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General Education Requirements

The General Education (GE) curriculum at Thurgood Marshall College is designed to provide students with:

  • The academic skills and basic knowledge to pursue any major.
  • Flexibility to enhance the curriculum with unique educational experiences.
  • The opportunity to enhance your critical writing skills through our unique freshman writing sequence focusing on contemporary American society and culture.
  • A broad liberal arts and science background relevant to today’s society.

Each of the General Education requirements is outlined below, along with a list of approved courses to satisfy that requirement. 

General Education Requirements for First-Year Students

Dimensions of Culture (3 courses)

Students are required to complete a three-quarter core sequence entitled Dimensions of Culture: Diversity, Justice, and Imagination. This three-course core sequence must be taken for a letter grade.

As a three-course sequence, DOC 1: Reading Diversity, DOC 2: Arguing Justice, and DOC 3: Imagination offer intensive instruction in university-level expository writing. Students entering as first-years are expected to fulfill this writing requirement within the first two years of residency and must complete the DOC sequence at UCSD (no exceptions).

All students must satisfy the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) before enrolling in DOC 2 and DOC 3. First-year students who do not take DOC 1 in fall quarter are advised to complete DOC 1, 2, and 3 in their second year.

Learn more about the Dimensions of Culture program

DOC 1 - Diversity (4 units)
Fall Quarter only

DOC 2 - Justice (6 units)
Winter Quarter only

DOC 3 - Imagination (6 units)
Spring Quarter only

Natural Science (3 courses)

Students are required to complete a total of three (3) Natural Science courses: one in Biology, one in Chemistry, and one in Physics.

*Students are encouraged to select Natural Science courses that can overlap with sciences courses in their major.


Biology

  • ANTH 2
  • COGS 17
  • BILD 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 12, 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 30, 32, 36, 38, 42, 46, or 61

Chemistry

  • CHEM 4, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6AH, 6BH, 6CH, 11, 12, or 13

Physics


  • ASTR 1, 2 3, or 4
  • ESYS 10
  • PHYS 1A & 1AL, 1B & 1BL, 1C & 1CL, 2A, 2B, 2C, 4A, 4B, 4C, 8, 10, 11, or 12
  • SIO 1, 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 20R, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50

Mathematics, Statistics and Logic (2 courses)

Students are required to complete two (2) courses for Mathematics, Statistics and Logic. Students have three options to complete this requirement from the approved list of courses:

Option A: Complete two courses in the Mathematics/Advanced Statistics category.
Option B: Complete one course in the Mathematics/Advanced Statistics category and one course in either the Introductory Statistics category or the Computer Programming & Logic category.

Option C: Complete one course in the Introductory Statistics category and one course in the Computer Programming & Logic category.

*Students are encouraged to select Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic courses that can overlap with mathematics, statistics, and logic courses in their major.


Mathematics, Advanced Statistics

  • BIEB 100
  • MATH 3C 4C, 10A, 10B, 10C, 11, 20A, 20B, 20C, 180A, or 181A

Introductory Statistics

  • COGS 14A
  • HDS 60
  • POLI 30
  • PSYC 60
  • SOCI 60

Computer Programming & Logic

  • BILD 62
  • COGS 18
  • CSE 6R, 8A, or 11
  • CSS 1
  • LIGN 17
  • MAE 5, 9, or 10
  • PHIL 10 or 12

Humanities and Cultural Studies (2 courses)

Students are required to complete two Humanities and Cultural Studies courses from the approved list of courses in domestic and global cultures.

Humanities and Cultural Studies 

  • AAS 10, 10R, 11, 14, 15, or 30
  • ETHN 1, 1R, 2, 2R, 3, 3R, 20, 20R, or 30 
  • HILD 7A, 7B, 7C, 10, 11, 12, or 14
  • LATI 10 or 50
  • LTEN 27, 28, 29, or 31
  • RELI 2
  • GSS 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, or 27 (formerly Third World Studies [TWS])

Fine Arts (1 course)

Students are required to complete one Fine Arts course among the list of approved courses in Music, Theatre & Dance, or Visual Arts.


Fine Arts

  • MUS 4-19, 20, or *80
  • TDGE 1, 5, 10, 11, or 12
  • TDHT 21, 22, or 23
  • VIS 1, 2, 3, 20, 21, 22 or 84

*MUS 80 must be taken for 4 units to count toward the Fine Arts GE.

