General Education: Area Requirements
For an overview of the SF State General Education program visit our Introduction to General Education.
Student Learning Outcomes have been developed for every area of General Education and a link to them can be found on the General Education website.
Some students come to SF State with high enough AP, CLEP and IB scores to receive college credit. Go to the following links to see what GE requirements are satisfied by these scores. Consult with your major department to see whether any of the credit can count toward your major.
Advanced Placement (AP) Test Scores
College-level Examination Program (CLEP) Test Scores
International Baccalaureate (IB) Course Scores
Continuing Students
Continuing students who were enrolled at SF State prior to Fall 2014 follow the General Education program that was in effect when they came to SF State, with a few modifications. Please visit the Division of Undergraduate Studies website (http://ugs.sfsu.edu/bacc-reqs) for more information about your General Education requirements and approved courses. Please note that although General Education courses are available to students in any major, registration in some sections of specific courses may be restricted to students in the Metro Academies.
Freshman Students
Students who begin at SF State as first-time college students in Fall 2014 or later, must complete General Education as outlined below. Please note that although General Education courses are available to students in any major, registration in some sections of specific courses may be restricted to students in the Metro Academies.
Transfer Students
Transfer students who begin at SF State in Fall 2014 or later may complete the 39 units of lower division General Education (GE) requirements (Area A-E), as well as lower division requirements in a major, minor, or certificate program at another campus if those units have been approved through an articulation agreement or an approved evaluation process. Regardless of the number of units a student took to fulfill General Education requirements at other schools, they must complete a total of 39 units of lower division General Education plus 9 units of upper division GE coursework to graduate. Any lower division GE coursework not taken in transfer must be taken at SF State from the list of courses below.
- Transfer students who have not completed the equivalent of Written English Communication II will have to do so at SF State. It is a prerequisite to the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) requirement. Transfer students often satisfy Written English Communication II while also satisfying Area A3 at another campus. If so, no additional units in Area A are required. However, students still are required to complete 39 units total of lower division GE. If units are still lacking, these units may be taken in Areas B, C, D, or E.
- Transfer students who have not completed the US History and Government requirements must do so at SF State.
- Transfer students who complete the US History and Government requirements without completing 9 units in Area D must take additional Area D courses to total 9 units.
- Transfer students must complete 9-units of lower division Area C coursework with at least one Area C1 and one Area C2 class, but are not required to take an Area C3 course.
- Transfer students must complete overlay requirements at San Francisco State University. Most, if not all, of these requirements will be completed while satisfying the Upper Division GE requirements. Students transferring with an AA‑T or AS‑T (SB‑1440) degree do not have to complete the overlay requirements (see below).
Overlay Requirements
Overlay courses fulfill graduation requirements, but do not have specific unit requirements. They are meant to ensure that students take at least one course in areas that the campus feels are important to graduates of our university. There are four overlay requirements that students must meet: American Ethnic and Racial Minorities (AERM), Environmental Sustainability (ES), Global Perspectives (GP) and Social Justice (SJ). Courses certified as meeting the Overlays requirements may be upper or lower division, may be in General Education, a major or minor, or may be an elective. Overlay requirements that are met in the GE courses below are indicated after the course title.
Area A: English Language Communication and Critical Thinking — 12 units
Students taking courses in fulfillment of Areas A1, A2 and A4 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 practice the discovery, critical evaluation, and reporting of information, as well as reading, writing, and listening effectively.
In critical thinking (Area A3) courses, students will understand logic and its relation to language; elementary inductive and deductive processes, including an understanding of the formal and informal fallacies of language and thought; and the ability to distinguish matters of fact from issues of judgment or opinion. In Area A3 courses, students will develop the abilities to analyze, criticize, and advocate ideas; to reason inductively and deductively; and to reach well-supported factual or judgmental conclusions.
