Lower-Division Course Requirements

The lower-division, or “breadth requirement,” is the first part of your undergraduate education. It consists of a series of courses in math, natural science, literature, art, humanities, behavioral sciences, and social sciences, geared to give you a broad perspective of those fields. They will also provide you with the general framework of knowledge you need for the second part of the General Education requirements, the upper-division, in which you will learn how these disciplines interact with each other, giving you a broader understanding of the world.

General education requirements may vary by bachelor’s degree program, but usually include:

Area A: Communication in the English Language and Critical Thinking (9 units)

Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (10 units)

Area C: Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and Foreign Languages (9 units)

Area D: Social, Political, and Economic Institutions and Behavior (9 units)

Area E: Lifelong Understanding and Self (3 units)

Course Descriptions

Area A: Communication in the English Language and Critical Thinking (9 units)
COURSE CODE	COURSE NAME	UNITS
Oral Communication
SPC 100	Public Speaking	3
Written Communication
ENG 100	English Composition and Reading	3
Critical Thinking Complete 3 units from the following courses:
ENG 201	Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing Across the Curriculum	3
PHL 200	Introduction to Logic	3

Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms
COURSE CODE	COURSE NAME	UNITS
Physical Science Complete at least 3 units from the following courses:
CHE 130	Chemistry	3
CHE 150A	General Chemistry for Scientists and Engineers I	3
GEO 200	Physical Geography	3
GSC 150	Introductory Study of Planet Earth	3
PHY 120	Physics	3
PHY 150A	General Physics I (Mechanics)	5
Life Science Complete at least 3 units from the following courses:
BIO 101	General Biology	3
BIO 102W	General Biology w/lab	4
Laboratory Activity Complete at least 1 laboratory unit from the following courses:
BIO 101L	General Biology Lab	1
GSC 150A	Introductory Study of Planet Earth Lab	1
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning Complete at least 3 units from the following courses:
MAT 100	College Algebra	3
MAT 102	Explorations of Mathematics	3
MAT 103	Qualitative Reasoning	3
MAT 108	Number Systems	3
MAT 115	Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry	3
MAT 120	Calculus and Analytic Geometry I	4

Area C: Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and Foreign Languages
COURSE CODE	COURSE NAME	UNITS
Arts (Art, Dance, Music, Theatre) Complete at least 3 units from the following courses:
ART 100	Art Appreciation	3
ART 101W	Introduction to Fine Arts	3
EDU 120	Dance and Music for Children	3
Humanities, Literature, and Letters Complete at least 6 units from the following courses: (exception: A.A. in Child Development students)
ENG 250	Contemporary Multicultural Literature	3
PHL 100	Introduction to Philosophy	3
PHL 150W	Ethics	3
SPAN 100	Elementary Spanish I	5
SPAN 101	Elementary Spanish II	5
SPAN 200	Intermediate Spanish I	5
SPAN 201	Intermediate Spanish II	5
SPAN 205	Spanish for Native Speakers	5

Area D: Social, Political, and Economic Institutions and Behavior Complete at least 9 units from two different areas from the following courses:
COURSE CODE	COURSE NAME	UNITS
Anthropology
ANT 100	Intro to Anthropology	3
Economics
BUS 120	Microeconomics	3
BUS 121	Macroeconomics	3
Ethnic Studies
ETH 134	Chicano/Latino Culture	3
ETH 265	Minorities in the United States	3
Geography
GEO 200	Physical Geography	3
History
HIS 100	U.S. History I	3
HIS 201	U.S. History II	3
Social Behavior Sciences
ETH 134	Chicano/Latino Culture	3
PSY 205	Social Psychology	3
Political Science/Government
POL 101	Introduction to American Government	3
Psychology
PSY 100	Introduction to Psychology	3
PSY 205	Social Psychology	3
Sociology and Criminology
CRJS 101	Contemporary Criminal Justice Systems	3
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology	3
SOC 102	Multicultural Dimensions of Society	3

Area E: Lifelong Understanding and Self Complete at least 3 units from the following courses:
COURSE CODE	COURSE NAME	UNITS
ANT 125	Human Understanding and Development	3
CD 100	Child Growth and Development	3
ECE 103	Child Growth and Development	3
ECE 107	Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition	3
UNI 100	First-Year Seminar	3