General Education
Transfer Center WebsiteGeneral Education Requirements for Transfer Students
Students planning on transferring to a CSU (California State University) or UC (University of California) campus, as well as California private colleges and Out-Of-State (OOS) colleges, can choose from several options to complete general education requirements.
Review your options and learn more!
We recommend you consult with your counselor about your major and transfer plans before choosing a general education pattern.
Questions? Contact the Transfer Center
Beginning in Fall 2025, transfer students will have several options to complete general education requirements, and all California Community Colleges will begin implementing a Common Course Numbering (CCN) system.
Watch the video for a quick overview on how to explore your options for fulfilling general education requirements.
GE Pattern Comparison Chart
| GE Area Requirement | CSU GE | IGETC | Cal-GETC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - English Communication |
English Composition Written Communication Oral Communication |
English Composition Critical Thinking and Composition |
English Composition Critical Thinking and Composition Oral Communication |
|
2 - Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning |
1 course – 3 units |
1 course – 3 units |
1 course – 3 units |
|
3 – Arts and Humanities |
Arts Humanities Arts or Humanities |
Arts Humanities Arts or Humanities |
Arts Humanities |
|
4 - Social and Behavioral Sciences |
2 courses – 6 units |
2 courses from 2 disciplines – 6 units |
2 courses from 2 disciplines – 6 units |
|
5 – Physical and Biological Sciences |
Physical Science Biological Science Laboratory for Phys/Bio Science - 1 unit |
Physical Science Biological Science Laboratory for Phys/Bio Science - 1 unit |
Physical Science Biological Science Laboratory for Phys/Bio Science - 1 unit |
|
6 - Language Other than English (LOTE) |
Not required |
Required |
Not required |
|
7 – Ethnic Studies |
1 course – 3 units |
1 course – 3 units |
1 course – 3 units |
|
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development |
1 course – 3 units |
Not required |
Not required |
|
Total GE Units Required |
39 |
37 |
34 |
Cal-GETC | California General Education Transfer Curriculum
34 Units
Check the Transfer Center Workshop Schedule in January and register to attend a Cal-GETC GE Workshop!
What is Cal-GETC?
Beginning Fall 2025, students transferring to a CSU (California State University)
or UC (University of California) campus, will have the option to complete one singular
general education pattern: Cal-GETC.
Students who complete the full Cal-GETC GE pattern will have met the lower-division
(freshman and sophomore) general education requests for the CSU and UC campuses. Upon
transfer, students will only be held to completion any junior general education requirements
that the university may require.
Note: Students planning on applying to a UC campus should check with a Skyline College counselor or assist.org to determine if Cal-GETC is recommended for their intended UC major.
Who is eligible for Cal-GETC?
- All students who are new to Skyline College beginning in Fall 2025
- Current Skyline College students who plan to enroll for Fall 2025 and beyond at Skyline College
I started Skyline College prior to Fall 2025. Can I use Cal-GETC?
If you are a current student at Skyline College, and you plan on continuing your studies at Skyline College in Fall 2025 and beyond, you are eligible to use Cal-GETC. Cal-GETC becomes effective Fall 2025.
Students are advised to check with their Skyline College counselor to determine if switching to the Cal-GETC pattern is recommended for their intended major and transfer campus. For some students, staying with the CSU GE Breadth or IGETC pattern they are currently following may be the best option.
What does Cal-GETC require?
A total of 34 units is required in the following 6 Areas of General Education:
| General Education Areas | Course and Unit Requirement *Course units represented as semester units |
Total Units Required |
|---|---|---|
| AREA 1: English Communication | 1A English Composition (3.0) 1B Critical Thinking and Composition (3.0) 1C Oral Communication (3.0) |
9.0 |
| AREA 2: Mathematics Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning | 1 course (3.0) | 3.0 |
| AREA 3: Arts and Humanities | 3A Arts (3.0) 3B Humanities (3.0) |
6.0 |
| AREA 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences | 2 courses in 2 academic disciplines (6.0 total) | 6.0 |
| AREA 5: Physical and Biological Sciences | 1 course Physical Science (3.0) 1 course Biological Science (3.0) Laboratory – must be associated with a Physical or Biological Science course (1.0) |
7.0 |
| AREA 6: Ethnic Studies | 1 course (3.0) | 3.0 |
| Totals: | 11 Courses | 34.0 Units |
What is the difference between Cal-GETC and the general education patterns used prior to Fall 2025?
View a comparison between CSU GE, IGETC, and Cal-GETC.
Comparison ChartDo I have to complete all of Cal-GETC to transfer to a CSU or UC campus?
To certify completion of Cal-GETC GE pattern, students are required to complete all 34 units.
Students who certify completion of the Cal-GETC pattern prior to transfer will not need to complete any additional lower-division (freshman and sophomore) general education after transfer. Upon transfer, students will only be held to completion any junior general education requirements that the university may require.
Note: Some majors may require full completion of Cal-GETC as an admissions requirement. For some students, the completion of Cal-GETC may not be the best option. Check with your Skyline College counselor for additional information.
CSU GE Breadth Pattern | For CSU Only
39 Units
What is the CSU GE pattern?
