The General Education Program

​Updated 2023.07

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 2021 or later and who is subject to requirements in the 2021-22 or any later catalog shall complete the general education program described below, in consultation with an adviser. The requirements include a minimum of 39 lower-division units and 9 upper-division units selected from the three areas (Natural Sciences and Quantitative Reasoning; Arts and Humanities; and Social Sciences) for a total of 48-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 Block F courses will satisfy the Block F 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 48-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 general education breadth requirements are structured so that introductory courses are taken prior to participation in integrative experiences. Students are expected to complete the general education requirements in written and oral communication, critical thinking, and mathematics, and general education prerequisite courses 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 all basic subjects courses (A1, A2, A3, and B4).

• A grade of C- or better is needed to satisfy the GE requirement for these courses.
• All basic subjects must be completed within the first 30 semester units counted toward the baccalaureate degree.

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 Areas (Blocks) in the General Education Program

Lower Division General Education Requirement (39 units)

• Block A1: Oral Communication (3 units)*
• Block A2: Written Communication (3 units)*
• Block A3: Critical Thinking and Composition (3 units)*

• Block B1: Physical Science (3 units)
• Block B2: Biological Science (3 units)
• Block B3: Interdisciplinary Physical/Biological Science (3 units)

• Block B4: Mathematics or Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)*

• Block C1: Arts (3 units)
• Block C2: Humanities (3 units)

Upper Division General Education Requirement (9 units)

University Requirements

Diversity Requirement (6 units)

Civic Learning/Community Engagement Requirement (3 units)

Writing Intensive Requirement