General Education — A Shared Experience

A university brings together many separate areas of learning, yet it is more than just a collection of specialized disciplines. The SJSU General Education (GE) Program incorporates the development of skills, the acquisition of knowledge, and the integration of knowledge through the study of facts, issues, and ideas. Regardless of major, all who earn undergraduate degrees should share common educational experiences, as they become university scholars. In combination with major, minor, and elective courses, the General Education curriculum should help students attain those attributes found in an educated person.

Fall 2025 GE Program Changes

As required by the Cal State University System, a revised GE program will take effect in fall 2025. Click here for a thorough explanation of the new program. You can view a side-by side comparison of the current and the upcoming GE Programs. 

View Current and Upcoming GE Programs

GE Course Guidelines

Fall 2022 General Education Guidelines [pdf] were passed by the Academic Senate in May 2022 and are effective through Summer 2025. Beginning Fall 2025, the General Education Guidelines passed by the Senate in fall 2024 [pdf] go into effect. Departments are asked to update their GE syllabi according to the new Guidelines after spring 2024.

Read more about GE syllabus revisions and review. 

GE Workshops

Please join us to learn about pending changes to GE Program requirements, new GE curricular initiatives, and GE PLO assessment processes.

Register for a GE Workshop