Determine your GE Pattern!
- Students starting Fall 2025 (or after) will follow the "NEW" GE pattern—Areas 1-6
- Students starting anytime earlier may use the "OLD" GE pattern—Areas A-F
- To confirm your GE pattern, you may review your Degree Progress Report (DPR) from your Student Center portal
Looking for classes after the semester has begun?
- During the first two weeks of the semester, most classes can be enrolled in without requiring a permission number!
Look for classes that state "Permission # not required until 3rd wk of semester" under the "Class Attribute" column.
(New) GE Pattern - Fall 2025 > Onward
This section is for students who began as First-Year Freshmen at SFSU in Fall 2025 or after.
Lower Division GE Requirements
All Area 1 requirements are highly recommended to be completed within your first year.
Unsure of which math to take? Take a 5-minute exercise with our Math Advising Module to determine your best option!
Area 4 includes courses that also fulfill the "U.S. History" requirement. For only U.S. History courses, see below.
Technically, not GE, but a CSU requirement, you must take one U.S./CA Gov't course to graduate...
Students must take 1 LAB course (5C) to graduate! This requirement may or may not be included with the lecture course.
Upper Division GE Requirements
WARNING!
Upper-Division GE courses have the following minimal prerequisites: GE Areas 1A, 1B, 1C, and 2 (Math) with grades of "C-" or better.
ALSO—some classes will require you to be an upper-division student (i.e., at, or will be at, 60 units) by the time the course begins.
(Old) GE Pattern—Ending Spring 2025
This section is for students who began as First-Year Freshmen at SFSU BEFORE Fall 2025.
Lower Division GE Requirements
All Area 1 requirements are highly recommended to be completed within your first year.
Upper Division GE Requirements
WARNING!
Upper-Division GE courses have the following minimal prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4 (Math) with grades of "C-" or better.
ALSO—some classes will require you to be an upper-division student (i.e., at, or will be at, 60 units) by the time the course begins.
Looking for an upper-division GE course that also meets U.S. and California Government requirements?
To get to these lists manually, refer to the online Class Schedule "Advanced Search" function and look for particular GE areas under "Course Attributes"—there are a LOT of open classes still available!
See instructions below...
Go to the online Class Schedule page:
SFSU Home > "Quick Links" tab > "Class Schedule" menu option
Use the "Advanced Search" option—select the following settings:
- For "Term", select "Fall 2025"
- For "Seat Availability" Select "Classes with seats available"
Select Course Attribute - select your option
Skip down to "Course Attribute"—you can choose up to TWO attributes for your search criteria:
- Based on your preferences, you might also want to select "In-Person" classes or one of our online options
Choose the GE Area category to find open classes within that requirement area:
Here are the lower division GE areas appropriate for your first two years:
- Area A - English language Communication and Critical Thinking
- Area B - Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning
- Area C - Arts and Humanities
- Area D - Social Sciences
Area E - Lifelong Learning & Self-Development (Should be completed or waived.)- Area F - Ethnic Studies (A lower division course attribute can be used to identify just the lower division courses)
- US/CA Government - (A lower division course attribute can be used to identify just the lower division courses)
On the Search Results page:
- Find a course you are interested in
- Make sure that it fits your current class schedule
- Note the "Instruction Mode" (In-Person, Hybrid or Online options)
- You will need the "Class Number" to add each course into the "Shopping Cart" on your Student Center
Repeat until you are enrolled into 12-16 units! 15 units keeps you on track for 4 year graduation, but 12 units is full time.