Excerpt of the GE Policy relevant to Upper Division in Physical and Biological Sciences (UD-5)

For the complete GE Policy, click here.

STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

The final stage of the GE Program encompasses nine upper-division GE units. All students, including transfer students who have completed a certified lower-division GE Program, must complete nine units of Upper-Division GE Courses in Subject Areas 2 or 5, 3, and 4 (one three- unit course in each Subject Area). Upper-division GE Courses should be restricted to students who have completed 60 semester units or more. This protects the integrity of the increasing complexity of degree requirements, and it conserves upper-division courses for the graduating seniors whose degree completion could be slowed without access to required upper-division GE Courses. At the same time, the CSU is committed to providing the courses students need, when they need them. In exceptional cases only, a student may enroll in upper-division GE courses after they have attained sophomore standing, completed the entire Foundation (aka the Golden Four: oral communication, English composition, critical thinking, and mathematics/quantitative reasoning), and completed at least one GE Course from the Explorations stage.

UPPER DIVISION REQUIREMENTS

3.3          All Upper-Division GE Courses must require students to demonstrate advanced college skills and knowledge such as synthesis and application of knowledge, analysis, critique, and research.

While Upper-Division GE Courses will only be classified as category 2, 3, 4, or 5, it is understood that at the upper-division level, such courses might involve the integration of these skills in a student’s major. Project-based, interdisciplinary, and service learning courses are some examples where the emphasis on these skills will contribute to student success.


3.3.1      Courses requesting certification at the upper-division level must meet the general criteria for GE Courses articulated in Section 3.1, the content criteria of at least one of the Subareas, and the general upper-division criteria for GE Courses articulated in this Section (3.3). However, these courses will only be categorized as 2-UD, 3-UD 4-UD, and 5-UD. Upper-Division GE Courses are intended to help students integrate knowledge and skills developed earlier in the GE Program, working at a more advanced level than Foundation and Explorations courses. For a list of prerequisites for upper division GE classes, please see section 2.4.

3.3.2      Each UD GE category must offer courses intended for students without prior experience in the discipline beyond an introductory course.

3.3.2      Upper-division course may have prerequisites that are not on the General Education Master Course List (i.e., discipline-specific prerequisites).

GENERAL CRITERIA

3.1         In order to be approved for a specific GE Area or Subarea, the course must include:

  • for all GE courses: textbooks/readings and bibliography items that clearly address the Area or Subarea being requested;
  • for all GE courses: Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) dedicated to the Area or Subarea being requested and taken or adapted from the implementation document defining GE SLOs approved by the Academic Senate and maintained by the GEGC;
  • for all GE courses: scheduled class topics that directly address the GE SLOs dedicated to the Area or Subarea being requested;
  • at least one third of the SLOs, assignments, assessments, evaluative criteria, and final course grade dedicated to the Area or Subarea being requested. 

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE CONTENT CRITERIA

3.2.5.2.1             In Areas 5A and 5B, courses will focus on scientific theories, concepts, and data about the physical and biological aspects of the world. 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.

EFFECTIVE: Fall 2025

REQUIRED GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOMES

The following are the specific learning outcomes approved by the Academic Senate (General Education Learning Outcomes ) and required for all classes seeking certification for this area.

All required learning outcomes and at least one supplemental learning outcome listed below must be included in your proposal, and covered and assessed in your class.

Learning outcomes should NOT be copied and pasted into your GE Form. Rather, they should be adapted to the course content, maintaining their intent while showing how it applies to the course subject and criteria. 

Upper Division 5: in Physical and Biological Sciences

Required Learning Outcomes

As measured by students being able to:

1. Identify, comprehend, interpret, and communicate quantitative and/or scientific information, using words, graphics or other mathematical representations (such as numerical tables, algebraic formulas, and so on).

  1. Construct viable arguments using the language and ideas from natural, physical or computational sciences, mathematics and/or statistics, making intentional use of the skills developed in lower division GE coursework, such as from area B or from Foundation courses such as oral or written communication or critical thinking.

Supplemental Learning Outcomes 

Choose at least one:

a. Logically interpret and make inferences from the principles of the natural or physical sciences to solve problems and answer questions arising in the area of study.

b. Explain how the scientific approach and data apply to problems impacting the individual and society.

c. Reason abstractly and make inferences using logic and the techniques and principles of mathematics and statistics, in order to solve problems and answer questions arising in the area of study.”