There are 3 components to earning a degree at CSUSM: University Requirements, General Education Requirements and Major and/or Minor Requirements.
COMPONENT 1: UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS
Diversity & Equity Requirement:
Students must satisfy two Diversity and Equity requirements by taking two courses certified for Diversity and Equity in the United States (DEu) and Diversity and Equity in Global Contexts (DEg). Diversity and Equity certified courses can double-count with other general education, major, minor and/or elective courses.
Minimum Grade Point Average:
Grades for major and/or minor coursework must be a “C” or higher.
Students at CSUSM must maintain a 2.0 minimum GPA (“C” average).
Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA may result in academic probation or disqualification,
even after your first semester!
Unit Requirement:
The minimum number of overall units required to graduate at CSUSM is 120 units. After you have completed all of your general education and major requirements, you may still need additional electives to reach 120 units.
COMPONENT 2: GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
General Education requirements are referred to as Areas A through E. You must complete all subsections of these areas prior to graduation. You can review your GE Requirements on our GE Worksheets, your Academic Requirements Report (ARR) and your Degree Planner.
Area A: Basic Skills
A1 – Oral Communication
A2 – Written Communication
A3 – Critical Thinking
Area B: Math & Science
B1 – Physical Science
B2 – Biological Science
B3 – Science Lab
B4 – Mathematics
BB – Upper-division Mathematics or Science
Area C: Arts & Humanities
C1 – Fine Arts
C2 – Humanities
C3 – Language other than English
CC – Upper-division Arts or Humanities
Area D: Social Sciences
D7 – Interdisciplinary Social Science
Dh – United States History
Dc, Dg – U.S. Constitution/CA Government
DD – Upper-division Social Science
Area E: Lifelong Learning
For Area E, the majority of first year students take GEL 101, a course designed to assist in your transition to university life. We strongly recommend that first years students enroll in GEL 101 in the first semester. Liberal Studies – Elementary Subject Matter should take PE 203 for Area E.
Notes about your General Education Requirements:
- A grade of C- or higher is required for courses used to satisfy the A1, A2, A3 and B4. If any general education courses are also counting towards your major and/or minor, a grade of C or higher is required. For Liberal Studies – Elementary Subject Matter majors, all General Education requirements and major courses must be passed with a C or higher.
- There are 3 upper-division GE courses listed above (BB, CC, DD). These requirements are not to be taken until after you have completed GE Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4. First year students should not enroll in BB, CC or DD courses in their first semester.
COMPONENT 3: MAJOR AND/OR MINOR REQUIREMENTS
Every major and minor possesses their own particular set of requirements. They are listed in the catalog, major/minor worksheets, Academic Requirement Report and in your Degree Planner. Your Degree Planner will let you know which classes to take and when.