The General Education Program

Introduction of the Program

The California State University (CSU) requires that each baccalaureate graduate has completed a program of general education breadth requirements in addition to a major program of study. The general education program is designed to ensure that graduates “have made noteworthy progress toward becoming truly educated persons.” Although the general areas of study and minimum unit requirements within them are prescribed by the CSU Board of Trustees, the individual campuses are given the authority to set course requirements within those areas, to add other requirements, and to enact other regulations. California State University, Los Angeles has designed its general education program within these guidelines.

Each baccalaureate student who entered Cal State LA Fall 2025 or later and who is subject to requirements in the 2025-26 or any later catalog shall complete the general education program described below, in consultation with an adviser. The requirements include a minimum of 34 lower-division units and 9 upper-division units selected from the three areas (Subject Areas [2 or 5], 3, and 4) for a total of 43 semester units. In addition, at least 9 of the upper-division units must be earned at Cal State LA or at another CSU. Students must complete two diversity (d) courses (at least one of which meets the (re) requirements) which may be completed at either the lower or upper-division level of the General Education program. Students are urged to consult an academic adviser in their major department/division/school or college-based advisement center in selecting general education courses.

Departments, divisions, and schools that require of their majors’ specific courses that are certified by the offering department, division, or school as at least equivalent to the general education courses in a given subject may permit approved G.E. replacements courses, with the exception of the lower division Block F Ethnic Studies requirement. Only approved Area 6 courses will satisfy the Area 6 requirement.

Certification of General Education

Under the provisions that govern general education within the CSU, regionally accredited, participating colleges and universities may certify the completion of a portion of the 43-semester units required in general education.

Certification is not automatic; each student must request it. In addition, all participating colleges and universities have their own policies governing certification. Students are strongly advised to read their college or university catalog carefully and to consult an advisor for details about individual regulations and restrictions.

Students who transfer to Cal State LA who were certified as having completed the lower-division general education requirements under previous requirements by the institution where they took those classes but who have not maintained continuous attendance must complete Cal State LA’s upper-division general education requirements.

Philosophy and Goals of the General Education Program

California State University, Los Angeles is a comprehensive institution that offers educational opportunities to its students who are as varied as the city’s population. Cal State LA. has a special mission to provide an educational experience that recognizes and takes full advantage of this diversity, while emphasizing the knowledge, experiences, and ethical concerns common to all people.

The General Education program enriches the lives of students as they acquire knowledge, learn to think critically, and use methodologies of the various disciplines. Students also learn to prepare for participation in a democracy, to appreciate a sense of shared cultural heritage, and to understand the environment. Students experience self-discovery and personal growth and recognize them as lifelong processes.

General Education Mission Statement

General Education prepares students for advanced study in their chosen academic disciplines and provides a broad foundation for a lifetime of intellectual discovery and personal and professional development. The mission of the General Education program at Cal State LA is:

• to prepare students with the intellectual skills and habits necessary for success;
• to provide students with a breadth of knowledge through focused study in a range of disciplines and disciplinary-specific ways of knowing;
• to encourage students to bridge disciplines and disciplinary-specific ways of knowing;
• to develop students who are informed citizens and reflective and ethical thinkers actively committed to improving their local and global communities; and
• to encourage students to become self-motivated and self-directed lifelong learners and leaders in their communities.

Outcomes of the General Education Program

The General Education program at Cal State LA is defined by a set of learning outcomes that are aligned with the Cal State LA Institutional Learning outcomes and the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) outcomes promoted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and adopted by the California State University System.

Knowledge: Mastery of Content and Processes of Inquiry

Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the physical and natural world.
• demonstrate an understanding of contemporary events within political and historical contexts.
• demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of cultures and communities in the United States and abroad.
• demonstrate an understanding of constructions, institutions, and structures of power and privilege in societies as well as strategies used to challenge existing inequalities.
• demonstrate an understanding of a range of disciplinary ways of knowing.
• demonstrate an understanding of creative expression in the context of the relevant art form and intellectual history.
• demonstrate an understanding of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic class

Proficiency: Intellectual Skills

Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:

• demonstrate civic literacy that would enable them to participate effectively in a democratic society  
• use inquiry processes, including quantitative and qualitative reasoning and critical and creative thinking, to engage with contemporary and enduring questions.       
• find, use, evaluate, and process information in order to engage in complex decision-making and problem-solving.
• read, speak, and write effectively.
• demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively.

Engagement: Local and Global Communities

Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:

• demonstrate the capacity to engage meaningfully with diverse communities.
• demonstrate an understanding of how individuals affect society and the environment.
• demonstrate the capacity to make well informed, ethical, and socially responsible decisions.
• demonstrate an understanding of the interconnectedness of local and global communities.
• demonstrate literacy in the perspectives and needs of individuals and groups.

Transformation: Integrative Learning

Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:

• integrate academic learning with life through project-based experiences.
• integrate their knowledge, skills, and experience to address complex, enduring, and emerging issues.

The Structure of the General Education Program

The CSU campus general education requirements are structured so that introductory courses are taken prior to participation in integrative experiences. Students are expected to complete Areas 1A, 1B, 1C, and Area 2 before enrolling in any upper-division general education course. All courses approved for general education credit, including those lower-division courses that also earn credit toward a major, are mandated to require the practice of writing in English including, where appropriate, library assignments. Evaluation of writing is included in all courses. Students must also earn minimum C grades (2.0 G.P.A.) in Areas of 3, 4, 5, and 6.