Requirements: Students must complete a minimum of twelve units in Area A, including a minimum of three units in each of the following four areas: Oral Communication, Written English Communication I, Critical Thinking, and Written English Communication II. Specific test and course prerequisites are printed in the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Bulletin. Beginning in Fall 2014, all Area A courses must be completed with a grade of CR or C- or better to fulfill the General Education requirement.
Note: Transfer students often satisfy Written English Communication II while also satisfying Area A3 at another campus. If so, no additional units in Area A are required. However, students still are required to have 39 units total of lower division GE. If units are still lacking, these units may be taken in Areas B, C, D, or E.
Note: At the time of Bulletin publication, some courses were still in review for General Education certification. These courses have been provisionally approved for the 2014-15 academic year only.
Area A1: Oral Communication (3 units required)
- COMM 150 Fundamentals of Oral Communication
- ENG 210 Oral Communication - Multilingual
Area A2: Written English Communication I (3 units minimum required)
-
ENG 104 First Year Composition Stretch I
and
ENG 105 First Year Composition Stretch II - ENG 114 First Year Composition
- ENG 209 First Year Composition--Multilingual
Area A3: Critical Thinking (3 units required)
- ETHS 110/ Critical Thinking and the Ethnic Studies Experience
- RRS 110 Critical Thinking and The Ethnic Studies Experience
- LTNS 110 Critical Thinking in Latina/o Studies [AERM][SJ]
- PHIL 110 Introduction to Critical Thinking I
- PSY 111 The Logic and Psychology of Critical Thinking
- RPT 120 Critical Thinking and the Leisure Experience [LLD]
- SCI 101 First Year Experience in Science and Engineering [LLD][ES]
Area A4: Written English Communication II (3 units required)
- AA S 214 Second Year Written Composition: Asian American Studies [AERM][SJ]
- ENG 214 Second Year Written Composition – English
- ENG 215 Second Year Written Composition – Multilingual
Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning — 9 units
In Areas B1-B3, students develop knowledge of scientific theories, concepts, and data about both living and non-living systems. 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.
In Area B4 courses, students shall develop skills and understanding beyond the level of intermediate algebra. Students will not just practice computational skills, but will be able to explain and apply basic mathematical concepts and will be able to solve problems through quantitative reasoning.
Requirements: All students must complete a minimum of nine units in Area B including a minimum of three units in each of the following three areas: Physical Science, Life Science, and Quantitative reasoning. Additionally, a course that satisfies the Laboratory Science requirement must also be taken.
Specific test and course prerequisites are printed in the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Bulletin.
Note: Some majors require advanced coursework in Areas B1, B2 and/or B3. For students pursuing these majors, some Area B requirements will be met in major or pre-major coursework. For more information please see the Bulletin description for your major.
Area B1: Physical Science (3 units minimum required)
- ASTR 115 Introduction to Astronomy
- CHEM 101 Survey of Chemistry (provisionally approved 2014-15)
- CHEM 180 Chemistry for Energy and the Environment [ES]
-
GEOG 101 Our Physical Environment [ES]
(provisionally approved 2014-15) - GEOL 104 Our Dynamic Earth Lecture and Lab (4) [ES]
- GEOL 270 Environmental Geology [ES]
- METR 100 Our Dynamic Weather [GP]
- METR 104 Our Dynamic Weather Lecture and Lab (4)
