Local Associate Degree General Education Requirements

This pattern is for students who began at SMC in fall 2025 or later, or those who have not maintained catalog rights. Students with earlier catalog rights can elect to follow this pattern if it's more advantageous. See a counselor for details.

To earn an Associate degree from Santa Monica College, a student must complete a minimum of 60 semester units with a C (2.0) grade point average or higher to include: Major/area of emphasis; either SMC GE or Cal-GETC (or CSU GE or IGETC for those with catalog rights); and Global Citizenship. Students intending to transfer to a 4-year institution should follow the Cal-GETC requirements. Consult a counselor for advice.

Students who are pursuing an ADT must follow Cal-GETC (or IGETC or CSU GE for those with catalog rights). Consult the ADT section for more information.

Students who earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher from an Institutionally Accredited Institution (formerly known as Regional Accreditation) will have satisfied the local SMC Associate GE requirements. A copy of the transcript must be on file with SMC admissions and records.

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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.
()	Course in parenthesis is no longer offered.
	Course satisfies SMC’s Global Citizenship Degree Requirement.

Area 1: English Composition, Oral Communication, and Critical Thinking

A minimum of 6 semester/8 quarter units including 1 course from A and 1 course from B:

English Composition: (minimum 3 semester/4 quarter units)
- BUS 31
- ENGL C1000 (formerly ENGL 1) or 1D
Oral Communication and Critical Thinking: (minimum 3 semester/4 quarter units)
- BUS 32
- COM ST 12, 16, 21
- COMM C1000 (formerly COM ST 11)
- ENGL C1001 (formerly ENGL 2)), 31
- HIST 47
- PHILOS 7

Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

A minimum of 3 semester/4 quarter units selected from:

ACCTG 1, 2, 45 (same as BUS 45)
BUS 45 (same as ACCTG 45)
COM ST 21, 31
CS 5, (6), 7, 15, 17, (18), 19, 20A, 20B, 30, 32, 33, 34A, 36, 37, 50, 51, 52, 53A, 53B, 54, 55, 56, 77B, 80, 81, 82, 83, 83R, 84, 85, 86, 87A, 87B
MATH 1, 1B or 1C (if Math 18, 20, or 50 level satisfied), 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 (formerly same as CS 10), 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 26, 28, 29, 32, 41, 49, 50, 55
STAT C1000 (formerly Math 54)
PHILOS 9
PSYCH 7
SOCIOL 4

Area 3: Arts and Humanities

A minimum of 3 semester/4 quarter units selected from:

AHIS 3, 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 52 (same as PHOTO 52), 71, 72, 80
ANIM 5 (formerly ET 61)
ARABIC 1
ART 10A*, 10B*, 13, 14, 20A*, 20B*, 40A*, 40B, 43A*, 43B
ARTH C1100 (formerly AHIS 1), C1200 (formerly AHIS 2)
ASL 1, 2
CHNESE 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
COM ST 12, 14
DANCE 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 19A, 20, 21A, 22A, 24, 25, 26A, 31A, 41A
ENGL C1001 (formerly ENGL 2), C1002, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, (11) (formerly same as FILM 11), 14, 15, 17, 18, 26 (same as HUM 26), 30A, 30B, 31, 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, 71, 72, 73, 74
ENVRN 20 (same as PHILOS 20)
FILM 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 (formerly same as ENGL 11), 14
FRENCH 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 20
GERMAN 1, 2, (3), 4, 8
HEBREW 1, 2, (3), 4, 8
HIST C1001 (formerly HIST 11), C1002 (formerly HIST 12), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 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, 28, 29, 32 (same as ENVRN 32), 33, 34 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 38, 39 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 41, 42, 43, (45), (46), 47, (48) (formerly same as PHILOS 48), 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, 8, 9
LING 1
MUSIC 1, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39, 60A*, 60B*, 66 (same as MUSIC 1 and MUSIC 60A)
PERSIN 1, 2
PHILOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, (6), 10, 11, 20 (same as ENVRN 20), 22, 23, (24), (41), (48), 51 (same as POL SC 51), 52 (same as POL SC 52)
PHOTO 52 (same as AHIS 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
TH ART 2, 5, 41, 48A
TURKSH (1)

* (May be 1, 1.5, or 2 unit course. Additional course may be required to meet minimum 3 unit Arts and Humanities requirement.)

Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences

A minimum of 3 semester/4 quarter units selected from:

AD JUS 1, 2
ANTHRO 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22
ASTRON 6
BUS 1
COM ST 9, 20, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 38
ECE 11
ECON C2001 (formerly ECON 1), C2002 (formerly ECON 2), 4 (same as ENVR 4), 5 (same as GLOBAL 5 and POL SC 5), 6, 8 (same as WGS 8), 15 (same as HIST 15)
ENVRN 4 (same as ECON 4), 7 (same as GEOG 7), 14 (sames as HIST 14), 22 (same as POL SC 22), 32 (same as HIST 32), 40 (same as PSYCH 40)
ETH ST 1, 6, 7, 8, 9
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 C1001 (formerly HIST 11), C1002 (formerly HIST 12), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 13, 14 (same as ENVRN 14), 15 (same as ECON 15), 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32 (same as ENVRN 32), 33, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 47, 51, 52, 53, 55, 62
MEDIA 1, 3 (same as GLOBAL 3), 4, 10
NUTR 7
PHILOS (48) (formerly same as HIST 48), 51 (same as POL SC 51), 52 (same as POL SC 52)
POLS C1000 (formerly POL SC 1)
POL SC 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)
PSYC C1000 (formerly PSYCH 1)
PSYCH 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 25, 40 (same as ENVRN 40)
SOCIOL 1, (1s), 2, 2s, 4, 12, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
SWHS 1
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 5: Natural Sciences

