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Academic Skills & General Education (SP25)
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Academic Skills Requirements for Undergraduate Students
Students Admitted to CSUDH Fall 1998 and After
New students enrolled at the University, fall 2018 and after are subject to E.O. 1110 (2017), which dictates that freshman skills assessment and placement for general education written communication and mathematics/quantitative reasoning shall be informed by systemwide skills assessment standards that include the Early Assessment Program/ Smarter Balanced Achievement Levels, ACT scores and/or SAT scores, high school coursework, high school GPA and math GPA.
Skills assessments are not a condition for admission to the CSU; they are designed to inform entering first-year students of placement in appropriate baccalaureate-level courses Math and English courses.
For Math courses, this means that students will be expected to enroll in a particular entry-level course appropriate to the major (different for STEM majors that require Precalculus or Calculus than for non-STEM majors that do not require those courses), with support that is based on the level of high school preparation.
For more information on math placement:
Majors that do not require Precalculus or Calculus please visit:
http://csustudentsuccess.org/multiple-measures/math/non-stem
Majors that require Precalculus or Calculus please visit:
http://csustudentsuccess.org/multiple-measures/math/STEM
For English courses, students are required to complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) in the University learning management system prior to being placed in a First-Year Composition course. DSP is not a test; it is a short survey including questions about students’ prior reading and writing experiences, which allows students to choose the First-Year Composition course best suited to meet their needs.
For additional information and support, students should contact the Student Success Center that houses their major or minor department. Please consult the undergraduate catalog entry for undergraduate academic advisement at CSUDH for a list of these centers with contact details.
General Education Requirements for Undergraduate Students
Students must follow the appropriate General Education (G.E.) pattern.
Students who have maintained continuous attendance at any combination of CSU, UC, or California community college under an earlier catalog may elect to complete the G.E. pattern in effect at the time of:
- entrance into CSUDH;
- graduation or;
- entrance into a California community college or state university.
For additional information and support, students should contact the Student Success Center that houses their major or minor department. Please consult the undergraduate catalog entry for undergraduate academic advisement at CSUDH for a list of these centers with contact details. The General Education1 program is divided into the following areas and includes 55-65 total semester units:
Area A - English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (9 units) all courses in this area require a grade of "C-" or higher
Area B - Natural Sciences & Quantitative Reasoning (13 units) math courses in this area require a grade of “C-” or higher
Area C - Arts and Humanities (12 units)
Area D - Social Sciences (9 units)
Area E - Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 units)
Area F - Ethnic Studies (3 units)
1Students must take nine units of G.E. courses in residence at CSUDH.
Requirements (49 units)
General Education Residence Requirement: The California State University System requires all students to complete 9 semester units in general education at the campus from which they graduate. The following is the list of courses that are offered in the General Education program. These courses fulfill the objectives stated in the program description. For complete course descriptions, refer to those sections of the University Catalog that describe the programs offering the courses. All Area A courses and the Quantitative Reasoning requirement in Area B must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher. A grade point average of 2.0 calculated at graduation is required for the entire General Education Pattern.
Area A. English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (9 units required) | ||
Complete one course from each of the following categories (A1, A2, A3): 1 | ||
| A1. Oral Communication (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Fundamentals of Speech | 3 | |
| A2. Written Communication (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Freshman Composition I: Stretch 1 and Freshman Composition I: Stretch 2 * | 6 | |
Freshman Composition Accelerated | 3 | |
* If stretch course option is selected, completion of both ENG 108 and 109 is required to satisfy A2. Both courses must be completed with a grade of "C-" or higher. | ||
| A3. Logical/Critical Reasoning (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Foundations Of Higher Math | 3 | |
Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving | 3 | |
Symbolic Logic | 3 | |
1To satisfy an area A or B4 requirement, the course must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher. | ||
Area B. Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (13 units required) | ||
Complete one course from each of the categories (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5): 3 | ||