- OCN 100 Our Dynamic Ocean [ES]
- OCN 104 Our Dynamic Ocean Lecture and Lab (4) [ES] (provisionally approved 2014-15)
- PHYS 101 Conceptual Physics
- PHYS 111 General Physics I
- PHYS 220 General Physics with Calculus I
Area B2: Life Science (3 units required)
- ANTH 100 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
- BIOL 100 Human Biology [LLD][SJ]
- BIOL 176 Science and Politics of Stem Cell Biology [AERM][SJ]
- GEOG 160 Introduction to Environmental Science (4) [ES][GP]
- GEOL 105 History of Life [ES]
Area B3: Laboratory Science (0 - 1 units required)
- ASTR 116 Astronomy Laboratory (1)
- BIOL 101 Human Biology Laboratory (1)
- CHEM 102 Survey of Chemistry Laboratory (1) (provisionally approved 2014-15)
- CHEM 180 Chemistry for Energy and the Environment [ES]
- GEOG 160 Introduction to Environmental Science (4) [ES][GP]
- GEOL 101 Our Dynamic Earth Lab (1)
- GEOL 104 Our Dynamic Earth Lecture and Lab [ES]
- GEOL 270 Environmental Geology [ES]
- METR 104 Our Dynamic Weather Lecture and Lab
- OCN 104 Our Dynamic Ocean Lecture and Lab (4) [ES]
- PHYS 102 Conceptual Physics Laboratory (1) (provisionally approved 2014-15)
- PHYS 112 General Physics I Laboratory (1)
- PHYS 222 General Physics with Calculus I Laboratory (1)
Area B4: 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 SF State must
- have passed the ELM examination with a score of 50 or above; or
- have obtained an approved ELM exemption; or
- after taking the ELM examination, have passed Algebra II (MATH 70) at SF State or an equivalent course elsewhere with a grade of credit (CR) or C- or better. Beginning in Fall 2014, all Area A courses must be completed with a grade of CR or C- or better to fulfill the General Education requirement.
- DS 110 Calculus with Business Applications
- ISED 160 Data Analysis in Education
- MATH 110 Business Calculus (provisionally approved 2014-15)
- MATH 124 Elementary Statistics
- MATH 199 Pre-Calculus
- MATH 226 Calculus I
- PSY 171 Quantitative Reasoning in Psychology
Area C: Arts and Humanities — 9 units
In their Area C coursework, students will develop a better understanding of the interrelationship between the self and the creative arts and of the humanities in a variety of cultures. In Area C3, students will explore the humanities with a specific focus on literature.
Requirements: All students must complete a minimum of nine units in Area C including a minimum of three units in the areas of Arts (C1) and Humanities: Literature (C3). Students must select an additional three units in either Arts (C1) or Humanities (C2).
Area C1: Arts
- AA S 212 Asian Americans and Mass Media
- ART 202 Western Art History II
- BECA 235 Digital Media Basics
- C W 101 Introduction to Creative Writing [LLD]
- CINE 102 Introduction to Contemporary Cinema [GP]
- CLAR 250 Archaeology of the Ancient World [GP]
- H ED 290/ Promoting Positive Health [LLD][GP]
- HH 290 Promoting Positive Health [LLD][GP]
- ID 240 Color and Design
- ID 245 Contemporary Design in Housing and Interiors
- MUS 120 Basic Music I: All Topics (provisionally approved 2014 - 15)
- PHIL 160 Introduction to Philosophy of the Arts
- TH A 200 Introduction to the Theatre
- TH A 205 Introduction to Technical Theatre and Design
Area C2: Humanities
- ANTH 110 Introduction to Archaeology [GP]
- BECA 201 Life on TV: A Critical View [AERM]
- CHIN 101 First Semester Chinese (5) [GP] for students matriculating in Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 may be used to satisfy Area C2 OR Area C3
- CLAS 260 Greek and Roman Mythology [GP]
- CLAS 280 Myth, History, and Movies
- GER 101 First Semester German [GP]
- HH 210 The Dao of Well-Being in Chinese Tradition [LLD][AERM]
- HIST 110 History of Western Civilization I [GP]
