FAQs & References

CSU Graduation Requirements in United States History, Constitution and American Ideals

Establishes for all CSU students a separate graduation requirement in United States History, Constitution and American Ideals  (informally abbreviated “American Institutions” or “AI”). As with lower-division general education, transfer students may fulfill six units in American Institutions coursework before or after matriculating to the CSU. Typically, students take courses that count for both AI and GE.

 
U.S History, Constitution, and American Ideals

The CSU’s Graduation Requirements in United States History, Constitution and American Ideals are established in (Executive Order 1061 ), separately from the areas of CSU GE Breadth. EO 1061 implements Title 5 Section 40404 of California’s Code of Regulations, which calls for study in three areas:

1.   The historical development of American institutions and ideals (Area US-1), 

2.   The Constitution of the United States and the operation of representative democratic government under that Constitution (Area US-2), and

3.   The process of California state and local government (Area US-3).

While Executive Order 1061 does not set a unit or course minimum for these areas, it’s unusual for a single course to adequately address all three. Instead, participating CCC submit a sequence of courses – typically including courses from their history and/or political science departments – that together meet the graduation requirement in American Institutions.

Military Service Credit

Credit for Prior Learning Policy  requires CSU campuses to evaluate prior learning, provide credit where appropriate, and shorten the time to academic objective accordingly. Completion of basic military training (boot camp) may be used to satisfy Area E in the university’s general education requirements.

 Completed military courses and the schools at which the work was completed must be documented on the veteran’s Joint Services Transcripts (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcripts. All CSU campuses have elected to honor CSU GE Breadth transfer certifications that clear Area E Lifelong Learning and Self-Development for completion of basic training as indicated on a JST or CCAF transcript.

 

Note: The CSU will honor completion of general education coursework at a CCC provided the course was on the approved GE certification list in ASSIST  at the time the course was completed.

"Golden Four" CSU GE Courses

Courses in GE Subareas A1, (oral communication in the English language), A2 (written communication in the English language), A3 (critical thinking) and B4 (mathematics/quantitative reasoning) are referred to as the “Golden Four” or “Basic Skills” courses. They are required for transfer admission to the CSU, and each of the four courses must be passed with a minimum grade of C-, per Title 5 Section 40803.

“Golden Four” courses required for transfer to the CSU:

  • A1 Oral Communication
  • A2 Written Communication
  • A3 Critical Thinking
  • B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning

GE policy does not prohibit students from satisfying the Golden Four requirements with Pass grades as long as the “P” represents a letter grade of C- or better. However, we recommend that students take these courses for a letter grade as some impacted majors and campuses may require letter grades in all required courses as a function of determining admission.

 

Note: The CSU will honor completion of general education coursework at a CCC provided the course was on the approved GE certification list in ASSIST  at the time the course was completed.

Legislation (AB 1460) - Bill Text - AB-1460 California State University: graduation requirement: ethnic studies. 

This graduation requirement shall not apply to a postbaccalaureate student who is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at the university if the student has satisfied either of the following:

(1) The student has earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.

(2) The student has completed an ethnic studies course at a postsecondary educational institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.

Fall 2021 Implementation Guidance for CSU General Education Policy and Transfer

Catalog Rights and Continuous Enrollment

The new General Education policy is effective fall 2021. In general, any student who begins their academic work at either a CCC or CSU fall 2021 and beyond will be required to complete the new general education requirements.

Students who began at a CCC or CSU prior to fall 2021, and maintained continuous enrollment, will not be held to the Ethnic Studies requirement due to their pre-2021 catalog rights.

GE Certification Prior to Fall 2021

The following guidance applies to students who attended a CCC, stopped out and did not maintain continuous enrollment. If a transcript indicates completion of any of the following, the student is NOT required to complete a course in Ethnic Studies prior to graduation:

  • Conferral of an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)
  • Fully CSU GE Breadth certified
  • Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) certified

If a student stops out before completing any of the above mentioned academic milestones and is admitted to the CSU in fall 2021 or beyond, then they may lose catalog rights to a pre-2021 year and will be required to complete a course in Area F Ethnic Studies after transfer.

Ethnic Studies Effective Dates - For CSU GE Breadth, Area F is Fall 2021 and beyond. For IGETC Area 7 is Fall 2023 and beyond.

Grade Requirement - As Area F is not in the "Golden Four", any passing grade is accepted.

CSU GE Area F 4 Core Groups - African American, Asian American, Native American, Latina and Latino American. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System 

 

Core Competencies - The course must have at least 3 of the 5 CSU Area F OR IGETC Area 7 core competencies (Fall 2023 and beyond) in order for approval.

CSU GE Breadth Requirements for Area F (effective Fall 2021)

1. Analyze and articulate concepts such as race and racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethno-centrism, eurocentrism, white supremacy, self-determination, liberation, decolonization, sovereignty, imperialism, settler colonialism, and anti-racism as analyzed in any one or more of the following: Native American Studies, African American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Latina and Latino American Studies.

2. Apply theory and knowledge produced by Native American, African American, Asian American, and/or Latina and Latino American communities to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived experiences and social struggles of those groups with a particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation.

3. Critically analyze the intersection of race and racism as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, religion, spirituality, national origin, immigration status, ability, tribal citizenship, sovereignty, language, and/or age in Native American, African American, Asian American, and/or Latina and Latino American communities.

