Advising Events & Workshops

To get the most out of this workshop, you will need to download and print the Freshmen Class Planner for Fall 2023.

1. Starting from the SFSU home page,
2. Click "Login" at the top,
3. Click "SF State Gateway",
4. Enter your security credentials and two-factor authentication,
5. Select "Student Center" from the Launch Pad.
6. Within the "Academics" section at the top-left, Click "Degree Progress Report" from the list, or, from the drop-down menu

After you have logged onto your Student Center portal and opened your DPR (Step 1 above), follow the steps below to determine which GE and University requirements you have met already.

1. At the top of your DPR, you will find your current major (if declared), any minors (if declared), and your Grade Point Average (GPA).

   In this report, you will be looking for three symbols;
   "Green Checkmarks" = completed requirements,
   "Yellow Diamonds" = in-progress requirements, and
   "Red Squares" = requirements that are not yet completed.
    

2. Scrolling down this report you should see GE and Unversity requirements listed—for EACH requirement item, look for the green checkmarks and yellow diamonds that indicate if they are "complete" or "in progress". In "Step 2" of your Class Planner worksheet, indicate with a checkmark that those requirements are "Done".
    
3. Mark any "Red Square" requirements as "To Do".
    
4. When this step is done, you should have a list of GE (Areas A, B, C, D, E, and F), SF State Studies (AERM, ES, GP, and SJ), and US/CA Government requirements that are marked as completed in the "Done" column on your Class Planner—and the unmet requirements are marked as still "to do".
    

This step depends on whether your intended major is declared or not. 

If your major is DECLARED, the best tool to use is the Degree Planner—this is how to access this report:

1. Log onto your Student Center once again, but now click "Degree Planner" in the "Academics" section at the top-left.
2. The Degree Planner may take a few long moments to generate—once it does, make sure that the major that is listed is the actual major you intend to pursue moving forward.
3. If your major is correct, then you can see the section for "Fall 2023" and use the major classes listed there as suggestions to take next semester. 
4. If any major courses are listed, then write them into the box for "Step 3" of your Class Planner.
5. These will be "high priority" classes.

If your intended major is NOT currently declared, then you will need to look up your major requirements in our University Bulletin—this is how to access those requirements:

1. Start at the SFSU Home page,
2. Click "Academics" at the top menu,
3. Click "Explore Majors and Degrees"
4. Scroll down the alphabetical list until you find your major then click on it,
5. Then click "Degree Requirements"
6. Identify any lower division major courses that you see listed—check each course's prerequisites to make sure that you are qualified for the class. 
7. If so, then write the potential class(es) into the box for "Step 3" of your Class Planner.
8. Mark these as "high priority".

This step requires that you log onto your Student Center portal again:

1. On your Student Center portal, you should see your "Enrollment Appointment" date and time listed on the far-right side of the page.
2. Note your date and time in "Step 4" of your Class Planner as a reminder for yourself later.
3. After you have filled in the rest of your Class Planner sheet (Steps 2 and 3), you can now list each of the "high priority" courses you have identified in the box for "Step 5".
4. If these classes add up to the number of units that you are comfortable with, then you are done! 
   If you feel that you can add one or more classes to your list, we suggest filling in your schedule with either low-priority GE, minor  (if you have an interest), or university elective courses. 

From "Step 2" (GE) and from "Step 3" (Major) you will generate a list of potential classes based on the following priorities—from highest priority to the lowest as follows:

1. Area A (A1, A2, A3) and Area B4 Math
   These are the absolute highest priority requirements, because if you do not take these over the summer (at SF State or elsewhere), or do not enroll in them by June—approximately 4,000 new incoming Freshmen will enroll in classes at New Student Orientation (remember that?) and will FILL UP all those classes!
    
2. Any Lower-Division Major Prerequisites (courses numbered 100-299)
   If your major has any suggestions here, then these are also high-priority.
   Do NOT plan to "complete all of your GE" before starting your major if you qualify to take them now.
    
3. All OTHER General Education Areas (Areas B, C, D, E, and F)
   These requirements can be taken in ANY order, regardless of what any "roadmap" shows.
   Keep in mind that some GE classes may also count in your major. 
   (See the link to the entire list in the "Helpful Links" section below)
    
4. US Government and CA Government
   These are technically TWO separate requirement areas, but if you choose from the right list, you may cover BOTH requirements at the same time!
   (See the link to the entire list in the "Helpful Links" section below)
    
5. University Electives
   These are generally ALWAYS the lowest priority but can be used to balance out a "challenging" schedule of harder major classes if needed. There is no specific list of "elective" classes—these will just be classes you take "for fun", or, can be used to complete classes for a minor or even a second major. 
   (If you have a minor or second major, those classes should be treated as a higher priority, like your primary major above.)

Your goal is to reach a total of about 12-16 units for each regular semester.
If you want or need to take more, or less than this, you should consult with your assigned academic counselor first for the pros/cons.
(Sign in to our NaviGator system to see who your counselor is!)

Here are a few helpful resources to supplement this tutorial...

• General Education lists — Areas A, B, C, D, E, and F
• Major Degree Programs list
• Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Test Scores list
• GE requirements that are "Met in Major"
• American Institutions (look for U.S. and California Government (USG and CSLG) section)

These resources are helpful for using our class planning and registration tools:

• Using the Degree Planner — useful for students that are officially declared into their intended major.
• Using the Degree Progress Report (DPR) — useful as a current snapshot of your completed, in-progress, and not yet completed requirements.
• Using the Gator Scheduler — useful for generating potential class schedules from classes you plan to take
• Using the Online Class Schedule — useful for searching for classes one by one, and creating your schedule manually.