- HIST 111 History of Western Civilization II [GP]
- HUM 220 Values and Culture [GP]
- HUM 225 Values in American Life
- JOUR 205 Social Impact of Journalism
- JS 280 Introduction to Jewish Studies
- MEIS 260/ Turkish Cultures and Identities [GP]
- TURK 260 Turkish Cultures and Identities [GP]
- PHIL 105 Introduction to Philosophy and Religion
- PHIL 150/ Contemporary Moral/Political Issues [SJ]
- PLSI 150 Contemporary Moral/Political Issues [SJ]
- PHIL 210 Great Thinkers: East and West [GP]
- PRSN 100 Summer Immersion Persian [GP]
- PRSN 101 First Semester Persian [GP]
- PRSN 260 Persian Culture and Civilization in English [GP]
- TPW 200 Writing Practices in Professional Contexts
Area C3: Humanities: Literature
- AA S 216 Introduction to Asian American Literature [AERM]
- CHIN 101 First Semester Chinese (5) [GP] for students matriculating in Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 may be used to satisfy Area C2 OR Area C3
- CLAS 210 Introduction to Greek and Roman Literature
- CLAS 230 Ancient Epic Tales
- CLAS 240 Greek and Roman Drama [SJ]
- CWL 210 Reading Beyond Boundaries: An Introduction to Comparing Literatures [GP]
- CWL 230 World Literature [GP]
- CWL 250 Fables and Tales [GP]
- CWL 260 Myths of the World [GP]
- ENG 230 Literature and Film
- ENG 231 Shakespeare on Film (provisionally approved 2014 - 15)
- ENG 240 Heroes and Antiheroes in Literature (provisionally approved 2014 - 15)
- ENG 250 The Study of Literature
- ENG 251 The Lyric Poem in English
- ENG 252 The Novel in English
- ENG 253 Drama in English
- ENG 254 Masterworks of Literature in English
- ENG 255 Contemporary Literature
- ENG 258 American Literature
- ENG 259 Introduction to Shakespeare
- ENG 260 Introduction to Science Fiction
- ENG 261 The Vampire Tradition
- ENG 270 Reading Video games
- LTNS 230 Introduction to Latina/o Literature [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- MEIS 290/ Introduction to Turkish Literature in Translation [GP]
- TURK 290 Introduction to Turkish Literature in Translation [GP]
- PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy
- PRSN 290 Introduction to Persian Literature in Translation [GP]
- RPT 230 Growth Through Adventure
Area D: Social Sciences — 9 units
Through fulfillment of the Area D requirement, students will develop an understanding of problems and issues from a social science perspective and will examine issues in their contemporary as well as historical settings and in a variety of cultural contexts. Students will explore the principles, methodologies, value systems and ethics employed in social scientific inquiry.
The CSU American Institutions/US History and Government requirement (Areas D2 and D3) may be met either by examination (AP, CLEP, or SF State competency exam) or by taking at least one course in both Areas D2 and D3.
In U.S. History courses (Area D2), students will learn about the relationships among regions within the area of study and with external regions and states and the role of major ethnic and social groups in such events and the contexts in which the events have occurred.
In U.S. and California Government courses (Area D3), students will learn about the political philosophies of the framers of the Constitution and the nature and operation of United States political institutions and processes. Students will also learn about California government, particularly the constitution of the State of California within the framework of evolution of Federal-State relations and the nature and processes of State and local government under that Constitution.
Requirements All students must complete a minimum of nine units in Area D including a minimum of three units in each of the following areas: Social Sciences, Social Sciences: US History, and Social Sciences: US and California Government.
