The General Education Program requirements include seven General Subject Areas (A through G) and five Special Subject Areas. The degree you are pursuing (bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of fine arts, or bachelor of music) determines the distribution of courses within General Subject Areas C through G. Four of the five Special Subject Area requirements are the same for all degree objectives; the fifth applies only to the B.A. Below, we list and describe the requirements, and then present them graphically. You must consult the Letters and Science Academic Requirements brochure or the General Catalog for a listing of courses that apply to each area.
General Subject Area Requirements
Area A: English Reading and Composition - 2 courses required for all four degree objectives (B.A., B.S., B.F.A., and B.M.) Writing 2, or one of its variants, Writing 2E or 2LK. (Note: You must satisfy the Entry Level Writing requirement, formerly called Subject A, before enrolling in any of these courses. Further, you must fulfill the Writing 2 requirement within your first six quarters at UCSB.) One course from: English 10, Writing 50, 50E, 50LK, or 109AA-ZZ.
Area B: Foreign Language - required for all four degree objectives
(B.A., B.S., B.F.A., and B.M.)
Satisfied in one of the following four ways:
- Appropriate score on the SAT II subject test in a foreign language.
- C average or better in 3rd-year level of high school foreign language.
- Placement into Level 4 or higher on UCSB foreign language placement exam with no prior college instruction in that language.
- UCSB foreign language level 3 or equivalent transfer coursework.
Note: if you fulfill this requirement in one of the first three ways (#1-3), your unit requirement is 180. If you fulfill this requirement with college coursework (#4), your unit requirement is 184.
Area C: Science, Mathematics and Technology
Bachelor of Arts - 3 courses are required.
Bachelor of Science - 3 courses are required.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Music - 2 courses are required.
Area D: Social Sciences
Bachelor of Arts - 3 courses are required.
Bachelor of Science - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Music - 2 courses are required.
Area E: Culture and Thought
Bachelor of Arts - 3 courses are required.
Bachelor of Science - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Music - 2 courses are required.
Area F: Arts
Bachelor of Arts - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Science - 1 course is required.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - not required.
Bachelor of Music - not required.
Area G: Literature
Bachelor of Arts - 2 courses are required.
Bachelor of Science - 1 course is required.
Bachelor of Fine Arts - 1 course is required.
Bachelor of Music - 1 course is required.
Note: Courses listed in more than one General Subject Area (A through G) may be applied to only one of these requirements. For example, if you complete Art History 6A, you may apply it to Area E or Area F, but not to both.
Special Subject Area Requirements
You may satisfy the Special Subject Area Requirements listed below within General
Subject Areas C through G (above). For example, if you complete History 4A,
you may apply it to Area E and to both the writing and European Traditions requirements
described below. Four of the five Special Subject Area requirements are the
same for all degree objectives (B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.M.); the European Traditions
requirement applies only to the B.A. degree.
Writing Requirement (required for all degrees)
Six approved courses that meet the following criteria:
- One to three papers totaling at least 1,800 words.
- The paper(s) are independent of, or in addition to, written examinations.
- The paper(s) are a significant consideration in the assessment of your performance in the course. (normally, at least 25%).
World Cultures Requirement (required for all degrees)
One course that focuses on a culture outside of the European tradition.
Quantitative Relationship Requirement (required for all degrees)
One course from general subject Area C emphasizing quantitative relationships.
Ethnicity Requirement (required for all degrees)
One course that focuses on the history and the cultural, intellectual, and social
experience of one of the following groups: Native Americans, African Americans,
Chicanos/Latinos, or Asian Americans.
European Traditions (required for B.A. only)
One course that focuses on European cultures or cultures within the European
Tradition.
For a graphical representation, see below
General Education Requirements by Degree Objective
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Bachelor of Arts Area A: 2 courses
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Bachelor of Science Area A: 2 courses
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Bachelor of Music Area A: 2 courses
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Bachelor of Fine Arts Area A: 2 courses
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