Disciplinary Breadth (4 courses)

Students are required to complete four 4-unit Disciplinary Breadth courses - two (2) of which must be upper-division - outside the major field of study. At least one of the upper-division courses must include significant writing.

Transfer students with IGETC or UC Reciprocity only need to complete two (2) upper-division courses.  Transfer students without an articulation agreement, please see an Academic Advisor.

Guidelines:

  • One of the required upper-division courses must come from the Significant Writing list [PDF]
  • All students, regardless of major, can satisfy Disciplinary Breadth GE requirements through Public Service coursework. For more information, please visit the Academic Opportunities page. 
  • Courses used for Disciplinary Breadth cannot overlap with courses used towards the Major. 

Note: For students who are declaring a noncontiguous double major (majors from two different academic disciplines), they must complete just one Upper-Division Disciplinary Breadth with Writing GE. The course can be from any discipline and must appear on our pre-approved Significant Writing list.

Please select your major below to determine which departments you may choose from to satisfy the Disciplinary Breadth requirements.

 

General Education Requirements for Transfer Students

General Education requirements will vary depending on your transfer agreement. Please review the options below to learn more about how your transfer agreement affects your GE requirements.  Transfer agreements – including but not limited to IGETC and Partial-IGETC – apply exclusively to students admitted as transfers. They may not apply to students admitted as first-year students.     

UC-IGETC Certified

Lower-Division General Education Requirements: No coursework required.

Upper-Division General Education Requirements: Upper-Division Breadth GEs

Students are required to complete two 4-unit Disciplinary Breadth courses outside the major field of study. At least one of the upper-division courses must include significant writing.

Guidelines:

  • One of the required upper-division courses must come from the Significant Writing list [PDF]
  • All students, regardless of major, can satisfy Disciplinary Breadth GE requirements through Public Service coursework. For more information, please visit the Academic Opportunities page. 
  • Courses used for Disciplinary Breadth cannot overlap with courses used towards the Major. 

Note: For students who are declaring a noncontiguous double major (majors from two different academic disciplines), they must complete just one Upper-Division Disciplinary Breadth with Writing GE. The course can be from any discipline, but it cannot overlap with any requirements for the double major. The course must also appear on our pre-approved Significant Writing list.

Please select your major below to determine which departments you may choose from to satisfy the Disciplinary Breadth requirements.

Partial IGETC

Lower-Division General Education Requirements:

  • Complete the remaining one or two missing IGETC requirements for a letter grade with a D grade or better or for Pass/No-Pass grade with a Pass grade.
    • Students with a missing Area 6 (Language Other Than English) requirement must meet with an academic advisor to discuss options to complete the requirement.

Upper-Division General Education Requirements: Upper-Division Breadth GEs

Students are required to complete two 4-unit Disciplinary Breadth courses outside the major field of study. At least one of the upper-division courses must include significant writing.

Guidelines:

  • One of the required upper-division courses must come from the Significant Writing list [PDF]
  • All students, regardless of major, can satisfy Disciplinary Breadth GE requirements through Public Service coursework. For more information, please visit the Academic Opportunities page. 
  • Courses used for Disciplinary Breadth cannot overlap with courses used towards the Major. 

Note: For students who are declaring a noncontiguous double major (majors from two different academic disciplines), they must complete just one Upper-Division Disciplinary Breadth with Writing GE. The course can be from any discipline, but it cannot overlap with any requirements for the double major. The course must also appear on our pre-approved Significant Writing list.

Please select your major below to determine which departments you may choose from to satisfy the Disciplinary Breadth requirements.

UC Reciprocity

Lower-Division General Education Requirements: No coursework required.

Upper-Division General Education Requirements: Upper-Division Breadth GEs

Students are required to complete two 4-unit Disciplinary Breadth courses outside the major field of study. At least one of the upper-division courses must include significant writing.

Guidelines:

  • One of the required upper-division courses must come from the Significant Writing list [PDF]
  • All students, regardless of major, can satisfy Disciplinary Breadth GE requirements through Public Service coursework. For more information, please visit the Academic Opportunities page. 
  • Courses used for Disciplinary Breadth cannot overlap with courses used towards the Major. 

Note: For students who are declaring a noncontiguous double major (majors from two different academic disciplines), they must complete just one Upper-Division Disciplinary Breadth with Writing GE. The course can be from any discipline, but it cannot overlap with any requirements for the double major. The course must also appear on our pre-approved Significant Writing list.

Please select your major below to determine which departments you may choose from to satisfy the Disciplinary Breadth requirements.

