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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
GENERAL EDUCATION PATTERN
Click here to download the GE PDF.
College of the Desert |
2025 - 2026 |
| To verify historical GE course approvals visit: www.assist.org. |
Area 1: English Communication and Critical Thinking |
| 9 semester units or 12 quarter units required with at least one course from each area 1A, 1B and 1C. All courses must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. |
| 9 units minimum |
1A: Written Communication |
| ENGL C1000, C1000E. |
1B: Critical Thinking and Writing |
| ENG 2; ENGL C1001; SOC 4. |
1C: Oral Communication |
| COMM C1000. |
Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
| 3 semester units or 4 quarter units. Course must be completed with a grade of "C-" or better. |
| 3 units minimum |
| BUMA 3; MATH 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 150, 955; SOC 3; STAT C1000. |
Area 3: Arts and Humanities |
| 6 semester units or 8 quarter units with at least one course in 3A-Arts and 3B-Humanities. |
| 6 units minimum |
3A: Arts (Visual Arts, Architecture, Music, Dance, Theater, and Film) |
| ARTH 2A, 2B, 2C, 10, 12A, 12B, 12C, 33; DANC 15; FILM 1, 21, 22, 23; MUS 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12; TA 7. |
3B: Humanities (Literature, Philosophy, Languages Other Than English) |
| ASL 2, 3, 4; CDE 229; ENG 2, 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 35, 36; FR 2, 3, 4; GER 2; HIST 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 21, 50; JPN 2; PHIL 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18; SPAN 2, 3, 4, 7, 20, 21, 22, 24; TA 1. |
Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 6 semester units or 8 quarter units from two different academic disciplines. |
| 6 units minimum |
| ANTH 2, 3, 7; CJ 1, 20; ECON 1, 2, 11, 12; ETHN 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; GEOG 2, 7, 10; GS 10, 11; HIST 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 21, 23, 50; MC 1; PHIL 3, 12; POLS C1000; PS 2, 3, 4, 6, 9; PSY 3, 9, 12, 20, 23, 27, 29, 30; PSYC C1000; SJS 20, 21; SOC 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15; SPAN 20, 22. |
Area 5: Physical/Biological Sciences |
| 7 semester units or 9 quarter units required with at least one course from Physical Science and one course from Biological Science. One Physical or Biological Science course must include a laboratory (underlined). |
| 7 units minimum |
5A: Physical Science |
| A 1, 2, 3; CH 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10A, 10B; G 1, 2, 5, 10, 22; GEOG 1, 1L; PH 1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 3C, 17, 17L, 20A, 20B. |
5B: Life Science |
| AGPS 2, 5, 5L; ANTH 1, 1L; BI 4, 5, 6, 7, 7L, 11, 13, 14, 15; NR 1, 1L. |
5C: Science Lab |
| Students must select at least one laboratory (see underlined courses in areas 5A and 5B). |
Area 6: Ethnic Studies |
| 3 semester units or 4 quarter units required. |
| 3 units minimum |
| ETHN 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. |
American Institutions (US-1-2-3) |
| To verify historical American Institutions course approvals visit: www.assist.org |
| HIST 17 - US 1 |
| HIST 18 - US 1 |
| PS 1 - US 2 & US 3 |
(page last modified: 02/11/2026)
