General Education Requirements

Why do Students Have to Take GE Courses?

Students may enter college with a specific major in mind, but no matter what they will call themselves professionally, EVERYONE needs some of the same skills to be a well-educated person. EMPLOYERS will expect you to solve problems and make good decisions using complex information, to act ethically, to contribute to a team of diverse people, and to communicate your ideas effectively in writing and in speech. You are also becoming a citizen of our diverse democracy and of the world. Fellow citizens in each COMMUNITY for which you are a member will expect you to contribute productively to society and to make responsible decisions.

Leading experts in higher education as well as many large companies who seek to employ the best college graduates have worked together to define the most desirable skills. These skills are the outcome statements below. Notice that ‘knowledge’ is only one aspect of the most desirable skills.

See the GE Learning Outcomes available from the CSULB Academic Senate for information on Student Learning Outcomes.

• English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (Category A) 
• Science, Technology and Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (Category B) 
• Arts and Humanities (Category C) 
• Social Sciences and Citizenship (Category D) 
• Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (Category E/ Lower Division - Fall 2018 only) 
• Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (Category E- For Students on GE Pattern Prior to 2018)
• Capstone Courses (Category F- For Students on GE Pattern Prior to 2018)
• Additional GE Requirements: Global Issues and Human Diversity

Only courses on the General Education Master Course List at the time the student takes the course shall count for General Education.

Major courses and campus-wide required courses that are approved for GE credit shall also fulfill (double count for) for GE requirement for students entering in Fall 2018. Students who entered prior to Fall 2018 must take a minimum of thirty-five (35) units outside the student's major. Courses in the major department include all courses housed in the department offering the major, regardless of prefix. (For example, courses in French and Italian are in the same department.)

A cross-categorized course may be counted (at the student's option) in any one of the approved categories A- E, but not in more than one. Where appropriate exams exist, Foundation and Explorations requirements may be met by external examinations, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams.  Students are also required to take a Writing Intensive course

Students are expected to complete the Upper Division General Education requirement at CSULB. An exception will be made for students who transfer from another CSU campus after completing some of the upper-division GE requirement at that campus. To be accepted toward this requirement at CSULB, the transfer course must be approved for upper division general education credit at the campus offering the course. Other courses may be used, on an individual basis, to meet the requirement if they are approved for General Education at the campus offering the course and if the purpose of the course meets the criteria for a CSULB Upper Divison General Education course.

Students who transfer from baccalaureate institutions other than the CSU after completing upper-division General Education courses may petition to have one or more such courses accepted toward the requirement. Such petitions will be evaluated on the basis of the criteria above.

Electing a Different General Education Pattern
A new General Education pattern is effective Fall 2018. Students who enter Fall 2018 or later must follow this pattern unless they hold catalog rights to a prior General Education pattern. Students who are under a prior General Education pattern may elect to complete the new pattern. Students should see an advisor in the University Center for Undergraduate Advising or their respective department/program area prior to making this decision. The advisor can file an Advisor Request electronically to formally request the change with Enrollment Services.

Monitoring Progress
Students should regularly run their Academic Requirements Report on MyCSULB to monitor their completion of all degree requirements including General Education. The report is updated with the latest enrollment changes including grades, transfer credit evaluations, and advisor approved adjustments every time it is generated. For assistance in understanding the report see "Using Academics - Progress to Degree."

Finding Courses
Students can find courses that meet General Education requirements by the following:

• Review the list of General Education Approved Courses

• Browse the Schedule of Classes. This list is updated nightly and includes courses sorted by General Education requirement.

• Search for Classes on MyCSULB. The 'Catalog search' will display current information including course descriptions, pre-requisites and the GE requirements the course is certified to meet.   The Additional Search Criteria allows you to search for GE classes being offered  in a GE category.  The 'Class Search' will also display current enrollment status information. Here is a sample catalog result from MyCSULB:

For More Assistance
The University Center for Undergraduate Advising and other special program and advising centers are great resource for students who need assistance navigating the General Education requirements.

Beginning Fall 2008, the General Education course list is maintained on the CSU web site and contains all currently certified courses. The list below reflects courses offered Fall 2008 or after which are not currently active reflecting the period when they were eligible for GE credit.