| B1. Physical Science (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Chemistry For The Citizen | 3 | |
General Chemistry I4 | 5 | |
Physical Geology | 3 | |
Physical Geography | 3 | |
Patterns In Nature | 3 | |
Elements of Physics I5 | 4 | |
General Physics I6 | 5 | |
3Students majoring or minoring in one of the natural sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry, or Physics) may substitute more advanced science courses. These students should see a faculty advisor. | ||
4Meets area B1 and B3 for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Chemistry: Biochemistry Option, BA Chemistry: General Chemistry Option, BS Chemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Biology, Minor in Microbiology, Minor in Organic/Biochemistry, BS in Clinical Science, BS in Earth Science, BA in Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy Option, BS in Physics | ||
5Meets Area B1 and B3 for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, BA Chemistry: Biochemistry Option, BS Earth Science, BA Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy Option, BS Quality Assurance | ||
6Meets Area B1 and B3 for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BS Biology, BA Chemistry: Biochemistry Option, BA Chemistry: General Chemistry Option, BS Chemistry, BS Computer Science, BS Mathematics, BS Physics, Minor in Physics | ||
| B2. Natural Sciences in Life Science (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Intro to Biological Anthro | 3 | |
General Biology | 3 | |
Principles of Biology I7 | 3 | |
Principles of Biology II8 | 3 | |
7Meets Area B2 for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS in Clinical Science, BS Earth Science, BA Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy Option | ||
8Meets Are B2 for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, Ba Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS Clinical Science, BS Earth Science | ||
| B3. Natural Sciences in Science Laboratory (1 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
General Biology Laboratory 9 | 1 | |
Principles of Biology Laboratory I10 | 1 | |
Principles of Biology Laboratory II11 | 1 | |
Chemistry Lab for the Global Citizen | 1 | |
Physical Geology Laboratory12 | 1 | |
9Concurrent enrollment in BIO 102 General Biology or prior life science course recommended. | ||
10Meets Area B3 for the following programs only: BS in Biochemistry, BS Biology, Minor in Biology , Minor in Microbiology, BS Clinical Science, BS Earth Science, BA Physical Education: Pre Physical-Therapy Option | ||
11Meets Area B3 for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS in Clinical Science, BS Earth Science | ||
12Concurrent enrollment in EAR 100 Physical Geology or prior earth science course recommended. | ||
| B4. Quantitative Reasoning and Problem Solving (3 units): 1
| ||
Course | Title | Units |
Finite Mathematics | 3 | |
Elementary Statistics and Probability | 3 | |
Statistics and Probability with Support | 4 | |
Statistics & Probability - Supported | 4 | |
College Algebra and Trigonometry | 4 | |
Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry with Lab | 4 | |
Pre-Calculus | 4 | |
Survey of Calculus for Management and Life Sciences | 4 | |
Calculus I | 5 | |
Calculus II | 5 | |
| B5. Integrative Studies in the Natural Sciences (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Environmental Biology | 3 | |
Genetics | 3 | |
Human Pathophysiology13 | 3 | |
Computers And Society | 3 | |
Natural Disasters | 3 | |
Earth Sciences for Teachers | 3 | |
Environmental Health Problems | 3 | |
Global Climate Change | 3 | |
Blended Science Methods | 4 | |
Science and Technology | 3 | |
Introduction to Cosmology | 3 | |
Development of Scientific Thinking and Theories | 3 | |
Earth Science For Teacher | 3 | |
13Course restricted to Nursing majors | ||
Area C. Arts and Humanities (12 units required) | ||
Complete one course from each of the following categories (C1, C2, C3) and one additional lower division course from area C1 or C2 (4 courses total): | ||
| C1. Arts Courses (3 - 6 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Introduction to Hip Hop | 3 | |
Pacific Islander Culture in Oceania and the U.S. | 3 | |
Looking At Art | 3 | |
Experiencing Creative Art | 3 | |
Introduction to Film | 3 | |
Global Dance Perspectives | 3 | |
Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 | |
Introducing Music | 3 | |
Music Fundamentals | 3 | |
Music in Film: From the Silent Era to The Lord of the Rings | 3 | |
History of Rock | 3 | |
Television Film & Theatre | 3 | |
Acting For Non-Majors | 3 | |
Queer Art and Visual Culture | 3 | |
| C2. Letters Courses (3 - 6 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Intro to Africana Studies | 3 | |
Introduction To Asian Studies | 3 | |
Chicana/o Cultural Roots | 3 | |
Introduction to Chicana/o Literature | 3 | |
Media & Society | 3 | |
Literature and Popular Culture | 3 | |
Second Year French | 3 | |
Introduction to the Humanities | 3 | |
Beginning Japanese I | 3 | |
Beginning Japanese II | 3 | |
Class Struggles in Film and Popular Culture | 3 | |
Moral Problems | 3 | |
Humanity, Nature & God | 3 | |
The Good Life | 3 | |
The Devil You Don't Know | 3 | |
Introduction to Hispanic Culture | 3 | |
Intermediate Spanish II | 3 | |
Gender, Sex, the Body, & Politics: An Introduction | 3 | |
Queer of Color Critique | 3 | |
