Navigating General Education Requirements at California Community Colleges
General education (GE) requirements at California Community Colleges (CCCs) serve as the foundation of a student's education, fostering lifelong learning and preparing them for success in the 21st century. These requirements aim to provide students with a broad understanding of various disciplines and the ability to apply their education to new settings and complex problems. This article elucidates the GE landscape at CCCs, focusing on transfer pathways, graduation requirements, and the recent changes brought about by Assembly Bills 1111 and 928.
The Purpose of General Education
General Education (GE) is the foundation of life-long learning and is designed to expose students to the variety of means through which people comprehend the modern world. GE courses strengthen students’ abilities for self-understanding and to apply their education to new settings and complex problems and challenges. The true value of a college degree lies not just in the diploma, but in the experiences and relationships developed during the college journey.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements are listed in the Catalog. Students who maintain continuous enrollment, meaning they attended at least one semester or summer session during the academic year, may choose to graduate under the catalog in effect at the time they first enrolled at West Valley College or any catalog up to the time of graduation. Students who are considered returning students, meaning those who did not attend for a year or more before returning to college, must follow the catalog requirements in effect at the time of re-enrollment. Documented military, not exceeding two years, will not be considered an interruption of continuous enrollment. Skyline College issues a new catalog every academic year. Students have requirements listed in the catalog at the time enrollment begins to use catalog rights for any subsequent year of continuous enrollment. Students who have lost catalog right beginning fall 2025, to fall 2025. no catalog rights.
Streamlining Transfer Pathways: AB 1111 and AB 928
As of fall '25, community college guidelines for GE and transfer will reflect recent legislation. Specifically, Assembly Bill 1111 and Assembly Bill 928 are California state laws that aim to streamline the transfer process for students moving from California Community Colleges (CCCs) to four-year universities, especially in the CSU and UC systems. AB 1111 focuses on creating a common course numbering system, while AB 928 focuses on creating a singular general education pathway--Cal-GETC--and strengthening the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program.
The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
Available beginning fall 2025, Cal-GETC is the singular intersegmental general education pattern. The CSU Board of Trustees voted in April 2024 to approve a new GE pattern for the CSU that aligns to CAL-GETC (the single GE pathway for community college students), starting in Fall 2025. Students not to use Cal-GETC, may utilize the CSU GE Breadth pattern or IGETC pattern.
Read also: UCLA Residency Program
The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) is a general education program that allows California Community College students to fulfill lower-division general education (GE) requirements for either the CSU or UC system without the need, after transfer, to take additional lower-division GE requirements. Transfer pathways of the ADT. A student can transfer to a university through an ADT pathway.
Cal-GETC and IGETC: Key Differences and Considerations
The main differences include the removal of Area E, the removal of 3 units of lower division C, and the addition of a 1 unit lab. IGETC is a series of courses that prospective transfer students attending California community colleges may complete to satisfy the lower-division breadth/general education requirements at both the University of California and the California State University. Students may be IGETC or Cal-GETC certified if they complete coursework at one or more California community colleges without regard to current enrollment status or number of units accrued at a California community college.
Students have the option of completing IGETC or Cal-GETC at their California community college or they may complete the specific lower-division breadth/general education requirements of the UC school or college at the campus they plan to attend. UC has an agreement with each California community college that specifies which of its courses may be applied to each category of IGETC or Cal-GETC.
Certain students, however, will not be well served by following IGETC or Cal-GETC. Students who intend to transfer into majors that require extensive lower-division preparation, such as engineering or the physical and natural sciences, should concentrate on completing the prerequisites for the major required by the individual UC campus. Such students can choose to follow the IGETC for STEM pattern of course work in addition to major preparation.
IGETC/Cal-GETC Completion and Certification
IGETC or Cal-GETC completion is not an admission requirement. Completing it does not guarantee admission to the campus or program of choice. Students who do not complete IGETC or Cal-GETC before transferring will be required to satisfy the lower-division general education/breadth requirements of the UC college or school they attend. However, California community colleges may grant partial certification of IGETC or Cal-GETC to students who are missing no more than two eligible requirements. Students should verify that their UC school/college/major program will accept partial certification. After transfer, students submitting partial IGETC or partial Cal-GETC certification should complete the missing requirements at either UC or a California community college as designated by their department.
