GE Areas

To help faculty meet expectations delineated in GE Policy 21-09, as well as the General Education Learning Outcomes (PDF), the list below includes portions relevant to each GE Area from both documents. The links also include a few clarifications in brackets and italics to help faculty to instantiate policy requirements. Please contact the GE Coordinator Danny Paskin for further assistance.

GE Areas:

CSU GE Breadth - Fall 2021 to Summer 2025

Lower-Division (39-40 units)

Area A: Communication in the English Language and Critical Thinking

  • A1 Oral Communication (3 units)
  • A2 Written Communication (3 units)
  • A3 Critical Thinking (3 units)

Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning 

  • B1 Physical Science (3 units)
  • B2 Life Science (3 units)
  • B3 Laboratory Activity (0-1 units)
  • B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)

Area C: Arts and Humanities

  • C1 Arts (3 units)
  • C2 Humanities (3 units)
  • Additional C1 or C2 (3 units)

Area D: Social Sciences ^ 

  • Two courses (6 units)

Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 units)

Area F: Ethnic Studies

  • One course (3 units)
Upper-Division (9 units)
  • Upper-division B Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)
  • Upper-division C Arts or Humanities (3 units)
  • Upper-division D Social Sciences ^ (3 units)

^Two Different disciplines across the 9 units in Area D

CSU GE - Fall 2025 and Beyond

Lower-Division (34 units)

Subject Area 1: English Communication

  • 1A English Composition (3 units)
  • 1B Critical Thinking (3 units)
  • 1C Oral Communication (3 units)

Subject Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning 

  • One course (3 units)

Subject Area 3: Arts and Humanities

  • 3A Arts (3 units)
  • 3B Humanities (3 units)

Subject Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences ^ 

  • Two courses (6 units)

Subject Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences (3 units)

  • 5A Physical Science (3 units)
  • 5B Biological Science (3 units)
  • 5C Laboratory (1 unit) - May be embedded in 5A or 5B course, as long as 7 units met for lower-division Subject Area 5.

Subject Area 6: Ethnic Studies

  • One course (3 units)
Upper-Division (9 units)
  • Upper-division 5 Science or 2 Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)
  • Upper-division 3 Arts or Humanities (3 units)
  • Upper-division 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences ^ (3 units)

^Two Different disciplines across the 9 units in Area 4tent Goes here.

CAL-GETC* - Fall 2025 and Beyond

Lower-Division (34 units)

Subject Area 1: English Communication

  • 1A English Composition (3 units)
  • 1B Critical Thinking and Composition (3 units)
  • 1C Oral Communication (3 units)

Subject Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning 

  • One course (3 units)

Subject Area 3: Arts and Humanities

  • 3A Arts (3 units)
  • 3B Humanities (3 units)

Subject Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences 

  • Two courses, two different disciplines (6 units)

Subject Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences

  • 5A Physical Science (3 units)
  • 5B Biological Science (3 units)
  • 5C Laboratory (1 unit) - May be embedded in 5A or 5B course, as long as 7 units met for lower-division Subject Area 5.

Subject Area 6: Ethnic Studies

  • One course (3 units)

*Cal-GETC is the lower-division transfer pattern for California Community College students transferring to the CSU or the UC.

Note: Nine units of upper-division GE are required of Cal-GETC-certified students after transferring to a CSU campus.