CSU General Education Requirements

This pattern is for students who began at a CSU or California Community College fall 2021 or later and have maintained continuous enrollment as defined by the CSU System. See a counselor for details.

Students may follow the pattern of study outlined below or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) to meet lower-division general education requirements for the CSU system.

SMC does not accept foreign coursework from non-U.S. regionally accredited institutions to meet CSU GE requirements.
Important: Courses in Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4 must be completed with a grade of C- or higher in each course
For information regarding “CSU Certification” see the Transfer section of the catalog.

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Key to Symbols Used

Symbol	What it means
("same as..." or "formerly same as...")	Courses that are (or were previously) offered in more than one discipline (cross-listed). Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. See course descriptions for details.
	Course is listed in more than one GE area, but cannot be used to satisfy requirements in more than one area.
	Transfer credit may be limited by UC, CSU, or both.
()	Course in parenthesis is no longer offered.
	Course satisfies SMC’s Global Citizenship Degree Requirement.

Area A: English Language and Critical Thinking (9 semester or 12 quarter units; one course from each group completed)

A1: 1 course; must be completed with a C- (C minus) or higher (3 semester/4-5 quarter units)

COM ST 11, 12, 16, 21

A2: 1 course; must be completed with a C- (C minus) or higher (3 semester/4-5 quarter units)

ENGL 1 or 1D

A3: 1 course; must be completed with a C- (C minus) or higher (3 semester/4-5 quarter units)

BUS 32
COM ST 21
ENGL 2, 31
HIST 47
PHILOS 7, 9 (satisfies area if completed fall 2011 or later)

Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (9 semester units or 12 quarter units)

1 course is required from B1; 1 course is required from B2; 1 course is required from B4. The course in B4 must be completed with a C- (C minus) or higher. One of the courses from B1 or B2 must include a lab (courses with a laboratory component are designated in B3 and are bold in lists B1 and B2):

B1: Physical Science Courses (1 course required)

ASTRON 1, 2, 3 Lab Course, 4 Lab Course, 5, 7, 8, 10 (same as GEOL 10)
CHEM 9 Lab Course (satisfied GC requirement if completed spring 2013 or later), 10 Lab Course, 11 Lab Course, 12 Lab Course, 19 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 22, 31 Lab Course (Note: CHEM 9 is a terminal GE course, CHEM 19 is intended for CSU nursing majors and CHEM 10 is for STEM majors)
GEOG 1, 3, 5 Lab Course, 12 Lab Course (same as GEOL 12)
GEOL 1, 3, 4 Lab Course, 5 Lab Course, 10 (same as ASTRON 10), 12 Lab Course (same as GEOG 12), 31, 32 Lab Course
PHYSCS 6 Lab Course, 7 Lab Course, 8 Lab Course, 9 Lab Course, 12, 14 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 22 Lab Course, 23 Lab Course, 24 Lab Course

B2: Biological Science Courses (1 course required)

ANATMY 1 Lab Course, 2 Lab Course
ANTHRO 1, 5 Lab Course, 9, 11
BIOL 2, 3 Lab Course, 9, 10 Lab Course, 15 Lab Course, 15N, 21 Lab Course, 22 Lab Course, 23 Lab Course
BOTANY 1 Lab Course, 3 Lab Course
MCRBIO 1 Lab Course

NUTR 1 (satisfies area if completed fall 2011 or later)
PHYS 3 Lab Course
PSYCH 2
ZOOL 5 Lab Course

B3: Science Courses With Laboratory Component: (1 course required, but may also be satisfied by bold courses in Group 5A or 5B)

ANATMY 1 Lab Course, 2 Lab Course
ANTHRO 5 Lab Course
ASTRON 3 Lab Course, 4 Lab Course
BIOL 3 Lab Course, 10 Lab Course, 15 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 22 Lab Course, 23 Lab Course
BOTANY 1 Lab Course, 3 Lab Course
CHEM 9 Lab Course, 10 Lab Course, 11 Lab Course, 12 Lab Course, 19 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 24 Lab Course, 31 Lab Course (Note: CHEM 9 is a terminal GE course, CHEM 19 is intended for CSU nursing majors and CHEM 10 is for STEM majors)