Read also: Comprehensive Scholarship Guide
Course Requirements and Credit
IGETC or Cal-GETC courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. IGETC or Cal-GETC course credit may be earned for scores of 3, 4 or 5 on qualifying Advanced Placement (AP) exams or scores of 5, 6 or 7 on International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB HL) exams that the community college faculty recognizes as equivalent to its IGETC or Cal-GETC-approved courses. An acceptable score on an English AP or IB exam may be used to meet the English Composition requirement, but not the Critical Thinking/English Composition IGETC requirement or the Critical Thinking and Composition Cal-GETC requirement. A single exam cannot satisfy multiple requirements, with the exception of language exams which may satisfy a Humanities requirement and the Language other than English proficiency requirement. A community college course can satisfy only one IGETC or Cal-GETC subject area even if it is listed on the IGETC/Cal-GETC Course Agreement in more than one area.
Students with Coursework from Outside the U.S.
Students with a substantial amount of coursework from institutions outside the United States should consult with a community college counselor to determine whether they should complete IGETC or the lower-division breadth/general education requirements at the campus they plan to attend. In addition, some colleges or majors prefer that transfer students follow a more prescribed lower-division curriculum.
Language Other Than English (LOTE)
Language Other Than English is no longer a required area of the intersegmental General Education pattern. However, the Cal-GETC certification form will have an optional LOTE certification available. Students transferring to the University of California are encouraged to demonstrate competence (proficiency) in a language other than English equivalent to two years/second level of high school instruction.
Demonstrating LOTE Proficiency
- Complete a course or courses at a college or university with a grade of C or better in each course. Any course (excluding conversation courses) considered by the college or university to be equivalent to two years of high school language may be used. Many college catalogs list the prerequisite for the second course in a language as: Language 1 at this college, or two years of high school language. Many qualifying courses offered at California community colleges will be displayed in ASSIST.org with a footnote designating that they are equivalent to two years of high school instruction.
- Achieve a satisfactory score on the SAT Subject Test in languages other than English.
- Satisfactorily complete a proficiency test administered by a community college, university or other college in a language other than English.
- Complete, with grades of C or better, two years of formal schooling at the sixth-grade level or higher in an institution where the language of instruction is not English. If secondary school was completed in a non-English-speaking country and the language of instruction of the secondary school was not English, language other than English proficiency can be certified for IGETC without further evaluation. If an appropriate achievement test is not available to assert a student's proficiency in a language other than English, a faculty member associated with a California community college can verify competency.
General Education Areas at City College of San Francisco (CCSF)
General Education Courses at CCSFCity College of San Francisco's general education (GE) courses are approved by the Curriculum Committee. The approval process involves making sure that GE courses are categorized correctly and that courses' student learning outcomes (SLO) align with or map to gen ed learning outcomes (GELO). Gen ed courses satisfy graduation requirements, are transferable, and should be of a certain "breadth and depth" so that if a student were to take just one GE course in that particular area, that student would have received a strong foundation of learning in that particular area. CCSF's GE Areas and Graduation Requirement Areas See a list of each GE area's approved courses.
GE Area 1A: English Composition
English Composition courses develop the ability to read texts and write essays, using conventions of standard English grammar and punctuation. Students will analyze and critically read college-level texts, annotating, synthesizing and evaluating primarily non-fiction material. They will compose organized expository essays, researching, selecting and integrating relevant and reliable sources, using an appropriate citation format.
Read also: Applying for GM Scholarship
GE Area 1B: Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
Oral Communication and Critical Thinking courses develop students’ abilities to express ideas with purpose and interpret information in culturally responsive ways. Students in oral communication courses will express ideas with clarity and analyze diverse communication practices. Students in critical thinking courses will analyze the logic of ideas and synthesize support for their own arguments.
GE Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning
Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning courses strengthen students’ abilities to develop, present, use, and critique quantitative arguments. The focus is on the mathematical basis of the specific topic, not just on the application of mathematical concepts to another field of study. By developing a sound mathematical foundation, students will be prepared for environments in which public and private decision making relies regularly on quantitative calculation and reasoning. Some courses in GE Area 2 will not fulfill GE requirements for Cal-GETC, AA GE, or Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs).
