Certificate of Achievement in Cal-GETC

Division: Student Services

The Certificate of Achievement in California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), will be awarded upon completion of the Cal-GETC requirements as outlined. Cal-GETC requirements are designed to give students a broad theoretical background in general education and must be taken with a major area of concentration and elective courses in preparation for transfer to a California State University or University of California campus.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to evaluate and apply a global understanding of the liberal arts and sciences. Measurement would be the completion of a minimum of 11 courses within the GE pattern from the following areas: 

  1. English Communication
  2. Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning 
  3. Arts and Humanities 
  4. Social and Behavioral Sciences
  5. Physical & Biological Sciences 
  6. Ethnic Studies 

Transfer Opportunities 

Upon successful completion of this certificate, students will meet the lower-division general education requirements for a UC/CSU campus before transferring.  Students planning to transfer to a UC/CSU campus are encouraged to consult ASSIST.org and a COS counselor for program planning and course selection.

Program Requirements  

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS34
A minimum of 34 units must be completed in Areas 1-6 with a minimum grade of C or better
AREA 1: ENGLISH COMMUNICATION6
Select one course from each subarea (1A, 1B, & 1C) - minimum 6 units
1A: English Composition
Academic Reading and Writing
1B: Critical Thinking and Composition
Critical Thinking and Writing
Critical Thinking
1C: Oral Communication
Introduction to Public Speaking
AREA 2: MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS & QUANTITATIVE REASONING3
Select one course - minimum 3 units
Business Statistics
Precalculus A
College Algebra
Precalculus B
Calculus 1
Calculus 2
Calculus 3
Precalculus
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Statistics - Social Sciences
Introduction to Statistics
AREA 3: ARTS & HUMANITIES 9
Select two courses. At least one course must be from Arts and one from Humanities. - minimum 6 units
3A: Arts - Minimum one course
Architecture History 1
Architecture History 2
Art Appreciation
Art History/Ancient-Gothic
Art History/Gothic-Modern
Art of Ancient America: Mesoamerica
Art of Ancient America: South America
Film Appreciation-American
Film Appreciation-International
Introduction to the Theatre
Shakespeare *
Theory and Musicianship 1
Theory and Musicianship 2
Theory and Musicianship 3
Theory and Musicianship 4
Music Appreciation
Music Appreciation/Jazz
Music of the World
History of Rock and Roll
3B: Humanities - Minimum one course
American Sign Language 3
American Sign Language 4
Deaf Culture
Shakespeare *
Composition and Literature
Chicano Literature
Survey of British Literature 1
Survey of British Literature 2
American Literature 1
American Literature 2
World Literature 1
World Literature 2
Black American Studies *
American Indian Studies *
Chicana and Chicano Studies *
Asian American Studies *
Introduction to Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Studies *
History of Western Civilization to 1648 *
Western Civilization Since 1648 *
People of the US to 1877 *, **
People of the US from 1865 *, **
Mexican American *
World History to 1500 *
Introductory Philosophy
Introduction to Ethics
Comparative Religion
Intermediate Spanish
Advanced Spanish
Hispanic Literature
Spanish 3 for Spanish Speakers
AREA 4: SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES6
Select two courses from two academic disciplines - minimum 6 units
AG, Society, & the Environment
Agriculture Economics
Terrorism and Freedom
Cultural Anthropology
Archaeology
Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
Child Growth and Development
Child, Family, and Community
Gender and Communication
Intercultural Communication
Introduction to Economics
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics
Black American Studies *
American Indian Studies *
Chicana and Chicano Studies *
Asian American Studies *
Introduction to Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Studies *
World Regional Geography
History of Western Civilization to 1648 *
Western Civilization Since 1648 *
People of the US to 1877 *, **
People of the US from 1865 *, **
Mexican American *
World History to 1500 *
Mass Communication
Cultural Issues in Film/TV/Web
Cultural Foods
American Government and Politics
Comparative Politics
International Relations
Political Theory and Thought
Introduction to Political Science
Introduction to Psychology
Social Psychology
Human Sexuality
Abnormal Psychology
Introduction to Lifespan Psychology
Introduction to Sociology
Social Problems
Sociology of Gender
Marriage and Family Life
Sociology of Deviance
Law and Democracy
AREA 5: PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES7
Select one course from Physical Science and one from Biological Science. One course must include a lab (denoted with ^). - minimum 7 units
5A: Physical Science - Minimum one course
Soil Science
Introduction to Astronomy
General Chemistry 1 ^
General Chemistry 2 ^
Introduction to Chemistry ^
Organic Chemistry 1 ^
Organic Chemistry 2 ^
Introduction to General Chemistry ^
Organic/Biological Chemistry ^
Physical Geography
Introduction to Weather and Climate
Physical Geology ^
Earth History ^
Environmental Geology
General Physics 1 ^
General Physics 2 ^
Physics 1: Mechanics & Waves ^
Physics 2: E&M and Heat ^
Physics 3: Modern Physics ^
Physical Science ^
5B: Biological Science - Minimum one course
Environmental Conservation
Biological Anthropology
Principles of Biology 1 ^
Principles of Biology 2 ^
Frontiers in Biology ^
Plant Biology ^
Animal Biology ^
Human Ecology
Human Anatomy ^
Human Physiology ^
General Microbiology ^
Introduction to Plant Science
5C: Lab: GEOG 001L or any laboratory associated with 5A or 5B.
Physical Geography Lab
AREA 6: ETHNIC STUDIES3
Select one course - minimum 3 units
Black American Studies *
American Indian Studies *
Chicana and Chicano Studies
Asian American Studies *
Introduction to Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Studies *
=
TOTAL34
*

Course can be counted in one area only.

**

Course may be used to meet the CSU American Institution Requirement (AI).

^

Course has embedded lab.

Cal-GETC Certification

“Certification” means that the College of the Sequoias has verified that a student has completed the lower division California-General Education Transfer Curriculum pattern requirements. Certification is important because without it students will be held to the transfer institution's general education requirements. Courses from other colleges/universities may be considered for certification through a process called “pass along certification”:

  1. Courses taken at other California Community Colleges will be certified in the subject areas 1–6 approved by the institution where the courses were successfully completed, and
  2. Courses successfully completed at other regionally accredited colleges and universities will be certified only if the course is determined to be equivalent to a course on a California Community College Cal-GETC Certification Pattern. Courses deemed equivalent would be certified in the subject areas in which the equivalent CCC courses have been approved.

CSU American Institutions Requirement

Students transferring to a CSU are encouraged to complete this requirement prior to transfer. This requirement is not required for Cal-GETC GE certification. These courses may also be used to satisfy Area 3B or 4 above. Complete two courses - one from each group.    

Language Other Than English (LOTE)

Students transferring to a UC campus are strongly encouraged to complete the language competency requirements before admission to avoid extending their time at the UC. These requirements can be met through:

  • Completion of the second level of high school coursework in a language other than English with a letter grade of "C-" grade or better in the second semester of the second year
  • College courses equivalent to the second level of high school instruction, such as ASL 001, ASL 002, PORT 002, SPAN 002, SPAN 022, or higher
  • Advanced Placement (AP) exams
  • Other approved methods

ADVISING NOTE

Fulfilling the CSU or UC minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission to CSU or UC campuses. Admission selection criteria vary widely by campus and by major. Consult with your counselor or a CSU/UC campus representative to learn about the GPA and courses that may be required for admission to particular campuses and majors.