Undergraduate General Education Requirements
Prior to enrolling at PAU, undergraduate students are asked to complete approximately 88 quarter units (60 semesters). PAU's general education requirements largely mirror the requirements to transfer to a California State University (CSU). We have outlined below a general articulation plan as it relates to courses guaranteed to transfer from a CA community college to the CSU system. This list is not comprehensive - we encourage students to complete a transfer evaluation to get a clear sense of how many courses they may transfer to PAU. You can also visit assist.org to see a list of courses at your community college that are certified to meet the CSU general education requirements.
| PAU General Education Area |
Unit Requirements |
Any Course Designated as a CSU Transfer Area |
| Area A - English Language, Communication and Critical Thinking |
Minimum of 9 semester units or 12 quarter units |
A1-Oral Communication
A2-Written Communication
A3-Critical Thinking |
| Area B - Scientific Inquiry |
Minimum of 6 semester units or 8 quarter units. Includes one course from each: Physical Science and Life Science |
B1-Physical Sciences
B2-Life Science |
| Area C - Arts and Humanities |
Minimum of 9 semester units or 12 quarter units. Select courses in at least two disciplines. |
C1-Art
C2-Humanities |
| Area D - Social Sciences |
Minimum of 9 semester units or 12 quarter units. Select courses in at least two disciplines |
Any Area D |
| Area E - Human Understanding and Development |
Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units. |
Any Area E |
| Mathematics |
Minimum of 3 semester units or 4 quarter units of transfer-level math.
Statistics also satisfies this requirement. |
B4-Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning |
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Completing General Education (GE) Courses While Enrolled at PAU
Although students are encouraged to complete all general education requirements prior to enrolling, students may complete some while enrolled at PAU. Students will need to develop an Individualized Education Plan with their academic advisor prior to the start of classes. This plan will outline the remaining general education requirements and a mechanism for their completion. This can include:
Graduate Studies Early Start Program
Undergraduate students may request to take courses in the MA in Counseling, MS in Psychology or Masters in Social Work program as additions to or substitutes for undergraduate coursework.
Guidelines
- Students are required to complete an Independent Learning Plan with a faculty advisor prior to receiving approval to enroll in graduate coursework. Faculty advisors must provide approval for students to enroll in graduate courses, and document explicitly any course substitutions.
- Student requests to enroll in graduate courses are evaluated each term. Student requests may be denied if there is insufficient space available in courses, or if the student’s performance in past graduate coursework is substandard.
- Students are charged for courses by unit at the undergraduate rate.
- Courses taken at the graduate level may be used to satisfy undergraduate graduation requirements, and may complete major requirements (core and non-core courses) if approval is granted prior to enrollment in the course. Graduate-level courses are considered upper-division units.
- In the case that a graduate course is more units than the undergraduate course for which it is substituting, excess units may be used by the student as upper-division elective units toward their undergraduate degree requirements.
- Students who complete courses at the graduate level are not guaranteed admission to the MA or MS program upon graduation from their undergraduate degree.
- Students who wish to enroll in the MS, MSW or MA program upon completion of their undergraduate degree, must apply to the graduate program as a new student.
- MA students may take no more than 24% of their required MA courses as a PAU undergraduate. Upon formal matriculation into the MA programs, students will meet with an academic advisor to create an individualized education plan which accounts for courses already completed. Students should also be aware that all MA courses must be passed with a B grade or better, in order to count toward the MA degree.
- MS students may take no more than 24% of their required MS courses as a PAU undergraduate. Upon formal matriculation into the MS programs, students will meet with an academic advisor to create an individualized education plan which accounts for courses already completed. Students should also be aware that all MS courses must be passed with a B grade or better, in order to count toward the MS degree.
- MSW students may take no more than 21.5 graduate units while simultaneously enrolled in their undergraduate program.
- Upon successful completion of the course, the Office of the Registrar will post the course as completing the undergraduate course requirement. Once enrolled officially in the graduate program, the student should petition the Office of the Registrar for the course to appear on their graduate transcript.
B.S. to Master of Social Work Pathway
Students may be eligible to take up to 21.5 quarter units of PAU Master of Social Work courses as part of the plan of study for the B.S. in Psychology or B.S. in Business Psychology degree. The courses that are successfully completed with a grade of ‘B’ or better will be eligible for transfer to the PAU Master of Social Work program if the student applies and is admitted to that program upon graduation with the B.S. degree.
Undergraduate Concentrations
Students who complete at least twenty focused units in an additional area of specialty may petition the Department Undergraduate Studies Chair to have an academic concentration listed on their transcript. For example, an individual completing the requirements for a B.S. in Psychology may have also taken 20 business units for a Business concentration. Concentrations are verified by the Department Chair and forwarded to the Registrar for notation on the student transcript. If students are interested in other concentrations, they should talk to their academic advisor.