GE Area 3: Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities courses explore the human experience through personal creative expression as well as critical analysis of language, reasoning, or artistic creation produced by diverse cultures and eras. Students recognize and explore the dynamics of human history, thought, experience, and expression by examining individual thinkers, artists, works, and ideas in their particular cultural and historical contexts.
GE Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences courses critically evaluate the ways people feel and act in response to social forces in diverse societies, cultures, and subgroups. In these courses students analyze how social conditions and institutions contribute to inequality; consider diverse viewpoints in order to understand and shape human behaviors, interactions, and rights; and learn how to use the methods of inquiry specific to the field of study.
GE Area 5: Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences courses examine the physical universe and its life forms and give students the opportunity to apply the processes and practices of scientific inquiry to investigate phenomena and principles in particular fields of scientific interest. Students will explore scientific principles and use these to explain the behavior of physical and biological phenomena in the world around them and evaluate the interactions of these phenomena with our society. Minimum 3 units required - one course from either Physical Science or Biological Science. Complete one of the following options. Courses must be completed with grades of “C” or better; A "P" (Pass) grade is an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a “Pass/No Pass” basis. If the “P” grade was earned at another institution, it must be defined as being equivalent to a “C” or better in the institution’s policy.
GE Area 6: Ethnic Studies
Ethnic Studies is the critical study of racially oppressed communities in the United States. by analyzing power found in artistic expressions, political and decolonial movements, cultural representations, oral traditions, histories, and ethnic economies.* Non Ethnic Studies departments (e.g., SOC, ART, or HIST) proposing an Ethnic Studies course must cross list with NAIS, LALS, ASAM, AFAM, or ETHN. History and Government courses examine the historical development, democratic institutions, and political processes of the United States. history and government.
CCSF Graduation Requirement: Health and Wellness
Health Knowledge and Physical Skills courses develop appreciation and understanding of the physical skills and health knowledge essential for mental and physical well-being. Minimum 3 units required - one course with a grade of “C” or better.
Cal State East Bay's General Education (GE) Program
Cal State East Bay's General Education (GE) Program is designed to educate its students holistically and is central to the university experience. While a college diploma opens doors to career and employment opportunities, the true value of the degree is not the degree itself but the experiences and relationships developed while in college--the value is in the journey not the destination. Cal State East Bay's campus community is dedicated to supporting students through their journey. Although students may struggle to make meaning and see the immediate benefits of their college curriculum as they look to the end goal of graduation, Cal State East Bay is focused on its graduates being educated people whose quality of life will be vastly improved by the college experience. There are 14 areas that make up the "breadth" of GE. Each area has its own set student learning outcomes and characteristics. All the requirements outside of your major are GE/Breadth.
Transfer Requirements
SIXTY (60) UC TRANSFERABLE UNITS of Major and GE courses with a grade of “C” (or P) are required for transfer. Transfer students should: (1) meet with a counselor to create an EDUCATIONAL PLAN that will assist in identifying appropriate major and GE requirements; (2) request a Cal-GETC CERTIFICATION (when final transcripts are requested) to be sent to the transfer institution; and (3) with a counselor’s assistance, determine eligibility for an Associate’s Degree and/or an Associate’s Degree for Transfer. All courses are 3 units unless otherwise noted. Requirement: 1 course from each 1A, 1B, 1C subject area. *UC Transfer Credit is limited for most MATH courses. Complete one course from the Biological Sciences and one from the Physical Sciences. One of the two courses must have a lab. * UC Transfer credit is limited for SCIENCE courses. Honors African Am. Lit. Latino Lit. Note: These courses meet their respective GE area requirement (i.e., Area 3B or 4) as well as the American Institution requirement. Note: LOTE certification does not guarantee that you have completed your LOTE requirement, as UC campuses and programs have varying LOTE requirements.
Seeking Guidance
Given the complexities of transfer, graduation, and enrollment, students should seek guidance from community college counselors. Counselors can assist students in creating educational plans, understanding major and GE requirements, and determining eligibility for transfer programs and degrees. It is vital to ultimately make a decision that is well informed. The Office shall serve as committee chair for the first two years for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee. GE transfer pathway. board policies and administrative procedures. CSU at Junior level status. and transfer. division major requirements may differ substantially. to a CSU.
tags: #general #education #requirements #community #college