GEOG 5 Lab Course, 12 Lab Course (same as GEOL 12)
GEOL 4 Lab Course, 5 Lab Course, 12 Lab Course (same as GEOG 12)
32 Lab Course
MCRBIO 1 Lab Course
PHYS 3 Lab Course
PHYSCS 6 Lab Course, 7 Lab Course, 8 Lab Course, 9 Lab Course, 14 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 22 Lab Course, 23 Lab Course, 24 Lab Course
ZOOL 5 Lab Course

B4: Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning: 1 course (3 semester/4-5 quarter units)

ACCTG 45 (satisfies area if completed fall 2018 or later) (same as BUS 45)
BUS 45 (satisfies area if completed fall 2018 or later) (same as ACCTG 45)

MATH 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 21, 26, 28, 29, 41, 54

Area C: Arts and Humanities

3 courses (9 semester/12 quarter units), with at least one course from C1 (Arts) and one course from C2 (Humanities):

C1: Arts: (at least one course)

AHIS 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 52 (same as PHOTO 52), 71, 72
ANIM 5 (formerly ET 61)
ART 10A, 10B, 13, 20A, 20B, 40A, 40B
DANCE 2, 5, 6
ENGL 26 (same as HUM 26), 55 (formerly same as TH ART 7)
FILM 1, 2, 6, 8
HUM 26 (same as ENGL 26)
MUSIC 1, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39, 60A, 60B
PHOTO 52 (same as AHIS 52)
TH ART 2, 5, 41

C2: Humanities: (at least one course)

AHIS 18
ARABIC 1
ASL 1, 2
CHNESE 1, 2, 3, 4, 9
COM ST 12, 14
ECON 15 (same as HIST 15)
ENGL 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 26 (same as HUM 26), 32 (formerly same as HIST 30), 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 49, 50, 51 (same as REL ST 51), 52 (same as REL ST 52), 53, 54, 55 (formerly same as TH ART 7), 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64
ENVRN 20 (same as PHILOS 20)
FILM 5, 6, 7, 11 (formerly same as ENGL 11)
FRENCH 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
GERMAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8
HEBREW 1, 2, 3, 4, 8
HIST 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 (same as ECON 15), 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 26, 29, 33, 34 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 41, 43, 52, 53, 55, 62

HUM 9A, 26 (same as ENGL 26)
ITAL 1, 2, 3, 4, 8
JAPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
KOREAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 9
LING 1 (satisfies area if completed fall 2014 or later)
PERSIN 1, 2
PHILOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 20 (same as ENVRN 20), 22, 23, 24, 48 (formerly same as HIST 48), 51 (same as POL SC 51), 52 (same as POL SC 52)
POL SC 51 (same as PHILOS 51), 52 (same as PHILOS 52)
PORTGS 1, 2
REL ST 51 (same as ENGL 51), 52 (same as ENGL 52)
RUSS 1, 2, 8
SPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 20
TURKSH 1

Area D: Social Sciences: 3 courses (6 semester/9 quarter units)

AD JUS 1
ANTHRO 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22
ASTRON 6
COM ST 9, 20, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 38 (same as ETH ST 38)
ECE 11 (satisfies area if completed fall 2010 or later)
ECON 1, 2, 4 (same as ENVRN 4), 5 (same as GLOBAL 5 and POL SC 5), 6, 8 (same as WGS 8), 15 (same as HIST 15)
ENGL 32
ENVRN 4 (same as ECON 4), 7 (same as GEOG 7), 14 (same as HIST 14), 22 (same as POL SC 22), 32 (same as HIST 32), 40 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2011 or later) (same as PSYCH 40)
ETH ST 6, 7, 10 (same as MEDIA 10), 38 (same as COM ST 38)
GEOG 2, 7 (same as ENVRN 7), 8 (same as URBAN 8), 11 (same as GLOBAL 11), 14
GLOBAL 3 (same as MEDIA 3), 5 (same as ECON 5 and POL SC 5), 10, 11 (same as GEOG 11)
HIST 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (same as ENVRN 14), 15 (same as ECON 15), 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 26, 27, 28, 29, 32 (same as ENVRN 32), 33, 34 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 later), 38, 39 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 41, 42, 43, 47, 51, 52, 55 , 62

