultural, and/or economic.
2. Analyze interactions between human activities and natural systems.
3. Describe strategies taken by individuals, communities, organizations, or governments for mitigating and/or adapting to key threats to environmental sustainability.

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 Undergrad Baccalaureate & Program Requirements  chapter of the catalog.  

GE Catalog Rights and GE Area Crosswalk

The CSU System’s General Education (GE) pattern has changed. Effective with the 2025-2026 Catalog, GE designations will have numerical categories, rather than letters.  In addition, some GE areas have been eliminated.
 
To help students navigate these changes, this section provides a detailed crosswalk comparing the previous GE Areas (2018-2019 through 2024-2025) with the new numerical designations that will take effect in the 2025-2026 Catalog. This crosswalk serves as a guide for understanding how old GE Area requirements align with the new GE Area structure. The mapping is as follows:

GE Area Crosswalk

Note: The class schedule will display GE designations for both systems. For example,

• Students needing to satisfy Area C3 may take an additional 3A or 3B course.  
• Students needing to fulfill Area E can select courses listed in the class schedule that meet that requirement.

During the 2025-26 academic year, students can choose to follow the 2025-26 catalog for their GE pattern catalog rights. To do so, they must meet with their primary academic advisor. Notably, the new GE Areas 5A, 5B, and 5C require 7 or more units, compared to the previous GE Areas B1, B2, and B3, which required 6 or more units. Because this change may not benefit all students, it highlights why approval from an academic advisor is necessary when modifying GE catalog rights.

GE Minor in Sustainability (GEM-S)

The GE Minor in Sustainability  requires completion of a minimum of 15 units within GE (12 units of which are in upper-division GE).  The GEM-S includes the following course categories:  3 units from Course Category I, Lower-division GE Breadth Areas; 3 units from Course Category II, Upper-division GE UD-C Arts or Humanities; 3 units from Course Category III,  Upper-division GE UD-D Social Sciences; and 6 units from Course Category IV, Upper-division GE UD-B Science Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning.  Students must complete the remaining GE breadth and graduation requirements (including the University Overlays) not completed within the minor in order to graduate.

Breadth changes

As the University’s curriculum evolves, there are periodic changes to courses that are certified for breadth credit.  Some new courses become certified while others lose their certification.  Students receive breadth credit at the time they completed the course, regardless of their Catalog rights. For example, courses with new breadth certifications beginning Fall 2025 will not give retroactive credit to students who completed these courses before Fall 2025.  Similarly, students who previously took courses that have lost their breadth certifications effective Fall 2025 will not lose the credit they earned when they passed the course, because those courses were breadth certified at that time.