General Education, CSU, Chico

Welcome Message to Students

Welcome to the General Education web site.  The goal of this website is to de-mystify the GE program and provide links to important resources to help you make wise choices when selecting your GE courses.

General Education is an important part of your undergraduate degree.  Of the 120 units most students need to graduate with a bachelors degree, 48 units are in general education courses, with the rest in major courses and electives.  General Education (sometimes known as a liberal education) has a long history in the American university. In fact early degrees in American universities were basically courses of study in a liberal education.  The professionalization of education through the defining of majors is a relatively more recent development.  The point is that GE is an important part of your education in terms of the time and effort you devote to GE courses

The goal of the GE program at CSU, Chico is to provide the intellectual foundation and core skills and abilities you need to succeed in your major and in life after graduation.  While there is no doubt that the skills and knowledge you obtain in your major are very important, it is also the case that employers are often looking for the kinds of intellectual qualities fostered in your general education courses: critical thinking, excellence in written and oral communication, quantitative reasoning, a familiarity with fast-breaking developments in science and technology, information literacy and an awareness of cultural diversity, the processes of globalization and an ability to work in intercultural teams. While you will also get many of these qualities from your major, GE plays an important role in providing this intellectual formation.

You should make your GE choices carefully.  There is no substitute for seeking the advice of knowledgeable people on campus.  The office of Academic Advising is a great place to start to better understand your GE requirements and options.  It is also very important to consult your major advisor as many majors have specific GE requirements or exemptions.  You may also be able to double-count GE courses toward your major, thus facilitating graduation in a timely manner.  Consult your Major Academic Plan (MAP) for guidance: these are recommended sequences of course work, including GE, developed for each major on campus. 

Finally, and particularly for students who have not settled on a major, GE presents a great opportunity for intellectual exploration. GE is a great way to explore potential majors, while at the same time making progress toward graduation.  Many surveys of college graduates indicate that over time people come to increasingly value the broad intellectual grounding that GE provides.  Take advantage of the intellectual resources, excellent faculty and passion for learning that can be found in GE.  Enjoy exploring and learning about your world through GE! 

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