• A grade of C- or better is required in each CSU or transfer course in English composition (Area 1A), critical thinking (Area 1B), oral communication (Area 1C) and mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning (Area 2). (Title 5 Sections 40803, 40804, 40804.1).
• Each CSU campus shall establish the minimum grades for satisfactory completion of remaining GE courses subject to reciprocity requirements (specified in Section 5.3.6 of the GE policy, PolicyStat ID 13059034).

Notes:

• K = Knowledge: content and processes of inquiry;
• P = Proficiency: Intellectual Skills;
• E = Engagement: Local and Global Communities;
• T = Transformation: Integrative and Lifelong Learning

Configuration of the Content (Subject Areas) in the General Education Program

Lower Division General Education Requirement (34 units)

• Subject Area 1:  English Communication (9 units, one course from each subarea)
  • Area 1A - English Composition (3 units) *
  • Area 2A - Critical Thinking (3 units) *
  • Area 3A - Oral Communication (3 units) *
• Subject Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning  (3 units, one course)
  • Area 2 - Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units) *
• Subject Area 3: Arts and Humanities (6 units, one course from each sunarea)
  • Area 3A - Arts (3 units)
  • Area 3B - Humanities (3 units)
• Subject Area 4:  Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 units, one course from each subarea)
  • Area 4 - Social & Behavioral Sciences (3 units)
  • Area 4 -  American Institutions: US Constitution & State/Local Government (3 units) 
• Subject Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences (7 units, one course from each subarea. 
  • Area 5A - Physical Science (3 units) 
  • Area 5B - Biological Science (3 units) 
  • Area 5C -  Laboratory (1 unit, maybe embedded in 5A or 5B courses) 
• Subject Area 6: Ethnic Studies (3 units, one course)
  • Area 6 - Ethnic Studies (3 units)

Notes:   * A grade of C- or better is needed to satisfy the GE requirement for these courses. This does not apply to meet the prerequisite for courses that require these courses to be completed with a grade of or better.

Upper Division General Education Requirement (9 units)

Students will be required to complete one upper-division GE course in each of the three following subject areas.

• Subject Areas 2 or 5: Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning or Physical & Biological Sciences  (3 units, one course)
• Subject Area 3: Arts and Humanities (3 units, one course)
• Subject Area 4: Social Sciences (3 units, one course)

University Requirements

Diversity Requirement (6 units)

Students will be required to complete two courses (six units) certified as diversity courses designated with (d), at least one focusing on issues of race and ethnicity and their intersectionality with other social categories that structure inequality in society designated with (re). These courses can be completed either at the lower-division or upper-division level from among courses satisfying GE requirements.

Civic Learning/Community Engagement Requirement (6 units)

Students are required to complete a total of six semester-units, three units will be fulfilled by completing the IHE course in the freshman year. The other 3 units must be completed at the upper-division General Education level. The Civic Learning or Community Engagement component designated with (cl).

Writing Intensive Requirement (6 units)

Students will complete at least two writing-intensive designated as (wi) courses with at least one in the major. 

General Education Lower Division Courses

Location(s): Chino Site - CIM, DTLA Campus, Lancaster Site, Main Campus

• General Education (GE) requirements must add up to at least 43-semester units - 32 Lower Division and 9 Upper Division units.
• An Introduction to Higher Education course  (IHE) is required of all first-time freshmen.
• A minimum C- grade in Subject Areas 1A, 1B, 1C, and  Subject Area 2 classes is required. This does not apply to meet the prerequisite for courses that require these courses to be completed with a grade of C or better.   
• Civic Learning/Community Engagement Requirement  (cl)  - a total of 6 semester units, 3-semester units will be fulfilled by completing the IHE course. One (cl) course must be completed at the upper-division general education level. These courses are designated as (cl) before the course listing.
• Diversity Requirement  (d) or (re) - a total of 6-semester units; students must complete one race/ethnicity (re) course and one diversity (d) course or another race/ethnicity (re) course. These courses are designated as (re) or (d) before the course listing.
• Writing Intensive Requirement  (wi) - a total of 6-semester units; students must complete two writing-intensive (wi) courses, with at least one in their major. These courses are designated as (wi) before the course listing.
• For all students following the Fall 2021 or later Catalog, 3 units of Ethnic Studies is required and can only be satisfied with approved Subject Area 6 courses (no substitutions).

General Education Upper Division Courses

Location(s): Chino Site - CIM, Chino Site - CIW, DTLA Campus, Lancaster Site, Main Campus

As part of the General Education program, students are required to complete nine units of upper division general education courses distributed across the three subject areas:

• Subject Areas 2 or 5: Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning or Physical & Biological Sciences (3 units)
• Subject Area 3: Arts and Humanities (3 units)
• Subject Area 4: Social Sciences (3 units)

Students are required to complete two courses (six units) certified as diversity (d) courses. At least one of these courses must focus on issues of race and ethnicity (re) and their intersectionality with other social categories that structure inequality in society. These courses can be completed either at the lower division or upper division level from among courses satisfying G.E. requirements.Courses listed with the course code preceded by the designation (d) indicate those approved to meet the Diversity requirement and those with an (re) prefix satisfy the Race and Ethnicity requirement.

Students who have completed the upper division requirement are deemed to be “G.E. satisfied” at the upper division level.  

General Education Courses for Majors

Location(s): Chino Site - CIM, DTLA Campus, Lancaster Site, Main Campus

In addition to the approved lower and upper-division courses listed in the Catalog, the following courses also satisfy General Education (GE) requirements.  However, enrollment is typically restricted to students in specific majors.  Students get appropriate GE credit for passing these courses even if they change out of the majors indicated below.  Please refer to all requirements for your major to confirm the GE courses that are recommended for or required for students in your major and catalog term. There may be other courses not listed here, especially if they need to be taken in addition to other major courses in order to fully satisfy GE subject areas.