Frequently Asked Questions

Student Success and Graduation

CSULB’s core academic purpose is to graduate students with highly valued degrees. Graduation rates for CSULB students have increased dramatically in recent years and the length of time it takes students to complete degrees has decreased. The key improvements that the campus made to improve graduation rates were to ensure the availability of needed classes and to provide much richer support for entering freshmen in the form of advising and learning communities. These improvements were key reasons why CSULB was named one of “America’s Best Colleges and Universities” by U.S. News and World Report and "No. 3 best value public college in the nation" by America's Best Value Colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Students ask many of the following questions. Successful students know the answers to these frequently asked questions. Please read them carefully. Knowing these answers can help you avoid pitfalls during your first semesters on campus. For further information, see this section of the Catalog or contact the Academic Advising Center at (562) 985-4837.

1. How can I tell what requirements I still need to meet before I graduate? Use MyCSULB to check your Degree Progress Report. The requirements you still need to meet are marked in bold in the headings. The top part of the report shows university requirements (e.g., total units, total upper-division units, total CSULB units) and General Education requirements. Then the report lists requirements for your major and for your minor (if any). You can bring a printout of the Degree Progress Report to your major advisor or the Academic Advising Center for assistance.

2. Can my General Education (GE) Courses be used for GE and for my major (“double counted”)? A course that is not offered by the department of your major may be counted both toward GE and toward the requirements for your major. Courses in your major department may not be used to satisfy GE requirements except for some specific categories. (Exceptions are listed with the GE requirements in the Schedule of Classes along with a list of the approved GE courses.) Remember, you can only earn unit credit once for a course.

3. How many units will transfer from a California Community College to CSULB? All bachelor’s level courses transfer, but only 70 units of transferable course work will apply to your bachelor’s degree. Additional transferable course work will receive subject credit only.

4. I transferred from a California Community College. Do I have to take any General Education courses? If you have received General Education certification, you are required to complete an additional nine (9) units of upper-division GE courses. If you have not been certified as having met the transfer pattern, you must meet the CSULB General Education requirements.

5. What does General Education (GE) Certification mean? There are three GE certification processes. Two may be completed at the California Community College (CCC). They are either (1) the California State University (CSU) Transfer Pattern or (2) the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). The third certification process may be completed at another CSU. In all cases, GE certification means that you have completed your lower-division GE at a CCC or at another CSU. GE certification must be clearly indicated on your official CCC or CSU transcript.

6. Does having an A.A. degree from a California Community College mean I am GE Certified? Usually not. The minimum requirements for most A.A. degrees do not include the lower-division GE pattern required by CSULB. CSULB also requires an additional nine (9) units of upper-division GE courses.

7. What is partial General Education (GE) Certification? Partial Certification means that transfer students have completed subject and unit requirements in some GE categories, but not others.

Baccalaureate Degrees

CSULB offers 71 baccalaureate majors (see a list of degree programs and admission requirements at the beginning of this Catalog). Baccalaureate degree programs are constructed of three interrelated areas: (1) the breadth component, called the General Education Program, which provides the basis for the baccalaureate degree with courses that offer training in general skills, methodologies, and habits of thought; (2) the depth component, or major, which establishes an understanding of the breadth of a body of knowledge, competence in the fundamental skills and methodologies of the discipline, and understanding and skill at an appropriate depth in one or more facets of the discipline; and (3) the elective component that provides the possibility for personal exploration, enhancement, and development to complement the rest of the degree program (and might include a minor and/or a certificate program).

Requirements for the Baccalaureate Degree

1. Completion of a minimum of 120 units for the Bachelor of Arts. Completion of the minimum number of units which could range from 120 to 140 required by the major program for the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Music degrees. See the description of the requirements for each major for the specific number of units required. There are restrictions (below) on how many units in certain categories may be counted toward the minimum unit requirement.

2. Completion of at least 40 upper-division units (courses numbered 300-499). No course taken at any community college may count toward fulfillment of these 40 units.

3. Completion of at least 30 units in residence at CSULB of which at least 24 must be upper-division and at least 12 must be in the major. Units earned in Extended Education cannot be counted toward fulfillment of the residence requirement.

4. Completion of the General Education program, described below, including at least 9 units in upper-division courses completed at CSULB.

5. Completion of the specific course and unit requirements for the academic major, as shown in the alphabetic listing for the major department. If the requirements are changed during students' continuous attendance at CSULB, they have the right to meet either the requirements in effect when they entered the major or the requirements in effect at the time they graduate. All upper-division courses required for a major must be completed within the ten-year period preceding award of the baccalaureate degree. Courses completed prior to this ten-year period can be revalidated by such demonstrations of competence or knowledge of the subject as may be prescribed by the department offering the course.

The on-line Catalog Table of Contents has a link at the top to "Road Maps" that show a suggested sequence of courses to enable students to complete all degree requirements in a timely fashion. Since individual circumstances can vary, students should consult their major advisors for assistance in planning appropriate programs.

6. Satisfactory fulfillment of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) (See a description of the requirement at the end of this section.)

7. Achievement of a minimum 2.0 (“C”) grade-point average in each of the following:
a. The entire college record.
b. All units attempted at CSULB.
c. All courses in the major.
d. All upper-division courses in the major completed at CSULB.
8. Formal approval by the faculty of the university.

Student Levels

Freshman 0.0 to 29.9 units
Sophomore 30.0 to 59.9 units
Junior 60.0 to 89.9 units
Senior 90.0 or more units

Postbaccalaureate holding a baccalaureate or equivalent degree

Restrictions on Units That May Be Counted Toward the Minimum Required for the Baccalaureate

Activity Courses

Activity courses provide practice in such areas as music, dance, physical education and Sports, Athletics, and Recreation. Except as required by a student's major, students may apply to the degree no more than eight units each of activity course credit in music, dance, or physical education and no more than four units of activity course credit in SAR, up to a total of no more than 20 units in all areas.

Transfer Courses

No more than 70 units of courses from a Community College may be counted toward the minimum unit requirement for the baccalaureate. (For more detail, see the section on Transfer Credit in the Academic Information section of this Catalog.)

Extension Credit

A maximum of 24 semester units of Extension Credit may be accepted toward a baccalaureate degree.

Open University

The Open University program allows enrollment in regular university credit courses by those people who are not currently admitted to and/or registered at CSULB. Enrollment is on a “space available” basis, subject to the approval of the instructor and the department chair concerned. No more than 24 units of special session course credit earned through Open University or UCES Special Sessions course offerings at CSULB in non-matriculated status may count toward any undergraduate degree requirement. Students are considered in non-matriculated status in terms prior to the term of official admission to the degree granting program and during terms of disqualification from the degree granting program.

Special Session

There is no limit on UCES Special Sessions course credit, including Winter session, applicable to the degree if taken while in matriculated status in the degree program.