Upper Division General Education (UDGE) (9 Units)

General Education coursework at the 300-level or above must be selected from within Basic Skills, Subject Explorations or U.S. History and Government. UDGE courses (300-level and above) are not to be taken sooner than the semester in which junior standing (60 units) is achieved. Note that completion of the lower division writing requirement is a prerequisite for enrollment in upper division General Education courses.

Writing Intensive (WI) Requirement

All upper division GE courses are designated Writing Intensive (WI). Therefore, the WI requirement will be satisfied by meeting the upper division General Education requirement. Writing Intensive courses require students to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2,500 words.

General Education Residency Requirement

Students must complete a minimum of 9 units of General Education in residence at CSUN at either the lower or upper division level. If completed at the upper division level, the units also may apply to the 9-unit upper division GE requirement described above.

Grading Method Requirement

Students may not take courses on a Credit/No Credit basis to fulfill GE or Title 5 requirements. Refer to the Policies and Procedures section on Credit/No Credit for all restrictions on this basis of grading.

Additional General Education Rules

• A student may count for GE credit only one GE course that counts for major credit and is offered by the department of the major. The major departments have designated the course for this modification, which is indicated in the General Education Pattern Modifications and has been coded into the Degree Progress Report and Planner. GE courses offered in the major department but not required in the major program can apply to GE as listed.
• Courses taken to fulfill a particular GE requirement will continue to count for GE credit even after a student changes major. However, once a student changes the major, the student is responsible for fulfilling the GE requirements in the areas of GE that have not been completed.
• Changes or substitutions to GE that are specific to particular majors are listed in the General Education Pattern Modifications section or may be listed in the description of the major program. An academic advisor in the major should be consulted regarding these changes.
• Students must earn a “C-” or better grade in the four basic skills courses (Analytical Reading and Expository Writing, Critical Thinking, Mathematics and Oral Communication).

Requirements for Transfer Students

Transfer students can meet CSUN GE requirements by completing a General Education Certification* plan at a California Community College and 9 units of upper division GE coursework at CSUN after transfer, or by completing the General Education program at CSUN, which includes the following areas of study: Basic Skills, Subject Explorations (which include Natural Sciences; Arts and Humanities; Social Sciences; Lifelong Learning; Comparative Cultural Studies/Gender, Race, Class, and Ethnicity Studies, and Foreign Languages); and Title 5 U.S. History and Government requirements.

Students transferring community college or university coursework must also meet a 3-unit CSUN requirement in Comparative Cultural Studies/Gender, Race, Class, and Ethnicity Studies, and Foreign Languages. This requirement can be met through transfer credit evaluation or the completion of an appropriate CSUN upper division GE course designated as a Comparative Cultural Studies course.

*Students who may be eligible for IGETC or CSU General Education certification are urged to consult with their community college counselor about this process, preferably in advance of their transfer.