Campus Advisors Network
Frequently Asked Questions for General Education
- Where can students go to keep track of their progress in General Education courses?
- What are the 1999-2000 to present General Education requirements?
- How can students determine which G.E. pattern to use?
- What stipulations accompany the 1999-2000 to present General Education pattern?
- Do students need to earn a "C" or better in all of their G.E. courses in order to receive credit?
- Can students take INTEGRATION and MULTICULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL courses that are from the major department?
- Can students use their G.E. courses to fulfill minor and second major requirements?
- Are there any majors who have different G.E. requirements?
- What does it mean for a transfer student to be "G.E. Certified"?
- Can students take any course required for G.E. as credit/non-credit grading?
- How many science labs are required to complete the G.E. pattern?
- Can students substitute non-general education classes for G.E. requirements?
- Can students use courses taken at another college to satisfy G.E. requirements?
- Do students have to complete all lower division G.E. courses before taking upper division G.E. courses?
- Do students need a physical activity (i.e., KAC.) course in order to complete their G.E.?
- Do students need to complete a foreign language course in order to complete their G.E.?
Where can students go to keep track of their progress in
General Education courses?
The Office of Advising Services, Joyal Administration
Building, Room 224, 278-1787, can assist students with
understanding their Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) Report for
General Education and graduation requirements. Note:
Students who major in Engineering or Liberal Studies have modified
General Education patterns and should go to their respective majors
for advising.
What are the 1999-2000 to present General
Education requirements?
Students are required to take 51 units of General Education
courses:
FOUNDATION (12 units)
BREADTH (27 units)
INTEGRATION (9 upper division units)
MULTICULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL (3 upper division units)
How can students determine which G.E.
pattern to use?
A student's catalog year will determine which G.E. pattern
to use. If students are confused about their catalog rights
and they feel they may be eligible to petition to use an older G.E.
pattern, refer them to the Office of Advising Services, Joyal
Administration Building, Room 224, to meet with an academic
counselor.
What stipulations accompany the 1999-2000 to
present General Education pattern?
Because the goal of General Education is to provide a solid
foundation with a broad scope and the goal of the major is to
provide depth in a specific discipline or program, the following
stipulations apply:
- The FOUNDATION courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- A maximum of two General Education courses from one department or program may be applied to satisfy BREADTH, INTEGRATION, and MULTICULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL requirements.
- A department or program may prohibit any General Education course from simultaneously satisfying its own departmental or programmatic requirements.
- INTEGRATION and MULTICULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL courses used to satisfy this requirement must be taken outside the department of the student's major.
Do students need to earn a "C" or better in all of their
G.E. courses in order to receive credit?
No, in the 1999-present G.E. pattern students are only
required to earn a "C" or better in the FOUNDATION courses:
- Area A1-Oral Communication
- Area A2-Written Communication (English 1)
- Area A3-Critical Thinking
- Area B4-Quantitative Reasoning
As a general rule, students 01/18/2007 mpus, and cumulative units to be eligible for graduation.
Can students take INTEGRATION and
ULTICULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL courses that are from the major
department?
No. INTEGRATION and MULTICULTURAL/INTERNATIONAL
courses used to satisfy this requirement must be taken outside the
department of the student's major.
Can students use their G.E. courses to
fulfill minor and second major requirements?
Yes, courses fulfilling requirements for a minor and
secondary major can usually be double counted toward General
Education. Refer to the description of the specific minor or
secondary major for exceptions.
Are there any majors who have different G.E.
requirements?
Yes. Liberal Studies Blended Program and Engineering
follow modified G.E. patterns. Refer students to those
departments if they are interested in those majors.
What does it mean for a transfer student to
be "G.E. Certified"?
A G.E. Certification is a written notification from a
California Community College that a student has completed all or a
portion of the CSU lower division G.E. A student whose G.E.
pattern has been fully certified from a community college will not
be required to complete any additional lower division G.E. courses
at Fresno State.
Can students take any course required for
G.E. as credit/non-credit grading?
Yes, students can take any G.E. course "CR/NC" grading as
long as the student does not need a letter grade in the course to
satisfy major or other degree requirements. Keep in mind that
students are allowed a maximum of 6 units of "CR/NC" grading per
semester and a maximum of 24 semester units for "CR/NC" grading at
California State University, Fresno.
How many science labs are required to
complete the G.E. pattern?
At least one science course (B1 or B2) with a lab is
required to complete the G.E. pattern.
Can students substitute non-general
education classes for G.E. requirements?
Non-general education courses offered at California State
University, Fresno cannot be substituted for general education
courses.
Can students use courses taken at another
college to satisfy G.E. requirements?
The Evaluations Office interprets what courses taken from
other institutions will satisfy General Education requirements and
it will be recorded in the student's advising report. If
students receive their evaluation and feel that a particular course
should count for G.E. requirements, they can file a petition with
an academic counselor in the Office of Advising Services, Joyal
Administration Building, Room 224
Do students have to complete all lower
division G.E. courses before taking upper division G.E.
courses?
The upper division G.E. courses should be taken no sooner
than the term in which 60 units of college coursework are
completed.
Do students need a physical activity
(i.e., KAC.) course in order to complete their G.E.?
No. It is not mandatory for students to complete a
physical activity (i.e., KAC) course in order to complete G.E.
Do students need to complete a foreign
language course in order to complete their G.E.?
It is not mandatory for students to take a foreign language
in order to complete their G.E. pattern. Under the
1999-present G.E. pattern, students are required to take a C2
Humanities course, an area in which many foreign languages are
offered. There are some majors, such as English, that require
students to complete a foreign language requirement.