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

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  

Course List

Code	Title	Units
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS		34
A minimum of 34 units must be completed in Areas 1-6 with a minimum grade of C or better
AREA 1: ENGLISH COMMUNICATION		9
Complete one course from each sub-area. 9 units minimum.
1A: English Composition - Complete one course. 3 units minimum.
ENGL C1000	Academic Reading and Writing
1B: Critical Thinking and Composition - Complete one course. 3 units minimum.
ENGL C1001	Critical Thinking and Writing
PHIL 025	Critical Thinking
1C: Oral Communication - Complete one course. 3 units minimum.
COMM C1000	Introduction to Public Speaking
AREA 2: MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS & QUANTITATIVE REASONING		3
Complete one course. 3 units minimum.
BUS 020	Business Statistics
MATH 035	Precalculus A
MATH 044	College Algebra
MATH 054	Precalculus B
MATH 065	Calculus 1
MATH 066	Calculus 2
MATH 067	Calculus 3
MATH 080	Linear Algebra
MATH 081	Differential Equations
SSCI 025	Statistics - Social Sciences
STAT C1000	Introduction to Statistics
AREA 3: ARTS & HUMANITIES		6
Complete one course from the Arts and one course from the Humanities. 6 units minimum.
3A: Arts - Minimum one course
ARCH 070	Architecture History 1
ARCH 071	Architecture History 2
ARTH C1100	Survey of Art from Prehistory to the Medieval Era
ARTH C1200	Survey of Art from the Renaissance to Contemporary
ARTH 001	Art Appreciation
ARTH 004	Art of Ancient America: Mesoamerica
ARTH 005	Art of Ancient America: South America
ARTH 081	Survey of Asian Art
CINA 031	Film Appreciation-American
CINA 032	Film Appreciation-International
DRAM 001	Introduction to the Theatre
DRAM 006	Shakespeare *
MUS 004	Theory and Musicianship 1
MUS 005	Theory and Musicianship 2
MUS 006	Theory and Musicianship 3
MUS 007	Theory and Musicianship 4
MUS 010	Music Appreciation
MUS 014	History of Rock and Roll
3B: Humanities - Minimum one course
ASL 003	American Sign Language 3
ASL 004	American Sign Language 4
ASL 005	Deaf Culture
DRAM 006	Shakespeare *
ENGL C1002	Introduction to Literature
ENGL 010	Chicano Literature
ENGL 015	Survey of British Literature 1
ENGL 016	Survey of British Literature 2
ENGL 018	African American Literature
ENGL 019	Women in Literature
ENGL 030	American Literature 1
ENGL 031	American Literature 2
ENGL 044	World Literature 1
ENGL 045	World Literature 2
ENGL 046	Shakespeare
ETHN 001	Black American Studies *
ETHN 002	American Indian Studies *
ETHN 003	Chicana and Chicano Studies *
ETHN 004	Asian American Studies *
ETHN 010	Introduction to Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Studies *
HIST C1001	United States History to 1877 *, **
HIST C1002	United States History since 1865 *, **
HIST 004	History of Western Civilization to 1648 *
HIST 005	Western Civilization Since 1648 *
HIST 023	Mexican American *
HIST 025	World History to 1500 *
PHIL 001	Introductory Philosophy
PHIL 005	Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 012	Comparative Religion
SPAN 003	Intermediate Spanish
SPAN 004	Advanced Spanish
SPAN 012	Hispanic Literature
SPAN 023	Spanish 3 for Spanish Speakers
AREA 4: SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES		6
Complete two courses from two different disciplines. 6 units minimum.
AG 001	AG, Society, & the Environment
AGMT 001	Agriculture Economics
AJ 045	Terrorism and Freedom
ANTH 010	Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 012	Archaeology
ANTH 013	Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
CHLD 039	Child Growth and Development
CHLD 042	Child, Family, and Community
COMM 002	Gender and Communication
COMM 009	Intercultural Communication
ECON C2001	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON C2002	Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 025	Introduction to Economics
ETHN 001	Black American Studies *
ETHN 002	American Indian Studies *
ETHN 003	Chicana and Chicano Studies *
ETHN 004	Asian American Studies *
ETHN 010	Introduction to Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Studies *
GEOG 002	World Regional Geography
HIST C1001	United States History to 1877 *, **