Area D1: Social Sciences (3 units required)
- AA S 211 Contemporary Asian Americans [AERM][SJ]
- AFRS 111 Black Cultures and Personalities [AERM][SJ]
- AFRS 200 Introduction to Black Psychology [AERM][GP][SJ]
- AFRS 203 Black Social Sciences [AERM][SJ]
- AFRS 215 Introduction to Black Family Studies [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AIS 230 Urban Indians [AERM][SJ]
- ANTH 120 Introductory Social and Cultural Anthropology [SJ]
- CAD 210 Introduction to Applied CAD
- CAD 260 Children, Family and Community: An Ecological Perspective [LLD]
- ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomic Analysis
- ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomic Analysis
- ETHS 100/ Introduction to Ethnic Studies [AERM][GP][SJ]
- RRS 100 Introduction to Ethnic Studies [AERM][GP][SJ]
- ETHS 260 Ethnic Studies: The African American and Western Racism [AERM][GP][SJ]
- GEOG 102 The Human Environment [ES][GP]
- GEOG 107 World Regions and Interrelations [GP] (provisionally approved 2014 - 15)
- H ED 120 Educational Justice, Health Equity, and Academic Success [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- H ED 200 Global Health [LLD][GP][SJ]
- H ED 210 Personal and Social Determinants of Public Health [LLD][SJ]
- H ED 221 Health and Social Justice - Burning Issues, Taking Action [AERM][SJ]
- HH 205 Relaxation and Stress Reduction [LLD] effective Summer 2015
- HIST 114 World History to 1500 [GP]
- HIST 115 World History Since 1500 [GP]
- I R 104 Introduction to World Affairs [ES][GP][SJ]
- IBUS 130 Globalization and Business of the 21st Century [GP]
- KIN 255 Health-related Fitness and Wellness [LLD]
- LABR 250 Introduction to the Study of Labor [GP]
- LABR 251 Know Your Work Rights [SJ]
- LTNS 211 Latina/o Families Narrative [AERM][GP][SJ]
- LTNS 265 Topics in Latina/o History [AERM][SJ]
- PHIL 130 Political and Social Philosophy [AERM][SJ]
- PLSI 100 Understanding Politics [SJ]
- PLSI 106 Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy: Introduction to Political Economy [SJ]
- PSY 200 General Psychology [LLD]
- RPT 205 Enlightened and Sustainable Travel [LLD]
- RPT 240 Leisure and Contemporary Society [LLD]
- RRS 285 Race, Sports, and Society [AERM]
- S ED 200/ Introduction to Teaching and Education effective Summer 2015
- EDUC 200 Introduction to Teaching and Education
- SOC 105 Sociological Perspectives
- SOC 200/ Changing Cities [SJ]
- USP 200 Changing Cities [SJ]
- SOC 245 Social Problems [SJ]
- WGS 200 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
Area D2: Social Sciences: U.S. History (3 units required)
- AA S 210 History of Asians in the United States [AERM]
- AFRS 208 Introduction to African American History [AERM][GP][SJ]
- AIS 150 American Indian History in the United States [AERM][SJ]
- H ED 241 Health and Social Movements in the United States in the 20th Century [AERM][SJ]
- HIST 120 History of the U.S. through Reconstruction
- HIST 121 History of the U.S. since Reconstruction
- HIST 130 Survey of U.S. History for Foreign Students
- LTNS 278/ History of Latinos in the U.S. [AERM][SJ]
- HIST 278 History of Latinos in the U.S. [AERM][SJ]
- RRS 240 All Power to the People [AERM][SJ]
- WGS 150 Women and Gender in the U.S. History and Society [AERM][SJ]
Area D3: Social Sciences: U.S. and California Government (3 units required)
- AA S 213 Asian Americans and American Ideals and Institutions
- AIS 205 American Indians and U.S. Law [AERM][SJ]
- LTNS 276 Latina/o, U.S. Government, and Constitutional Ideals [AERM]
- PLSI 200 American Politics
- WGS 160 Gender, Politics, and Citizenship [AERM]
Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-development (LLD)
Courses in Area E address topics such as human behavior, sexuality, nutrition, physical and mental health, stress management, financial literacy, social relationships and relationships with the environment, as well as implications of death and dying and avenues for lifelong learning.
Courses certified as meeting the Area E requirement are a minimum of three units and may be upper or lower division, in General Education, a major or minor, or an elective. Overlay requirements that are met in Area E courses are indicated after the course title.
Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-development
- AA S 323 Chinese American Identities [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AA S 332 Japanese American Art and Literature [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- AA S 360 Koreans in the United States [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AA S 370 Vietnamese in the United States [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AA S 373 Vietnamese American Identities [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- AA S 377 Cambodians in the United States [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- AA S 570 Southeast Asians in the United States [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AA S 585 Asian American Religiosities [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AA S 591 Asian American Community Health Issues [LLD][SJ]
- AFRS 215 Introduction to Black Family Studies [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AFRS 335 The Black Woman: A Cultural Analysis [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- AIS 400 American Indian Education [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- BIOL 100 Human Biology [LLD][SJ]
- BIOL 330 Human Sexuality [LLD]
- C W 101 Introduction to Creative Writing [LLD]
- CAD 260 Children, Family and Community [LLD]
- COMM 527 Health Communication (4) [LLD]
- COMM 544 Communication and Aging (4) [LLD]
- ENG 571 Shakespeare's Rivals [LLD]
- ENG 583 Shakespeare: Representative Plays [LLD]
- H ED 120 Educational Justice, Health Equity, and Academic Success [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- H ED 200 Global Health [LLD][GP][SJ]
- H ED 210 Personal and Social Determinants of Public Health [LLD][SJ]
- H ED 290 Promoting Positive Health [LLD][GP]
- H ED 415 Health Aspects of Aging [LLD][SJ]
- H ED 455 Community Organizing and Community Building for Health [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- HH 200 Holistic Approach to Academic Success [LLD]
- HH 205 Relaxation and Stress Reduction [LLD]
- HH 210 The Dao of Well-Being in Chinese Tradition [LLD][AERM]
- HH 380 Holistic Health: Western Perspectives [LLD][GP]
- HH 381 Holistic Health: Eastern Perspectives [LLD][GP]
- HH 382 Holistic Health: Human Nature and Global Perspectives [LLD]
- HH 383 Chinese Perspectives in Holistic Health [LLD]
- HH 420 Chinese Body-Mind Energetics [LLD]
- HH 430 Foundation of Biofeedback and Self Regulation [LLD]
- HH 433 Autogenic Training and Embodied Living [LLD]
- HH 450 Somatic Education and Holistic Health [LLD]
- HH 530 Herbal and Nutritional Principles in Chinese Healing [LLD]
- HH 535 Western Nutrition and Herbs [LLD][ES]
- HH 540 Meditation and Imagery in Healing [LLD][GP]
- HH 545 Imagery and Healing in Tibetan Culture [LLD][GP]
- HH 560 Naturopathic Medicine and Personal Wellness [LLD]
- HH 650 Anthroposophical Health Studies [LLD][GP]
- HH 660 Art as Healing [LLD]
- HH 670 Alternative Health Practices [LLD][GP]
- HH 690 Seminar: Psychophysiology of Healing [LLD]
- HSS 101 Introduction to Health and Human Services [LLD]
- ITEC 299 HOW 2 LRN W UR IPOD [LLD]
- KIN 255 Health-related Fitness and Wellness [LLD]
- KIN 331 Peak Performance [LLD]
- KIN 355 Science, Sport, and Fitness [LLD]
- LTNS 230 Introduction to Latina/o Literature [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- LTNS 530 Latino/as and the Media [LLD][AERM][SJ]
- MEIS 300 Foundations in Middle East and Islamic Studies [LLD][GP]
- PHIL 383 Ethics in Medicine [LLD][SJ]
- PHIL 494 Philosophy and Personal Development [LLD]
- PHIL 525/ The Nature of Religious Experience [LLD][GP]
- RELS 300 The Nature of Religious Experience [LLD][GP]
- PSY 200 General Psychology [LLD]
- RPT 120 Critical Thinking and the Leisure Experience [LLD]
- RPT 205 Enlightened and Sustainable Travel [LLD]
- RPT 240 Leisure and Contemporary Society [LLD]
- RPT 380 Developmental Play Processes [LLD]
- SCI 101 First Year Experience in Science and Engineering [LLD][ES]
- SXS 320/ Sex and Relationships [LLD]
- PSY 320 Sex and Relationships [LLD]
- SXS 469/ Sex and Morality [LLD]
- PHIL 445 Sex and Morality [LLD]
- SXS 551/ Queer Literatures and Media [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- WGS 551 Queer Literatures and Media [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
- WGS 200 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies [LLD][AERM][GP][SJ]
The General Education section of Undergraduate Education continues in General Education Program, Upper Division or visit our General Education Table of Contents.
