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 (21 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 18 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.

Of the 39 units, the following 21 units are not satisfied in the major:

• GE Area A1 3 unit(s)
• GE Area A2 3 unit(s)
• GE Area C1 3 unit(s)
• GE Area C2 3 unit(s)
• Additional Area C1 or C2 3 unit(s)
• GE Area E 3 unit(s)
• GE Area F 3 unit(s)

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 a 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 sequence (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) or Humanities Honors course (HUM 2B ; 6 units) satisfies 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 a Writing in the Disciplines (100W) course with a  grade of C or better (C- not accepted) to meet graduation requirements. For this major, the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)  is satisfied by a course in the major.

Major Preparation (34 units)

• BIOL 100W - Scientific Communication Workshop 3 unit(s) (R+WID)
• BIOL 155 - Hypothesis Testing 3 unit(s)
• BIOL 156 - Ecological Sampling Design and Analyses 3 unit(s)
• CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• CHEM 8 - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
• CHEM 9 - Organic Chemistry Lab 1 unit(s)
• CHEM 132 - Introductory Biochemistry 4 unit(s)
• MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (B4)
• PHYS 2A - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)

Major Requirements (51 units)

Total Units Required (120 units)