HIST C1002	United States History since 1865 *, **
HIST 004	History of Western Civilization to 1648 *
HIST 005	Western Civilization Since 1648 *
HIST 023	Mexican American *
HIST 025	World History to 1500 *
JOUR 007	Mass Communication
JOUR 020	Cultural Issues in Film/TV/Web
NUTR 020	Cultural Foods
PHSC 002	Health and Social Justice
POLS C1000	American Government and Politics
POLS 006	Comparative Politics
POLS 008	International Relations
POLS 011	Political Theory and Thought
POLS 012	Introduction to Political Science
PSYC C1000	Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 005	Social Psychology
PSYC 010	Human Sexuality
PSYC 034	Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 080	Introduction to Lifespan Psychology
SOC 001	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 002	Social Problems
SOC 010	Sociology of Gender
SOC 026	Sociology of the Family
SOC 043	Sociology of Deviance
SSCI 050	Law and Democracy
AREA 5: PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES		7
Complete one course from the Physical Sciences and one course from the Biological Sciences. One course must have a lab. 7 units minimum.
5A: Physical Science - Minimum one course
AG 004	Soil Science
ASTR 010	Introduction to Astronomy
CHEM 001	General Chemistry 1 (Lab)
CHEM 002	General Chemistry 2 (Lab)
CHEM 010	Introduction to Chemistry (Lab)
CHEM 012	Organic Chemistry 1 (Lab)
CHEM 013	Organic Chemistry 2 (Lab)
CHEM 020	Introduction to General Chemistry (Lab)
CHEM 021	Organic/Biological Chemistry (Lab)
GEOG 001	Physical Geography
GEOG 005	Introduction to Weather and Climate
GEOL 001	Physical Geology (Lab)
GEOL 005	Earth History (Lab)
GEOL 012	Environmental Geology
PHYS 020	General Physics 1 (Lab)
PHYS 021	General Physics 2 (Lab)
PHYS 055	Physics 1: Mechanics & Waves (Lab)
PHYS 056	Physics 2: E&M and Heat (Lab)
PHYS 057	Physics 3: Modern Physics (Lab)
PSCI 020	Physical Science (Lab)
5B: Biological Science - Minimum one course
AG 002	Environmental Conservation
ANTH 011	Biological Anthropology
BIOL 001	Principles of Biology 1 (Lab)
BIOL 002	Principles of Biology 2 (Lab)
BIOL 020	Frontiers in Biology (Lab)
BIOL 021	Plant Biology (Lab)
BIOL 022	Animal Biology (Lab)
BIOL 025	Human Ecology
BIOL 030	Human Anatomy (Lab)
BIOL 031	Human Physiology (Lab)
BIOL 040	General Microbiology (Lab)
PLSI 001	Introduction to Plant Science
5C: Lab: GEOG 001L or any laboratory associated with 5A or 5B.
ANTH 015	Biological Anthropology Laboratory
GEOG 001L	Physical Geography Lab
AREA 6: ETHNIC STUDIES		3
Complete one course. 3 units minimum.
ETHN 001	Black American Studies *
ETHN 002	American Indian Studies *
ETHN 003	Chicana and Chicano Studies
ETHN 004	Asian American Studies *
ETHN 010	Introduction to Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Studies *
=
TOTAL		34

*

Course can be counted in one area only.

**

HIST C1001 and/or HIST C1002 can be counted in ONE AREA ONLY (3B or 4). Beginning Fall 2028, HIST C1001 and C1002 will no longer count for Area 3B. 

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. 

Course List

Code	Title	Units
US 1: Historical Development of American Institutions & Ideals
HIST C1001	United States History to 1877
HIST C1002	United States History since 1865
US 2: U.S. Constitution and Government
POLS C1000	American Government and Politics
AP US Government with a score of 3, 4, or 5 satisfies US 2 but not US 3
US 3: California State and Local Government
POLS C1000	American Government and Politics
POLS 010	California Government and Politics

Language Other Than English (LOTE)

Beginning Fall 2025, the UC Language other than English (LOTE) graduation requirement is not part of the Cal-GETC requirements. Upon transfer to a UC, a course that is approved to fulfill a Cal-GETC subject area may be used to satisfy the LOTE requirement if it meets relevant UC criteria.

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, SPAN 002, SPAN 022, or higher
• Advanced Placement (AP) exams
• Other approved methods

This ensures a smoother transition and helps students stay on track for graduation. Please see a COS Counselor for more information. 

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.