| C3. Integrative Studies in the Humanities (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Key Movements: African Literature and Culture | 3 | |
Key Movements: Harlem Renaissance | 3 | |
Black Movements of the Sixties | 3 | |
African Culture and Art | 3 | |
Asian Americans and the Media | 3 | |
Asian Pop Culture and Globalization | 3 | |
Asian Pacific Art, Music, and Literature | 3 | |
Asian Diaspora and Transnational Asian Religions | 3 | |
Asian Pacific Film & Literature | 3 | |
Art and Social Protest | 3 | |
Native American and Chicana Women's Narrative | 3 | |
Latina/o Identities in the Americas | 3 | |
Critical Approaches to Children's Literature | 3 | |
Heroes and Antiheroes | 3 | |
Environment in Literature & Culture | 3 | |
Literary Utopia | 3 | |
American Civil Rights History | 3 | |
Pop Culture in History | 3 | |
Film As History | 3 | |
Health Humanities | 3 | |
Mind/Brain and the Arts | 3 | |
Lives of Faust: Deals with the Devil | 3 | |
All Creatures Great & Small: Animals from Sacred to Endangered | 3 | |
Vampires | 3 | |
Never Lose Infinite Hope: Imagining Justice, Cultivating Mental Wellness | 3 | |
Key Concepts | 3 | |
Key Movements | 3 | |
Key Issues | 3 | |
Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Humanities | 3 | |
Success and Values | 3 | |
Decade of the Sixties | 3 | |
Key Issues: American Dream | 3 | |
African American Music | 3 | |
The Jazz Age | 3 | |
Global Popular Music: Identity and Social Change | 3 | |
Music History III: 1880 to Contemporary | 3 | |
Fundamentals of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding | 3 | |
Death and Dying | 3 | |
Myth as Reality | 3 | |
Age of Revolt | 3 | |
Comparative Religions | 3 | |
Romantic Love in the Western Tradition | 3 | |
Hispanic Literature, Art, and Culture | 3 | |
Encountering the Other | 3 | |
Voices of Contemporary Women Playwrights | 3 | |
Key Concepts: The American Musical | 3 | |
Theatre of Revolt | 3 | |
The Power of Masks | 3 | |
The Witch in Literature | 3 | |
Comedy, Sex and Gender | 3 | |
Feminism and Film | 3 | |
Literary Topics in Gender Studies and Sexuality Studies | 3 | |
Gender and Sexuality in Popular Culture | 3 | |
Area D. Area of the Social Sciences (9 units required) | ||
Complete one course from each of the following categories (D1, D2, D3). Courses must be taken from more than one department (e.g., if you satisfy D1 and D2 with anthropology courses, then D3 category cannot be satisfied with an anthropology course. At least one area D course must be from a different department). | ||
| D1. Perspectives on Individuals, Groups and Society (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
African World Peoples & Soc. | 3 | |
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 | |
Intro Child Development | 3 | |
Contemporary Econ Issues | 3 | |
Economic Theory 1A Micro | 3 | |
Economic Theory 1B Macro | 3 | |
Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3 | |
Legal Environment of Business | 3 | |
Introduction to Labor Studies | 3 | |
Child and Adolescent Development | 3 | |
Psychology of Peacebuilding | 3 | |
General Education Psychology: Understanding Human Behavior | 3 | |
The Individual In Society | 3 | |
Understanding Social Relationships in a Global Perspective | 3 | |
Foundations in Queer Studies | 3 | |
Foundations in Women's Studies | 3 | |
| D2. Global and Historical Perspectives (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
African World Civilizations | 3 | |
Ancient Civilizations | 3 | |
Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o History | 3 | |
Languages of the World | 3 | |
Human Geography | 3 | |
World History I | 3 | |
World History II | 3 | |
Labor and the Environment | 3 | |
Global Organizational Ethics and Social Responsibility | 3 | |
General Education Political Science: World Perspectives | 3 | |
| D3. Integrative Studies in the Social Sciences (3 units): | ||
Course | Title | Units |
The African American Experience in the US | 3 | |
Afro Latinidad & the Caribbean | 3 | |
Cultural Pluralism: Ethnic & Global Society | 3 | |
Language And Culture | 3 | |
North American Indians | 3 | |
Mesoamerica Past and Present | 3 | |
Comparative Cultures: Culture, Environment and Globalization | 3 | |
Ethnography and Film | 3 | |
Mainland Southeast Asia | 3 | |
South America | 3 | |
Historical and Cultural Perspectives in Disability Studies | 3 | |
Contemporary Issues in Asian American Communities | 3 | |
Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao Americans: Culture, History, and Identity | 3 | |
Values and Communication of Asian Pacific Cultures | 3 | |
Asian Pacific Culinary Culture | 3 | |
Asian-Pacific Gender and Family | 3 | |
Latina/o Perspectives on U.S. Immigration and Citizenship | 3 | |
Latina/o Identities in U.S. | 3 | |
Urban Youth Gangs in Los Angeles | 3 | |
Cultural Pluralism The Human Environment: Methods of Knowledge and Truth | 3 | |
Multicultural Health | 3 | |
American West | 3 | |
Labor In American Society | 3 | |
Topics in United States Foreign Relations History | 3 | |
History of American Immigration | 3 | |
Women In History | 3 | |
Issues in Global Studies | 3 | |
Interdisciplinary Approach to Cultural Pluralism | 3 | |
Security in a Digital Society | 3 | |
The Future of Workers and Work | 3 | |
Working Class and Education | 3 | |
Research Methods for Social Change | 3 | |
Multicultural Studies | 3 | |
New Perspectives on Language and Sex | 3 | |