A minimum of 3 semester/4 quarter units selected from:

ANATMY 1 Lab Course, 2 Lab Course
ANTHRO 1, 5 Lab Course, 9, 10, 11
AQUA 1, 3
ASTRON 1, 2, 3 Lab Course, 4 Lab Course, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 (same as GEOL 10)
BIOL 2, 3 Lab Course, 9, 10 Lab Course, 15 Lab Course, 15N, 21 Lab Course, 22 Lab Course, 23 Lab Course, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36
BOTANY 1 Lab Course, 3
CHEM 9 Lab Course (satisfies GC if completed spring 2013 or later), 10 Lab Course, 11 Lab Course, 12 Lab Course, 19 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 22, 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 1, 3, 5 Lab Course, 9, 12 Lab Course (same as GEOL 12)
GEOL 1, 3, 4 Lab Course, 5 Lab Course, 6, 9, 10 (same as ASTRON 10), 12 Lab Course (same as GEOG 12), 31, 32
MCRBIO 1 Lab Course
NUTR 1
PHYS 3
PHYSCS 6 Lab Course, 7 Lab Course, 8 Lab Course, 9 Lab Course, 12, 14 Lab Course, 21 Lab Course, 22, 23 Lab Course, 24
Lab Course
PSYCH 2
ZOOL 5 Lab Course

Area 6: Ethnic Studies

Area 7: Global Citizenship

3 semester/4 quarter units from the courses listed below or successful completion of an SMC Study Abroad experience if completed spring 2008 or later (credit awarded through petition). NOTE: Many of these courses (noted with above) are also in GE areas 3, 4, 5, and 6 and can be used to satisfy BOTH areas.)

AHIS (1) (see ARTH C1100), (2) (see ARTH C1200), 3, 5, 6, 11, 17, 18, 21, 22, 71, 72, 80
ANTHRO 2, 14, 19, 21
AQUA 1
ARABIC 1
ARTH C1100 (formerly AHIS 1), C1200 (formerly AHIS 2)
ASL 1, 2
ASTRON 6
BIOL 9, 10 Lab Course, 15 Lab Course
BUS 51
CHEM 9 Lab Course (satisfies GC requirement if completed spring 2013 or later)
CHNESE 1, 2, 3, 4, 9
COM ST 14, 20, 36, 37, 310
DANCE 2, 5, 57A
ECE 11, (18), 19
ECON 4 (same as ENVRN 4), 5 (same as GLOBAL 5 and POL SC 5), 8 (same as WGS 8)
ENGL 9, 10, 49, 62
ENVRN 4 (same as ECON 4), 7 (same as GEOG 7), 14 (same as HIST 14), 20 (same as PHILOS 20), 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, 8
FILM 7, 14
FRENCH 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 20 (satisfies GC requirement if completed spring 2023 or later)
GEOG 7 (same as ENVRN 7), 9 (same as GEOL 9), 11 (same as GLOBAL 11), 14
GEOL 9 (same as GEOG 9)
GERMAN 1, 2, 3, 4
GLOBAL 3 (same as MEDIA 3), 5 (same as ECON 5 or POL SC 5), 10, 11 (same as GEOG 11)

HEALTH 60 (same as NURSNG 60)
HEBREW 1, 2, 3, 4
HIST 6, 10+ , 14 (same as ENVRN 14), 25 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 32 (same as ENVRN 32), 34 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later), 39 (satisfies GC requirement if completed fall 2014 or later)
HUM 9A
IARCA 56 (formerly INTARC 71)
ITAL 1, 2, 3, 4
JAPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 9
KOREAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 9
LING 1
MEDIA 3 (same as GLOBAL 3), 10+
MUSIC 29, 33+ , 36, 37+
NURSNG 60 (same as Health 60)
NUTR 7
PERSIN 1, 2
PHILOS 20 (same as ENVRN 20)
POL SC 5 (same as ECON 5 and GLOBAL 5), 21, 22 (same as ENVRN 22)
PORTGS 1, 2
PSYCH 8, (18), 33, 40 (satisfies GC requirement if completed Fall 2011 or later) (same as ENVRN 40)
RRM 1
RUSS 1, 2
SOCIOL 1s, 2s, 34
SPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 20, 25
TURKSH 1
WGS 8 (same as ECON 8), 10 (formerly WOM ST 10), 20 (formerly WOM ST 20), 30 (formerly WOM ST 30), 40

+ HIST 10, MEDIA 10, MUSIC 33, and 37 (satisfies area if completed fall 2013 or later) meet the UC Berkeley American Cultures graduation requirement.

Applying Exam Credit to SMC 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 SMC GE pattern.