4. Critically review how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity, and liberation, as experienced and enacted by Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans and/or Latina and Latino Americans are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics as, for example, in immigration, reparations, settler-colonialism, multiculturalism, language policies.

5. Describe and actively engage with anti-racist and anti-colonial issues and the practices and movements in Native American, African American, Asian American and/or Latina and Latino communities to build a just and equitable society.

Note: Please do not modify CSU core competencies.

Legislation (AB 1460) - Bill Text - AB-1460 California State University: graduation requirement: ethnic studies. 

This graduation requirement shall not apply to a postbaccalaureate student who is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at the university if the student has satisfied either of the following:

(1) The student has earned a baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.

(2) The student has completed an ethnic studies course at a postsecondary educational institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency.

Fall 2023 Implementation Guidance for CSU General Education Policy and Transfer

Catalog Rights and Continuous Enrollment

The new IGETC Standards 2.4  includes Area 7 Ethnic Studies effective fall 2023. In general, any student who begins their academic work at a CCC fall 2023 and beyond will be required to complete the new Area 7 general education requirement for IGETC.

Students who began at a CCC or CSU prior to fall 2023, and maintained continuous enrollment, will not be held to the Area 7 Ethnic Studies requirement based on their pre-2023 catalog rights.

IGETC Certification Prior to Fall 2023

The following guidance applies to students who attended a CCC, stopped out and did not maintain continuous enrollment. If a transcript indicates completion of any of the following, the student is NOT required to complete a course in Ethnic Studies prior to graduation:

  • Conferral of an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)
  • Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) certified

If a student stops out before completing any of the above-mentioned academic milestones and is admitted to the CSU in fall 2023 or beyond, then they may lose catalog rights to a pre-2023 year and will be required to complete the Ethnic Studies general education requirement.

IGETC Area 7

IGETC Standards 2023 v2.4.pdf
(PDF, 2.83 MB)

CCC Courses for Area 7 (effective Fall 2023)

  1. CCC courses for Area 7 could be written with both CSU and UC Ethnic Studies Core Competencies requirements in mind, but the courses must meet either the CSU or UC Ethnic Studies Core Competencies requirement.
  2. A course meeting the CSU Ethnic Studies Core Competencies requirement will be deemed to have met the UC Ethnic Studies Core Competencies requirement. Similarly, a course meeting the UC Ethnic Studies Core Competencies requirement will be deemed to have met the CSU Ethnic Studies Core Competencies requirement. 

Please contact chase.fischerhall@ucop.edu and qchapman@calstate.edu if you have questions about IGETC Area 7.

Qualification for Certification

A CCC may certify coursework completed at another CCC if the courses are on the approved certification list at the CCC. The course shall be certified in the CSU GE Breadth area that is on the official certification list for the CCC at which the course was taken.

Example

A student is currently attending CCC #2. The student completed HIST 106 at CCC #1 which is approved in Area D (Social Sciences). However, HIST 106 is approved at CCC #2 in Area C2 (Humanities). CCC #2 will “pass-along” HIST 106 from CCC #1 in Area D (Social Sciences) for CSU GE Breadth certification.

If so identified by a CCC, those courses shall contribute to qualification of a student for either full certification or subject-area certification, as appropriate.

A CCC may include upper-division courses taken at institutionally accredited institutions in certification of lower-division CSU GE or IGETC.

Coursework completed at institutionally accredited institutions shall be reviewed for certification purposes by the CCC faculty in the discipline or their designee (e.g., Articulation Officer) to determine if the course is comparable to current CSU GE Breadth requirements.

A CCC may certify coursework taken at institutionally accredited institutions if the discipline faculty of that CCC or the Articulation Officer determine that the coursework is equivalent to the coursework on their college’s approved CSU GE Breadth certification list.

 

Note: The CSU will honor completion of general education coursework at a CCC provided the course was on the approved GE certification list in ASSIST  at the time the course was completed.

Transfer and Articulation Certification of Courses

The CSU will honor completion of lower-division general education coursework at a CCC provided the course was on the approved GE certification list in ASSIST  at the time the course was completed.

Cal-GETC

Catalog Rights Chart

CIAC Presentations

California MAP Initiative

CSU Partnering to Prepare Our Students for Success

California Community Colleges Dashboard

College Search

CSU Transfer Centers

CSU Bakersfield - Transfer Resource Center 

CSU Dominguez Hills - Transfer Student Success Hub 

Fresno State - Transfer Success Center 

Cal State Long Beach - Beach Transfer Transition Center (BTTC) 

CSU Monterey Bay - Transfer Student Success Center 

Cal Poly Pomona - PolyTransfer Program 

Cal Poly SLO - Cal Poly Transfer Center 

Cal State San Bernardino - Transfer Student Success Center 

San Diego State - Transfer Student Success 

 

Articulation Officer Resources

Admission Handbook (pdf)

California MAP Initiative Introductory Video 

Campus Admission-Specific Practices and Enrollment Resources (CASPER)

CCC Transfer Counselor Website | GE, Academic Renewal, ADT, Catalogs and Centers 

Counselor Resources 

TMC Similar Major Search for Articulation Officers

Troops to College

Veteran Success Centers

Independent and Private Institutions

Note: The private and independent CSU GE certification lists are the last recorded documents by the CSU Office of the Chancellor. CSU campuses may continue to articulate courses that meet GE requirements from other institutionally accredited colleges or universities. However, only CCCs may participate in the annual Cal-GETC certification process (CSU GE Requirements , Article 5. Transfer and Articulation).