Articulation (No Transfer Agreement)

Lower-Division General Education Requirements: 

Transfer students without IGETC, Partial-IGETC or UC Reciprocity are considered Articulation and can satisfy lower-division GEs in one of the following ways:

GE Completion

  • Completion of all lower-division GE requirements at a non-UC four-year campus or an out-of-state two-year campus prior to transferring to UCSD.
  • Must obtain a Letter of GE Completion from the originating campus to be waived from all lower-division GEs at Marshall College.
  • Please meet with an academic advisor at Marshall College for additional information.

GE Petition(s)

If you do not meet the above criteria, you must meet with an academic advisor at Marshall College to review your transfer courses. They will determine, on a course-by-course basis, which lower-division GE requirements you have fulfilled as well as the lower-division GE courses still needed. It is very likely that you will need to petition some of your transfer courses for GE credit.

Thurgood Marshall College Requirements:

Students will need to complete missing GE requirements that may include:

  • Dimensions of Culture (DOC)*
  • Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic
  • Natural Sciences
  • Humanities/Culture
  • Fine Arts
  • Disciplinary Breadth (up to four courses)
*Advising will determine which DOC courses you will need to complete

 

Upper-Division General Education Requirements: Upper-Division Breadth GEs

Students are required to complete two 4-unit Disciplinary Breadth courses outside the major field of study. At least one of the upper-division courses must include significant writing.

Guidelines:

  • One of the required upper-division courses must come from the Significant Writing list [PDF]
  • All students, regardless of major, can satisfy Disciplinary Breadth GE requirements through Public Service coursework. For more information, please visit the Academic Opportunities page. 
  • Courses used for Disciplinary Breadth cannot overlap with courses used towards the Major. 

Note: For students who are declaring a noncontiguous double major (majors from two different academic disciplines), they must complete just one Upper-Division Disciplinary Breadth with Writing GE. The course can be from any discipline, but it cannot overlap with any requirements for the double major. The course must also appear on our pre-approved Significant Writing list.

Please select your major below to determine which departments you may choose from to satisfy the Disciplinary Breadth requirements.

How To Update Your Transfer Agreement On Your Degree Audit

 

 

  • IGETC or Partial IGETC students

    Please confirm that your UC IGETC or UC Partial IGETC has been received by the Admissions Office, along with all official transcripts. Many institutions will send these documents separately. Note: A CSU-IGETC will not be accepted.

    Students can send transcripts to UC San Diego through Parchment.

    If you need to mail documentation to UC San Diego, please use the following address:

    UC San Diego - Office of Admissions
    ATTN: Transcripts
    9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0021
    La Jolla, CA 92093-0021

    If you have questions regarding the receipt of your materials, please email receiptoftranscript@ad.ucsd.edu.

  • UC Reciprocity

    Transcripts

    Please send all official transcripts to the UC San Diego Office of Admission.

    Students can send transcripts to UC San Diego through Parchment.

    If you need to mail transcripts to UC San Diego, please use the following address:

    UC San Diego - Office of Admissions
    ATTN: Transcripts
    9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0021
    La Jolla, CA 92093-0021

    If you have questions regarding the receipt of your transcript, please email receiptoftranscript@ad.ucsd.edu.


    Letter of Reciprocity

    If you completed all lower-division General Education requirements at your previous UC campus, please ask your undergraduate advising office for a UC Reciprocity Letter.  Your UC Reciprocity letter must be sent by an advisor via email to tmcadvising@ucsd.edu.

    A notification will be available under your 'Contact Record' once your UC Reciprocity letter has been received and posted to your academic record.

  • Articulation

    Transcripts

    Please send all official transcripts to the UC San Diego Office of Admission.

    Students can send transcripts to UC San Diego through Parchment.

    If you need to mail transcripts  to UC San Diego, please use the following address:

    UC San Diego - Office of Admissions
    ATTN: Transcripts
    9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0021
    La Jolla, CA 92093-0021

    If you have questions regarding the receipt of your transcript, please email receiptoftranscript@ad.ucsd.edu.


    Did you complete a lower-division GE curriculum at your previous institution? If so, please ask an advisor at your previous institution to send a letter to Marshall College Academic Advising confirming that you completed all lower-division requirements. Your letter must be sent by an advisor via email to tmcadvising@ucsd.edu.

    A notification will be available under your 'Contact Record' once your UC Reciprocity letter has been received and posted to your academic record. 

Want to overlap GE courses with your major?

Review our list of GE courses that can overlap with requirements of different majors.

Learn More