Restorative Justice | 3 | |
Cultural Pluralism: | 3 | |
Movements of Latin America | 3 | |
Race, Class, and Gender | 3 | |
Politics of Women's (Un)Paid Labor | 3 | |
Transnational Feminisms | 3 | |
Area E. Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 units) | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
Course | Title | Units |
Entrepreneurship For Everyone | 3 | |
Internet Literacy | 3 | |
Personal Finance for Non-Finance Majors | 3 | |
Health & Lifestyles | 3 | |
Food, Health, and Environment | 3 | |
Healthcare Systems and Perspectives | 3 | |
Lifetime Fitness | 3 | |
Fundamentals of Information Literacy | 3 | |
Work/Life: Purpose, Power, and Identity | 3 | |
Dimensions Of Leisure | 3 | |
Personal, Social and Intellectual Development | 3 | |
Area F. Ethnic Studies (3 units) | ||
Select one of the following. May be fulfilled by approved upper division. | ||
Course | Title | Units |
The African American Experience | 3 | |
Intro To Comp Eth & Global Soc | 3 | |
Africana Literary Traditions | 3 | |
Introduction to Asian American Studies | 3 | |
Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Global Societies | 3 | |
Chicano/Latino Musical Culture | 3 | |
Introduction to Comparative Ethnic Studies | 3 | |
Statutory Requirement (6 units) | ||
Students must satisfy requirements in U.S. history and U.S. and California government by completing the following: | ||
Course | Title | Units |
History Of United States (or articulated course at a California Community College or examination) | 3 | |
General Education Political Science: World Perspectives (or articulated course at a California Community College or examination) | 3 |
General Education Certification
Accredited community colleges and public four-year colleges may sanction (certify) that all or part of General Education requirements (post 1980), have been met. Transfer students with complete certification of California State University General Education breadth requirements or the CSU version of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements are not required to complete additional lower division courses in general education. Transfer students should request General Education certification from their community colleges. An additional nine semester units of upper division General Education courses must be completed at CSU Dominguez Hills.
Double Counting General Education Courses
General Education courses may be double counted in either the major or the minor. Even though students may double-count certain General Education courses, they will not receive additional unit credit towards graduation by double-counting. For example, a double-counted course counts three units (not six) towards graduation. Please consult the University Catalog and/or an academic advisor for more information.
Graduation Requirement in Writing Proficiency (GWAR)
The California State University requires that all undergraduate students demonstrate competency in writing skills at the upper division level as a requirement for graduation.
Undergraduate students must first complete their lower division English composition courses in Area A, General Education, before attempting to complete this upper-division requirement. Fulfillment of GWAR should be undertaken at the beginning of the junior year (or 60 units) and can be met by completing an upper-division GWAR-certifying course in the major or a closely related major. Many departments and programs offer GWAR-certifying courses for their majors. Students should contact their major department to determine if such a course is offered. Students must earn a grade of C or higher to satisfy the GWAR.
Those students whose major department does not offer an upper-division GWAR-certifying course may elect to take one of the following after consulting with their major department:
- BIO 490 Senior Project
- BPH 340 Experimental Biophysics
- BUS 445 International Business
- CDV 320 Mthd & Analysis in Child Study
- CHE 360 Writing in Chemical Sciences
- CHS 300 Critical Issues in Chicana/Chicano Studies
- CJA 339 Research Methods and Communication in Criminal Justice Administration
- CLS 307 Clinical Hematology
- ENG 317 Black English Language and Culture
- ENG 350 Advanced Composition: The English Department regularly offers this GWAR-certifying course. Students must earn a grade of C or higher to satisfy the GWAR requirement.
- ENG 490 Seminar in Literature
- HIS 400 Proseminar in History
- HUS 310 Helping and Professional Relationships
- IDS 397 Writing Adjunct/IDS 398 Writing Adjunct (Competency Certification) (Students must complete both courses to receive GWAR credit)
- IDS 490 Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Seminar
- KIN 330 Sport and Exercise Psychology
- LBS 370 Multicultural Studies
- MUS 486 Music History III: 1880 to Contemporary
- POL 300 Research Design in Political Science
- PUB 306 Research Methods in Public Administration
- SOC 309 Writing Skills in Sociology
- WMS 490 Senior Capstone
Transfer Certification
Students who have satisfied the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) at another CSU campus in 1984 or later, but prior to matriculation at CSU, Dominguez Hills, may petition for fulfillment of GWAR at CSUDH. Students must complete a Petition for Fulfillment of GWAR, attaching a copy of the certifying test score or copy of an official transcript and the catalog description of the pertinent coursework.