General Education & All-University Requirements

GEAR is Cal Poly Humboldt’s General Education and All-University Requirements program. This program includes the courses that all undergraduate students take in English composition, critical thinking, speech communication, mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical or biological sciences, and ethnic studies. It also includes three all-university requirements - American Institutions (AI); Diversity and Common Ground (DCG); and the CSU’s Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).

Each academic department on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus produces graduates who are developing experts in their field. It is the GEAR program that produces graduates who are well-rounded in their knowledge, adaptable in their perspective, and flexibly prepared to address the complex (multidisciplinary and multiperspectival) challenges - social, environmental, and otherwise - that they will face in their lives.

The purpose of the GEAR program at Cal Poly Humboldt is to cultivate a broad array of foundational skills, multiple forms of disciplinary knowledge, and diverse perspectives essential for success both to university students and to lifelong learners. Students who seek to “improve the global human condition and our relationship with the environment” will find in the GEAR program a commitment across disciplines to provide breadth and to prepare them for their own chosen futures.

Students, you will find all GEAR areas described below. All students must complete the same requirements, but there are many ways to do that. Completing the GEAR program requires 48 units of coursework. Work with your advisors - early and often - to determine the best path for you through Humboldt GEAR.

General Education

General Education (GE) courses meet the CSU GE requirements and help students meet the goals of the bachelor’s degree program: in order to receive a bachelor’s degree, students must complete all GE requirements. GE subject areas are listed below. Some GE courses may simultaneously satisfy major, minor, or Diversity and Common Ground (DCG) requirements. The following GE requirements are in effect for students entering Cal Poly Humboldt with a catalog year of 2025-26 or later.

Some majors have received approval for one or more general education requirements to be met by the completion of the major. See Approved General Education Modifications by Major for information.

Lower Division GE Area 1: English Communication (9 units | 3 units each subarea)

Area 1 courses must be completed with a C- or better. Written Communication is recommended to be completed during the first semester; Critical Thinking and Speech Communication are recommended to be completed during the first year. The Area 1 requirement must be completed by the time a student earns 60 units. Transfer students who come to Cal Poly Humboldt with more than 30 units must complete these courses by the time they earn 30 units at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Lower Division GE 2: Mathematics (3 units)

Area 2 courses must be completed with a C- or better. We recommend that students complete their Area 2 requirement during their first year; Area 2 must be completed no later than the junior year (before reaching 60 units).

Lower Division GE Area 2: Mathematics

Lower Division GE Area 3: Arts and Humanities (6 units | 3 units in each subarea)

Complete at least one course in each of the two subareas Arts (3A) and Humanities (3B).

Lower Division GE Area 4: Social Sciences (6 units)

Complete courses in two different disciplines. One institutions course can be used to satisfy one GE Area 4 discipline requirement. See American Institutions for details.

Lower Division GE Area 4: Social Sciences

Lower Division GE Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences (7 units)

Complete one course in each of the two subareas: Physical Science (5A) and Biological Science (5B). At least one of those courses must include a Lab (5C) or this requirement needs to be met with a 1-unit lab course.

Lower Division GE Area 5A: Physical Science
Lower Division GE Area 5B: Biological Science
Lower Division 5C: Laboratory

GE Area 6: Ethnic Studies (3 units)

Complete 3 semester units at the lower or upper division level.

GE Area 6: Ethnic Studies

Upper Division GE (9 units)

Complete 3 units in each area.

All University Requirements

American Institutions (6 units)

The California State University requires every student receiving a baccalaureate degree to be knowledgeable about the Constitution of the United States, American history, and California state and local government. Students must complete 6 units, with one course (3 units) in each subarea: U.S. History and U.S. and California Government.

The American Institutions requirement is separate from GE; however, one American Institutions course may be used to fulfill one GE Area 4 discipline requirement. A maximum of one American Institutions course at Cal Poly Humboldt may count in lower division GE. Regardless of whether a lower or upper division American Institutions course is applied to GE, it will count for lower division GE, not upper division.

Diversity and Common Ground (6 units)

Students must complete at least two DCG courses (6 units); one of these courses must be designated domestic (focused within the boundaries of the United States); the second course may either be domestic or international/transnational (non-domestic) in focus.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

All CSU undergraduate students with catalog years 2023-2024 and beyond must demonstrate competency in writing skills at the upper division level as a requirement for graduation*. At Cal Poly Humboldt, students fulfill this requirement by the successful completion (grade of C- or better) of a GWAR certified writing intensive course.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

*Cal Poly Humboldt suspended the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (Graduation Writing Proficiency Examination) for undergraduate students with catalog years prior to Fall 2023.