General Education-Breadth Requirements for Graduation from the California State Universities

Forty-eight units of general education are required to graduate from campuses of the CSU system. A maximum of 39 units may be certified by community colleges; nine units must be taken at the upper division level. Acceptable courses are grouped in five areas, A through E. A maximum of 30 units may be certified from Areas B through D collectively. Each area must be completed before it can be certified. The list of certifiable courses will be subject to change year to year, but students are assured that courses taken to meet General Education Breadth requirements will be honored if they are on the list during the year taken.

For full certification, no fewer than 39 units will be certified; for partial certifications, no fewer than 24 units will be certified. Certification includes not only courses taken at Taft College but also selected coursework taken at other regionally accredited colleges and universities. A single course will fulfill only one general education requirement even though it may be listed in more than one area.

The CSU General Education –Breadth Pattern is structured so that a student who completes the pattern will be assured of properly meeting the General Education-Breadth Requirements of CSU schools. Cumulative grade point average must be 2.0 or better for certification, and ‘C’ or better grades are required for areas A1, A2, A3 and B4. A maximum of 14 units of pass grades (formerly credit) can be used. Students who have attended other colleges are urged to consult with a counselor for advice on satisfying General Education-Breadth Requirements.

These are minimum requirements. Individual campuses of the CSU system have the authority to add to the General Education Breadth Requirements. Students are urged to contact a counselor for additional information regarding catalog rights.

CSU bound students can also choose to fulfill their lower division general education requirements by completing the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC). The IGETC can be used for either CSU or UC campuses. For full certification, no fewer than 37 units will be certified; for partial certifications, no more than two courses may be missing from the IGETC pattern. Courses completed must have a ‘C’ or better grade to be certified by Taft College.