The CSU General Education pattern is for students who intend to transfer to a CSU campus only. The CSU General Education is a 39-unit pattern of courses in the following Areas:
- Area A: Oral Communication, Written Communication, Critical Thinking (9 units)
- Area B: Physical and Biological Science with Lab; Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (9 units)
- Area C: Arts and Humanities (9 units)
- Area D: Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 units)
- Area E: Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 units)
- Area F: Ethnic Studies (3 units)
Important Note: The last update for CSU GE will be during the 2024 – 2025 academic year. Beginning Fall 2025, students who follow the CSU GE pattern will need to refer to the 2024 – 2025 Skyline College Catalog, or assist.org, to determine what classes they can take to fulfill the CSU GE requirements.
Who is eligible to follow the CSU GE pattern?
You can follow the CSU GE pattern if:
- You started as a student at Skyline College prior to Fall 2025
- You maintain Skyline College catalog rights
To maintain catalog rights, students must attend at least one semester in an academic year (Fall, Spring, or Summer).
What happens if I lose catalog rights to the CSU GE pattern?
To maintain catalog rights, students must attend at least one semester in an academic year (Fall, Spring, or Summer).
Students who lose their catalog rights to the CSU GE pattern will be required to complete the Cal-GETC GE pattern or the GE requirements for the CSU campus that they are applying to.
Students who lose their catalog rights should consult with their Skyline College Counselor for guidance in choosing GE classes.
Download the 2024 – 2025 CSU GE Breadth Handout.
IGETC Pattern | For CSU or UC
37 units
What is the IGETC GE pattern?
The IGETC pattern (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum) is for students who intend to transfer to a CSU or UC campus.
- Area 1: English Composition, Critical Thinking-English Composition, Oral Communication (9 units)
- Area 2: Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning (3 units)
- Area 3: Arts and Humanities(9 units)
- Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 units)
- Area 6: Language Other Than English (UC Only Requirement – No units assigned)
- Area 7: Ethnic Studies (3 units)
Some California private colleges and out-of-state colleges will accept IGETC. Please check with your Skyline College counselor.
Note: IGETC is not a recommended pattern for all UC majors. Please check with your Skyline College counselor for additional information.
Who is eligible to follow the IGETC GE pattern?
You can follow the IGETC GE pattern if:
- You started as a student at Skyline College prior to Fall 2025
- You maintain Skyline College catalog rights
To maintain catalog rights, students must attend at least one semester in an academic year (Fall, Spring, or Summer).
What happens if I lose catalog rights to the IGETC GE pattern?
To maintain catalog rights, students must attend at least one semester in an academic year (Fall, Spring, or Summer).
Students who lose their catalog rights to the CSU GE pattern will now be required to complete the Cal-GETC GE pattern or the GE requirements for the campus that they are applying to. Students who lose their catalog rights should consult with their Skyline College Counselor for guidance in choosing GE classes.
Download the 2024 – 2025 IGETC Handout.
Campus Specific General Education
For some students, depending on their transfer college and major, completing a general education pattern such as Cal-GETC, CSU GE, or IGETC may not be the best option. In this case, students can complete the campus specific general education requirements. Campuses post their general education in their catalog and college websites.
Please meet with a Skyline College counselor to discuss if completing campus specific general education requirements would be the best option for you.
Common Course Numbering | CCN
What is Common Course Numbering (CCN)?
In Fall 2025, all California Community Colleges, including Skyline College, will begin implementing a Common Course Numbering (CCN) system. CCN will assign the same course number to comparable courses across all California community colleges.
Starting with a handful of classes in Fall 2025, the goal of CCN is to eventually align the course name, number, and title of 300 of the most frequently enrolled community college classes throughout the state.
What Skyline College courses will be changing to CCN beginning in Fall 2025?
The following courses will be assigned the new Common Course Numbers beginning Fall 2025:
- ENGL 100 – Changing to ENGL C1000 Academic Reading and Writing
- ENGL 105 – Changing to ENGL C1000E Academic Reading and Writing
- ENGL 165 – Changing to ENGL C1001 Critical Thinking and Writing
- PSYC 100 – Changing to PSYC C1000 Introduction to Psychology
- COMM 110 – Changing to COMM C1000 Introduction to Public Speaking
- PLSC 200 – Changing to POLS C1000 American Government and Politics
- MATH 200 – Changing to STAT C1000 Introduction to Statistics
Please note the following additional changes for Skyline College:
- MATH 800 – Changing to STAT 800
- All Political Science courses will change from the PLSC to POLS name
Additional CCNs will be introduced in the Fall 2026 semester.
When will the new CCN courses appear in WebSchedule?
Students can expect to see the new CCN courses in WebSchedule on March 8, 2025 when the Fall 2025 schedule is expected to be posted.
Will classes that I took before Fall 2025 change to the new CCN?
No, courses that you took before Fall 2025 will keep their same name, number, and title and will appear with the original course information on your official transcript.
When can we expect to see more courses with CCNs announced?
We expect to have 21 new CCNs in the Fall 2026 semester and 50 in the Fall 2027. More will be added each year until the goal of 300 is reached.