University Requirements

Students must satisfy all of the major and Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements , which includes unit, GPA, and residency requirements as well as the below identified General Education , American Institutions, Graduation Writing Assessment, and Physical Education requirements. Courses that meet Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements are noted with an area designation (see Course Abbreviations ).

Core Lower Division General Education (24 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 15 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3, B4, or F must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with a major advisor for details.

Note: Students who have completed the ADT Transfer degree (under SB 1440) for this major will have completed all lower division GE requirements (except for 1 course in GE Area C and 1 course in GE Area D) and should follow the 60 unit guarantee roadmap (which include the missing GE in Area C and D). Meet with an advisor prior to registering for your first semester for the 60 unit roadmap or specific questions.

Upper Division General Education (6 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 3 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)

Complete one 6-unit sequence of American Institutions (US123) courses, which also satisfies GE Area D. Students may also satisfy the American Institutions Requirement  with other courses, but these may not satisfy other GE areas.

The American Studies (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) and Humanities Honors (HUM 1A /HUM 1B /HUM 2A /HUM 2B ; 24 units) sequences satisfy the American Institutions Requirement and additional GE Areas (see course descriptions for details).

Consult with a major advisor to select the appropriate sequence.

Physical Education (2 units)

All SJSU undergraduate students, regardless of major, have an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in physical activities. To accommodate students’ needs and interests, the university offers a diverse selection of activity courses .

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass both the SJSU Writing Skills Test (WST) and a Writing in the Disciplines (100W) course. The Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)  is satisfied by a course in the major. A grade of C or better (C- not accepted) is required to meet graduation requirements.

Major Preparation (35-41 units)

• BIOL 100W - Scientific Communication Workshop 3 unit(s) (WID)
• BIOL 155 - Hypothesis Testing 3 unit(s)
• CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• PHYS 2A - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• PHYS 2B - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)

Major Requirements (34-35 units)

University Electives (6-13 units)

University electives selected in consultation with major advisor. 

Total Units Required (120 units)