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GE Requirements (48 units*)

The General Education curriculum is organized as three sequential phases. The first is the Foundation, a group of courses designed to provide fundamental learning skills. The second is Explorations, courses distributed across the curriculum that are intended to provide an opportunity to explore the various way of acquiring and examining knowledge while continuing to develop learning skills. The third is the Capstone, designed to integrate knowledge and skills developed earlier in the curriculum. (*Students majoring in departments within the College of Engineering are required to take only 45 units of GE).

All students must complete a distribution pattern described below.

English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (Category A, 9 units): Includes three Foundation 3 unit Courses: Written Communication in English (A1), Oral Communication in English (A2), and Critical Thinking (A3).

Science, Technology & Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (Category B, 9 units): Includes 3 units in life sciences (B1a) and 3 units in physical sciences (B1b) with one lab course associated with either the life sciences or the physical sciences. This requirement also includes the fourth Foundation 3 unit course in Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (B2).

The Arts & Humanities (Category C, 9 units): Includes 3 units in the arts (C1) , 3 units in humanities (C2), and an additional 3 units in either the arts or the humanities.

Social Sciences & Citizenship (Category D, 9 units): Includes 3 units in US history (D1a) and 3 units covering the US Constitution, including CA State & local government (D1b). This requirement also includes 3 additional units in social sciences & citizenship (D2).

Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (Category E, 3 units): Includes 3 unit course that deals with the human being as a psychological, physiological, and social organism.

Capstone (Category F, 9 units): Includes at least nine (9) units chosen from approved Capstone courses (three courses). Students entering Fall 2016 or later must fulfill 3 units (1 course) of their 9 units of capstone (three courses) by completing an approved Writing Intensive Capstone course.

Additional GE Requirements: The 48 units above must include courses that also fulfill the following requirements:

Global Issues (GI, 3 units): Requires a course designed to introduce students to cultures and places outside of the US.

Human Diversity (HD, 3 units): Requires a course designed to introduce students to diverse populations and cultures within the US.


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