CCC to CSU

CSU GE-Breadth: General Education-Breadth

CSU GE-Breadth = General Education-Breadth Policy (ADD HOW YOU CAN USE IGETC)

CSU GE-Breadth is a simple, straightforward way for transfer students to complete their CSU general education requirements. If completed, CSU GE-Breadth fulfills most lower division general education requirements for most majors at a CSU. The GE-Breadth policy is the best route for completing lower division general education for many transfer students targeting CSUs. However, for some students, another method for fulfilling general education may be better. Learn more about CSU GE-Breadth and other options below.

we recommend CSU GE-Breadth for

  • Students with target majors that have little to no major-specific coursework requirements
    • Students that have little to no major-specific coursework have the space in their schedules to complete GE-Breadth
  • Students who are interested in attending a CSU
    • With the CSU GE-Breadth policy being specifically tailored for the CSU curriculum, students targeting CSUs can focus on completing all or the majority of their lower division general education requirements
  • Students who are already close to fulfilling CSU GE-Breadth or who want to reduce the amount of general education they will have to complete after transferring
  • Students whose lower division major requirements are too extensive to complete IGETC
    • If your major requires a large amount of lower-division courses, IGETC might not be able to be completed in time

we do not recommend CSU GE-Breadth for

  • Students with target majors that have a large amount of major-specific coursework
    • It is recommended that these students focus on fulfilling major-specific requirements before general education
    • These majors tend to be in the STEM field
  • Students who only plan to apply to a few CSUs
    • These students may be able to instead focus on fulfilling the specific general education requirements for those CSUs
  • Students who are unsure about what college they want to attend and who plan to apply to a wide variety of UCs/CSUs/Privates
    • This allows students the freedom of not having to worry about specific general education requirements for all the schools they’re applying to.

 It is true that GE-Breadth can make the CCC to CSU transition a lot easier for many students. However, it’s not for everyone. GE-Breadth requires the completion of a large amount of courses. This can be difficult for students who already have lots of lower-division major requirements to fulfill. Also if you are only applying to one school, deciding to complete GE-Breadth may have you taking unneeded additional courses.

If you’d like to learn more – a link to official guidance on CSU GE-Breadth issued by each CSU is below.

This page also details which colleges ACCEPT, RECOMMEND, REQUIRE, or DO NOT ACCEPT CSU GE-Breadth. 

How to Complete CSU GE-Breadth

Units

A total of 48 semester/68 quarter units are required to complete CSU GE-Breadth

GPA Requirement

All Area A and Area B4 classes must be completed with a C- or better. Additionally, a minimum of 30 of your total units must be completed with a C- or better.

Exam Credit (AP/IB/CLEP)

Exam credit may be used to fulfill these requirements. Credit depends on your community college’s policy – contact your community college counselor/view your CC’s policy on exam credit for more information.

Other Requirements

These are NOT the only requirements for CSU admission. Consult our CSU page for more information.

Transfer Tip

Use ASSIST to figure out which courses at your school apply to GE-Breadth. Click on the button below to view our guide to ASSIST.

ASSIST Guide

GE-Breadth Coursework

CSU GE-Breadth consists of 6 different areas of coursework. To complete GE-Breadth, you must complete all the required coursework.

Area A: English Language Communication and Critical Thinking

A total of 9 semester/12 quarter units required with one course in each area

  • A1: Oral Communication (3 semester/4 quarter units)
  • A2: Written Communication (3 semester/4 quarter units)
  • A3 Critical Thinking (3 semester/4 quarter units)
Area B: Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning

12 semester/18 quarter units

  • B1: Physical Science (3 semester/4 quarter units)
  • B2: Life Science (3 semester/4 quarter units)
  • B3: Laboratory Science (1 semester/2 quarter units, must be associated with a B1/B2 course)
  • B4: Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (3 semester/4 quarter units)

One course in areas B1, B2, and B4, plus a lab (B3) related to one of the courses in areas B1 and B2

Area C: Arts and Humanities

12 semester/18 quarter units (At least one course in each of the areas)

  • C1: Arts (ex: studio art, theater, dance, etc)
  • C2: Humanities (ex: philosophy, literature, languages other than english, etc)
Area D: Social Sciences

9 semester/12 quarter units

Courses shall be from at least 2 different disciplines (ex: one from antropology and two from psychology)

Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self Development

3 semester/4 quarter units

Courses that fulfill this area commonly include: physical education, nutrition, and extracirrcular sports that provide credit.

Area F: Ethnic Studies

3 semester/4 quarter units

Only required for students with fall 2021 or later catalog rights. New section – consult your college for classes that fulfill this area

Frequently Asked Questions

Do CSUs also accept IGETC?

CSUs accept either IGTEC or GE-Breadth. The GE-Breadth policy is specific to CSUs only, while IGETC is accepted by both CSUs and UCs. *place holder for difference between CSU and UC IGETCs*

Can I "double-count" some of my courses towards both GE and major requirements?

Some majors allow for certain courses to be counted for both GE and major course requirements. However, each major is different so it is essential to double-check with your prospective major(s).

How should I choose between IGETC and CSU GE-Breadth?

IGETC is best for those who are considering applying to non-CSUs in addition to CSUs and your major (usually non-STEM majors) requires/prefers IGETC to be completed before transferring.

Since CSU GE-Breadth is specifically tailored for the CSU curriculum, students targeting CSUs should focus on completing as much of their GE-Breadth as possible. CSU students must complete at least 48 semester units of GE-Breadth in order to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

What is IGETC/CSU GE-Breadth certification? How do I get it done?

IGETC and CSU GE-Breadth certifications verify that you have completed the required courses for lower-division education policy. In order to receive your certification, an appointment will need to be set up with an academic counselor so they can review your completed courses and send the certification to your school. This appointment is set up once you are admitted into your prospective school. Usually, certification is not completed until the Fall quarter/semester. If you have not yet fully completed IGETC/CSU GE-Breadth, your counselor may award you with a partial certification instead.

**IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST CERTIFICATION**