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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 areas (GE Subject Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 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. 

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.  Upper-division GE should not be taken until earning a minimum of 60 semester units in all baccalaureate-level coursework.  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. 

At least 9 semester units must be from upper-division GE courses completed at CSUEB (or another CSU campus). 

Grades of C- (CR) or better are required in  1A English Composition (previously A2), 1B Critical Thinking and Composition (previously A3), 1C Oral Communication (previously A1), and Subject Area 2 Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (previously B4).  In all other GE areas, grades of D (or CR) or better are required. 

Any course that is officially certified for GE, Overlay, Second Composition, and/or Code will fulfill the requirement for each of those areas, even if the course also provides credit toward your major.  However, no one course or test can be used to clear more than one GE area and/or more than one Overlay area.  

The policies below apply to all GE/breadth catalog years from Fall 2025 and later.

Students should complete this area of the GE requirements (along with GE Area 2) during their freshman year.  Students must one course (minimum 3 semester units) from each GE Subarea: 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)

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; and 
3. practice the discovery, critical evaluation, and reporting of information.

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

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

1B Critical Thinking and Composition (3 units)

GE Area Critical Thinking and Composition courses emphasize the understanding of others' reasoning, the development of students’ own reasoning, and the presentation of that reasoning mainly through written composition. Students will engage in various scaffolded learning activities where they analyze, explore, and present the reasoning of others in various mediums. Class activities will also require students to identify, categorize, and explore their own reasoning. In addition, there will be substantive writing instruction throughout the course. By the end of the course, students will have engaged in multi-draft writing assignments for at least two different audiences and for specific purposes, ultimately culminating in a minimum of 5,000 words of thoughtfully revised writing. Courses enroll a maximum of 30 students due to the amount of labor required to provide regular, formative feedback on students’ writing.

Upon completion of the GE Area 1B  requirement, students will be able to:

1. Analyze arguments, including those that are weak or flawed;
2. Logically develop and present arguments in writing to support and refute claims using evidence;
3. Reason inductively and deductively;
4. Incorporate key critical thinking disciplinary concepts and tools when reasoning;
5. Incorporate key composition concepts and tools when writing including engaging with critical feedback, addressing different audiences, considering multiple perspectives, and integrating primary/secondary sources.

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.

Courses approved for Subarea 1B are listed here: GE Area 1B Courses 

1C Oral Communication (3 semester units)

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 A1 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; and
4. Critically evaluate oral presentations.

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

Courses approved for Subarea A1 are listed here: GE Area A1 Courses 

Through courses in Subject Area 2, students shall demonstrate the abilities to reason quantitatively, practice computational skills, and explain and apply mathematical or quantitative reasoning concepts to solve problems. GE Area 2 courses provide practice in computational skills as well as engagement in more complex mathematical work.

Upon completion of the GE 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; and
3. 91吃瓜 quantitative reasoning skills in a variety of real-world contexts, defined by personal, civic, and/or professional responsibilities.

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.      

3A Arts (3 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:

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 Subarea C1 are listed here: GE Area 3A Courses 

3B Humanities (3 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 Subarea 3B are listed here: GE Area C2 Courses 

Discipline rules for Subject Area 3 differ before Fall 2021 (Fall 2018-Summer 2021), between Fall 2021 and Summer 2025, and after Fall 2025. 

For Fall 2018-Summer 2021

Area C must be completed with courses from at least three different disciplines (including upper-division GE Area C4) as represented by course prefix, e.g., ART, ENGEL, MLL, MUS, PHIL.  

Between Fall 2021-Summer 2025

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

Fall 2025 and after

Subject Area 3 must be completed by taking one course from 3A and one course from 3B.

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 9 units in Area 4 and UD-4. 

Upon completion of the lower-division Area D 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 Subject Area 4 are listed here: GE Subject Area Courses 

Policies for Area 4 differ before Fall 2021 (Fall 2018-Summer 2021) and after Fall 2021. 

For Fall 2018-Summer 2021: Area 4 Lower-division Social Science Electives (9 semester units)

• Students must choose three lower-division courses (minimum 3 units each) approved for GE Subareas D1-3.
• Area 4 must be completed with courses from at least three different disciplines (including upper-division GE Subarea D4) as represented by course prefix, e.g., ANTH, HIST, POSC, SOC. 

For Fall 2021 and Later: Area 4 Lower-division Social Science Electives (6 semester units)

• Students must choose two lower-division courses (minimum 3 units each) approved for GE Area 4.  
• Area 4 must be completed with courses from at least two different disciplines (including upper-division D, UD-D) as represented by course prefix, e.g., ANTH, HIST, POSC, SOC. 

The policies below apply to all GE/breadth catalog years from Fall 2025 and later.

