GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

The SFSU Bulletin describes the requirements in effect for the current year. Refer to the Bulletin Rights section of the university Bulletin for additional information about GE Program requirements and other important graduation requirements.

SEGMENT I: BASIC SUBJECTS--12 units

All students must complete a minimum of twelve units in Segment I including a minimum of three units in each of the following four areas: Written Communication, Oral Communication, Critical Thinking, and Quantitative Reasoning.

Specific test and course prerequisites are printed in the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Bulletin.

Summary of Written English Requirements

Note:All SFSU undergraduate baccalaureate degree candidates are required to complete both First-Year and Second-Year Composition or their equivalent courses.

1. English Placement Test (EPT): All newly-admitted undergraduate students must take the California State University English Placement Test (CSU-EPT) prior to their first semester of matriculated attendance at SFSU, except those with an approved EPT or course exemption listed in the University Bulletin. Non-native speakers of English must also take the English as a Second Language Placement Test (ESLPT) prior to enrollment.
2. First Year Composition: Three equivalent pathways satisfy the First Year Composition Requirement: Integrated Reading-Writing (ENG 104-105 course sequence or ENG 106), Composition for Multilingual Students (CMS) or ENG 114 . See the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Bulletin for specific course requirements and prerequisites.
3. Second Year Composition: Prerequisite is grade of Credit (CR) or C- or better in ENG 104-105 sequence, ENG 106, or ENG 114, or equivalent. ENG 214, or an equivalent course, fulfills the GE Segment I, Written Communications requirement.

Written Communication (3 units required)

Courses that fulfill the Written Communication requirement in General Education are listed below. Courses offered in a given semester are listed under the heading English Composition Requirement, Second Year, at the end of the listing of English courses in the Class Schedule for the semester.

Courses

Oral Communication (3 units required)

Courses

Critical Thinking (3 units required)

Courses

Quantitative Reasoning (3 units required)

Details on test and course prerequisites are printed in the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Bulletin.

Summary of Quantitative Reasoning Requirements

Students who register for a GE quantitative reasoning course at SFSU must (1) have passed the ELM examination with a score of 50 or above; or (2) have obtained an approved ELM exemption; or (3) after taking the ELM examination, have passed Algebra II (MATH 70) at SFSU or an equivalent course elsewhere with a grade of credit (CR) or C- or better.

Courses

SEGMENT II: ARTS AND SCIENCES CORE--27 units

General Requirements

Freshman Student Pattern

1. In each Segment II Area, students must complete a minimum of nine units and satisfy the specific category requirements for the Area.
2. In each Segment II Area (PBS, BSS, and HCA), students must select courses from at least two different departments. That is, at least three units of the nine-unit minimum must have a different departmental prefix.
3. Within Segment II, students must complete one course that is designated as fulfilling the American Ethnic and Racial Minorities (AERM) requirement and one course that is designated as fulfilling the Lifelong Development (LLD) requirement.

Transfer Student Pattern

1. In each Segment II Area (i.e., PBS, BSS, and HCA), students must complete a minimum of nine units, but are not held to completion of the specific category requirements within each Segment II Area, except as required in the Physical and Biological Sciences Area.
2. Within each Segment II Area, students must select courses from at least two different departments. That is, at least three units of the nine-unit minimum must have a different departmental prefix.
3. Within Segment II, students must complete one course that is designated as fulfilling the Lifelong Development (LLD) requirement. While transfer students are not required to complete the American Ethnic and Racial Minorities (AERM) requirement, they are encouraged to select courses that address this important area.
4. Students must complete a minimum of 27 units in Segment II. Students on the six-unit system pattern for the Physical and Biological Sciences Area must make up any unit deficiencies in this Area by selecting additional course work in Segment II.

Physical and Biological Sciences Area--PBS (9 units)

Category A: Physical Sciences; Category B: Biological Sciences; Category C: Integrative Science

Specific Requirements

Freshman Student Pattern

1. Students must complete one course (minimum: three units) in each category; i.e., A, B, and C.
2. Courses with two different departmental prefixes must be selected.
3. At least one course designated L/F (laboratory or fieldwork) must be selected.
4. The Physical and Biological Science courses should be completed before the Integrative Science course.

Transfer Student Pattern

1. Students must complete one course in Category A (three units minimum), one course in Category B (three units minimum), and a third course in either Category A, B, or C. A third course is not required of students whose ASE or DARS indicates rights to the six-unit system pattern for the Physical and Biological Sciences Area. However, students on the six-unit system pattern must make up any deficiencies in the 27-unit minimum for Segment II by selecting additional course work in Segment II.
2. At least one course must fulfill the laboratory or fieldwork (L/F) requirement.

Category A: Physical Sciences

Category B: Biological Sciences

Category C: Integrative Science

Behavioral and Social Sciences Area (9 units)

Category A: Individual in Social Context; Category B: Decision-making and Social Policy at the Societal Level; Category C: Historical, Cross-cultural, and Global Contexts

Freshman Student Pattern

1. Students must complete one course in Category A (three units minimum), one course in Category B (three units minimum), and one course in Category C (three units minimum).
2. Courses with at least two different departmental prefixes must be selected.

Transfer Student Pattern

1. Courses need not be selected according to category requirements.
2. Courses with at least two different departmental prefixes must be selected.

Category A: Individual in Social Context

Category B: Decision-making and Social Policy at the Societal Level

Category C: Historical, Cross-cultural, and Global Contexts

Humanities and Creative Arts Area (9 units)

Category A: Humanistic/Artistic Achievements; Category B: Disciplines and Interdisciplines; Category C: Historical/Social/Ethnic/Cultural Contexts; Category D: Active Creative Participation; Category E: Languages Other Than English

Specific Requirements

Freshman Student Pattern

1. In the HCA Area, a minimum of nine units must be selected from at least three of the five HCA Categories (A-E).
2. If elected, a minimum of two units should be selected in HCA Categories B and D.
3. Courses with at least two different departmental prefixes must be selected.

Transfer Student Pattern

1. Courses need not be selected according to category requirements.
2. Courses with at least two different departmental prefixes must be selected.

Category A: Humanistic/Artistic Achievements

Category B: Disciplines and Interdisciplines

Category C: Historical/Social/Ethnic/Cultural Contexts

Category D: Active Creative Participation (2-unit minimum)

See Course Descriptions section for credit and/or unit limitations for courses in this HCA Category D: Active Creative Participation.

Category E: Languages Other Than English

Humanities and Creative Arts (HCA), Category E, Languages Other Than English includes language courses listed under Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. The following departments/programs also offer language courses not taught in English: Asian American Studies, Africana Studies, Classical Archaeology, Jewish Studies, and Modern Greek Studies. These courses also fulfill the HCA, Category E requirement.

GE credit for Humanities and Creative Arts (HCA), Category E may be earned by selecting a course from among those listed below.

Students are strongly urged to consult with faculty teaching the language course for guidance on enrollment in the appropriate language course level. Enrollment in the appropriate level course is based on a student’s prior language experience and proficiency level. Language faculty members retain the right to drop students who are not enrolled in the appropriate course level. Students who are dropped from a language course are encouraged to register for the appropriate level course.

Courses taught in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures that are taught in English and for which the readings are in English do NOT count for GE credit in HCA, Category E. These courses are designated in the course description section of the university Bulletin as (Taught in English).

GE credit for HCA, Category E cannot be earned at SFSU through the Credit by Examination process or through its Credit by Evaluation for Experiential Learning program (CEEL).

General Education Table of Contents
General Education Program, Segment III