MEDIA 1 (formerly Communication 1), 3 (same as GLOBAL 3), 4, 10 (formerly Communication 10)
NUTR 7
PHILOS 48 (formerly same as HIST 48), 51 (same as POL SC 51), 52 (same as POL SC 52)
POL SC 1, 2, 3, 5 (same as ECON 5 and GLOBAL 5), 7, 8, 11, 14, 21, 22 (same as ENVRN 22), 23, 24, 31, 47, 51 (same as PHILOS 51), 52 (same as PHILOS 52)
PSYCH 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 25, 40 (same as ENVRN 40) (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2011 or later)
SOCIOL 1, 1s, 2, 2s, 4, 12, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
SPAN 9 , 20
URBAN 8 (same as GEOG 8)
WGS 8 (same as ECON 8), 10 (formerly WOM ST 10), 20 (formerly WOM ST 20), 30 (formerly WOM ST 30), 40

Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 semester or 4-5 quarter units)

BIOL 2, 9
BUS 47 (same as COUNS 47) (satisfies area if completed fall 2014 or later)
COUNS 11B, 12, 20, 47 (same as BUS 47) (satisfies area if completed fall 2014 or later)
DANCE 29
ENGL 31
HEALTH 10, 21

KIN PE 1A, 2, 4, 5A, 5B, 5C, 7C, 9A, 9B, 9C, 9W, 10A, 10C, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11N, 12, 13, 14A, 14B, 14C, 15A, 16A, 16B, 17, 18, 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E, 21, 21C, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 35A, 35B, 41M, 41W, 43A, 43B, 43C, 43D, 45A, 45B, 45C, 45D, 46, 48A, 48B, 48C, 48D, 49A, 49C, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 51A, 51B, 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B, 54A, 54B, 54C, 54D, 56A, 56B, 56C, 56D, 57A, 57B, 57C, 58A, 58B, 58C, 59A, 59B, 59C – ALL activity courses (however there is a 2 unit maximum limit; see assist.org for a detailed list of courses that apply)
NUTR 1, 4
PSYCH 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 13, 19, 25, 33
VAR PE 9V, 9W, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 14V, 14W, 20V, 21V, 43V, 43W, 45W, 48W, 50V, 50W, 54W, 56V, 56W, 57V, 57W, 59W, 60

Area F: Ethnic Studies (3 semester or 4-5 quarter units)

ET ST 1

Students may opt to take a course that fulfils this requirement at another California Community College. You can check CVC.edu for online courses that fulfill this area. To find a course, naviate to cvc.edu and after typing in the Primary California College, select CSU Breadth Requirements and then CSU GE F - Ethnic Studies from the dropdown menu. A demonstration video of using the CVC Exchange is available here.

CSU Graduation Requirements in US History, Constitution, and American Ideal

Note: Not part of the IGETC requirements, but may be completed prior to transfer. Courses used to meet this requirement may also be used to satisfy other requirements for CSU GE.

American History and Institutions - 6 semester units; one course selected from each group (which may be credited toward satisfying requirements from Areas 3 and 4.)

US GROUP 1:

ECON 15 (same as HIST 15)
ENVRN 14 (same as HIST 14)
HIST 10, 11, 12, 14 (same as ENVRN 14), 15 (same as ECON 15), 41

US GROUP 2 & 3:

POL SC 1

Applying Exam Credit To CSU GE

See the “Credit by Exam” charts at the end of this chapter for a list of the AP, IB, and CLEP exams that may be used on the CSU GE pattern.