General Education Area (2025)

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General Education Area (2025) displays the Course Attribute Values for the subset of General Education Requirement Course Attributes.

Metadata
Data Custodian
Academic and Centralized Scheduling
Data Source
Source System:CMS - SA
Source Table Name:PS_CRSE_ATTR_VALUE
Source Field Name:DESCR
Census Process:N/A
Logical Transformation / Calculation
N/A
Dataset Folder and Field Name
Dataset Folder:Class Attributes
Field Name:General Education Area (2025)

Courses can have multiple GE Class Areas or Course Attribute Values associated with them.

General Education Changes in Fall 2025 and Beyond

Beginning in Fall 2025, the GE requirements in the CSU changed from the GE pattern that has existed since Fall 2021. The revised CSU GE Requirements was approved by the CSU Board of Trustees in March 2024 to provide an equitable experience for all CSU students. This goal stemmed from the passage of California Assembly Bill 928 (AB 928), the Student Transfer Achievement Reform (STAR) Act of 2021, which mandates a singular lower-division GE pattern, known as the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), for students transferring from the California Community Colleges to the CSU or the University of California. Effective Fall 2025, Cal-GETC became the only GE transfer pattern offered by the California Community Colleges.[1]

Comparison of General Education Categories [2]
CSU GE Breadth

Fall 2021–Summer 2025

CSU GE Requirements

Fall 2025+

Cal-GETC

Fall 2025+

Lower DivisionArea A: Communication in English Language and Critical Thinking
  •  A1 Oral Communication — 3 units
  • A2 Written Communication — 3 units
  • A3 Critical Thinking — 3 units

Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning

  • B1 Physical Science — 3 units
  • B2 Life Science — 3 units
  • B3 Laboratory Activity — 0–1 unit
  • B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning — 3 units

Area C: Arts and Humanities

  • C1 Arts — 3 units
  • C2 Humanities — 3 units
  • Additional C1 or C2 — 3 units

Area D: Social Sciences — two courses, 6 units^

Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-Development — 3 units

Area F: Ethnic Studies — one course, 3 units

Total: 39–40 units

Lower DivisionArea 1: English Communication
  • 1A English Composition — 3 units
  • 1B Critical Thinking — 3 units
  • 1C Oral Communication — 3 units

Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning — 3 units

Area 3: Arts and Humanities

  • 3A Arts — 3 units
  • 3B Humanities — 3 units

Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences — two courses, 6 units*

Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences

  • 5A Physical Science — 3 units
  • 5B Biological Science — 3 units
  • 5C Laboratory — 1 unit; may be embedded in 5A or 5B

Area 6: Ethnic Studies — one course, 3 units

Total: 34 units

Lower DivisionArea 1: English Communication
  • 1A English Composition — 3 units
  • 1B Critical Thinking and Composition — 3 units
  •  1C Oral Communication — 3 units

Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning — 3 units

Area 3: Arts and Humanities

  • 3A Arts — 3 units
  • 3B Humanities — 3 units

Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences — two courses in two different disciplines, 6 units

Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences

  • 5A Physical Science — 3 units
  • 5B Biological Science — 3 units
  • 5C Laboratory — 1 unit; may be embedded in 5A or 5B

Area 6: Ethnic Studies — one course, 3 units

Total: 34 units

Upper-division GE: 9 units
  • One course in Area B
  • One course in Area C
  • One course in Area D^

^Area D requires two different disciplines across the 9 units.

Upper-division GE: 9 units
  • One course in Area 2 or 5
  • One course in Area 3
  • One course in Area 4*

*Area 4 requires two different disciplines across the 9 units.

Cal-GETC is the lower-division transfer pattern for California community-college students transferring to CSU or UC.
  • Cal-GETC certification covers 34 lower-division units only.
  • After transfer to a CSU, Cal-GETC-certified students complete 9 units of upper-division GE.

Note: CSU GE Requirements and Cal-GETC use aligned Area 1–6 labels but are not identical patterns. For example, Cal-GETC Area 1B is Critical Thinking and Composition, while CSU GE Area 1B is Critical Thinking.

Business Rules

Class sections inherit the GE Class Attribute/Values from Catalog.

See the Catalog for additional information on General Education requirements.

Examples

  • 1A English Composition
  • 1B Critical Thinking
  • 1C Oral Communication
  • 2 Math Concepts & Quant Reason
  • etc...

See Also

References

  1. The California State University. CSU General Education (GE). https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/administration/academic-affairs/academic-programs-innovation-and-faculty-excellence/program-development/Pages/csu-general-education.aspx
  2. The California State University. GE Comparison Trifold update July 2, 2025. CSU GE Comparison Trifold