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 semester units)

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

Courses approved for 5A are listed here: GE Area 5A Courses 

5B.  Life Sciences (3 semester units)

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

Courses approved for Subarea 5B are listed here: GE Area 5B Courses 

5C.  Laboratory

(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. 91吃瓜 their knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about the physical and life sciences through laboratory activities;
2. 91吃瓜 their understanding of scientific practices, including the scientific method in a laboratory setting; and
3. 91吃瓜 accepted standards related to safety and ethics associated with conducting and communicating scientific inquiry, while completing laboratory activities.

5C courses will emphasize safety and collaboration in laboratory or field activities, especially focusing on data collection, analysis, and presentation.

Laboratory activities that are not a component of 5A or 5B course must be a prerequisite or co-requisite of a 5A or 5B course in the same discipline.

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

The Area 6 Ethnic Studies requirement is in effect from Fall 2021 and beyond.

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. 91吃瓜 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 6 Ethnic Studies Courses  

UD-3 courses integrate and build upon the skills and content knowledge attained through lower-division GE coursework, particularly in Subareas 1A, 1B, 1C, and Area 2.  UD-3 courses require skills in advanced writing, critical thinking, information literacy, oral communication (or sign language), and collaboration with peers.  Upon completion of the UD-3 requirement, students will be able to:

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

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. UD-4 courses will have a maximum capacity of 30 students. There must be two different disciplines across the 9 units in Area 4 and UD-4.   UD-4 courses require skills in advanced writing, critical thinking, information literacy, oral communication (or sign language), and collaboration with peers.  Upon completion of the 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; and
3. demonstrate an understanding of and ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences. 

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

UD-B courses integrate and build upon the quantitative analysis/reasoning skills and science content knowledge attained through lower-division Area B.  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.

Upon completion of the UD-B 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; and
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-B are listed here: GE Area UD-B Courses

Students must complete the Second English Composition requirement by the time they reach "junior" standing either by taking a separate Second Composition course or successfully completing 1B.  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 CSUEB.  Some California community colleges refer to Second Composition as the "A4" requirement.  The student learning outcomes for all Second Composition courses are described below.

Upon successful completion of Second English Composition, students will be able to:

1. complete a variety of 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 coming 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 

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 (3 units for each Overlay) is required in courses that are linked to three of the University’s Institutional Learning Outcomes:  Diversity Overlay, Social Justice Overlay, and Sustainability Overlay. 

Diversity Overlay

After completion of a course designated as fulfilling 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

Students who satisfied the “Cultural Groups and Women’s Requirement” prior to Fall Semester, 2018 are considered to have satisfied this requirement.

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; and
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 Courses 

Sustainability Overlay     

After completion of a course designated as fulfilling 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 

The American Institutions Requirement is a requirement for graduation that is mandated by California Code of Regulations (Title 5, Section 40404) and CSU Executive Order 1061. 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.

The American Institutions Requirement is also known as the Code Requirement.  You must demonstrate your competence in three Code areas. 

American Institutions Learning Outcomes

Courses certified as meeting one or two Code areas (from US-1, US-2, and US-3) must meet the following sets of learning outcomes.  CSUEB Code courses are listed here: U.S. Code Courses

US-1  U.S. History

Upon completion of a US-1 course, students will be able to:

• Explain the significance or interpretation of major historical events in a period of at least a hundred years of American history;
• Describe the contributions of major ethnic and social groups in a period of at least a hundred years of American history;
• Explain the role of at least three of the following in the development of American culture: politics, economics, social movements, and/or geography.

US-2  U.S. Constitution

Upon completion of a US-2 course, students will be able to:

• Describe the development of the Constitution from the political philosophies of its framers to its later interpretation and amendment;
• Explain how the Constitution influenced the development of American political institutions and government;
• Explain citizen rights and responsibilities under the Constitution.

US-3  California Government

Upon completion of a US-3 course, students will be able to:

• Describe the role of California’s Constitution in state and local government;
• Explain the place of California’s Constitution in the evolution of federal-state relations;
• Describe the political processes that enable cooperation and conflict resolution between state and/or local governments and the federal government.

Satisfying the American Institutions Requirement

The main ways to satisfy the Code requirements include the following:

1. passing two courses which cover all three Code areas (note that at CSUEB, students who satisfy the Code requirement through courses alone are required to complete two Code courses, one from Category A and one from Category B, see table below);
2. passing the CLEP exam in History of the United States I or II, the CLEP exam in American Government, and the California State & Local Government exam administered by the CSUEB Testing Office;  
3. passing AP US History with a score of 3 or above, AP US Government with a score of 3 or above, and passing the California State & Local Government exam administered by the CSUEB Testing Office.

Be aware that 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 satisfy US-3 California State and Local Government. 

Students who have completed part of the Code requirement at a California Community College should consult an academic advisor to avoid duplicating coursework. 

We urge you to consult with your academic advisor to make sure you are taking the correct courses and/or exams to meet all Code requirements.