FOR SPECIFIC GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES, CHECK THE COURSE BY SPECIFICATIONS FEATURE AT GENERAL EDUCATION

Freshmen. Students who enter CSUS as freshmen use the catalog requirements in effect when they begin at CSUS. For example, if you graduated from high school last Spring and began at CSUS in the Fall Semester 2003, your catalog rights begin in Fall 2003 and you are required to fulfill the GE and major requirements outlined in the University catalog in effect in Fall 2003. As long as you maintain continuous enrollment (defined below), you will not be responsible for any requirements added after that time. Students also have the option of choosing to meet the catalog requirements in effect when they graduate from CSUS.

Transfer Students. Students who transfer to CSUS may use (1) the catalog requirements in effect when they enter CSUS, (2) the catalog requirements in effect when they graduate from CSUS, or (3) the requirements which were in effect when their continuous enrollment (defined below) began. For example, if you began at American River College in Fall 1997 and have been continuously enrolled since then, you have catalog rights to Fall 1997.

Continuous enrollment begins when you have graduated from high school and enroll in either a California State University (such as CSUS) or a California Community College (such as American River College). You maintain continuous enrollment as long as you register one semester in each calendar year. Unlike the “school year,” the calendar year runs from January through December. For example, if you were registered Spring 1999, did not register Fall 1999 and Spring 2000, and registered again in Fall 2000, you have maintained continuous enrollment because you enrolled one semester in 1999 and one in 2000.

Some additional notes concerning continuous enrollment:

• Your continuous enrollment cannot begin until you have graduated from high school. (This does not prevent college courses you took in high school from applying to CSUS requirements.)
• You may maintain continuous enrollment by attending colleges which are not part of the California State University (CSU) system or the California Community College (CCC) system as long as (1) you first attend a CSU or CCC and (2) do not attend a non-CSU or non-CCC for more than two years in a row.
• Each semester you register will apply to continuous enrollment, regardless of whether you complete the semester or pass your courses.
• It is possible to split catalogs, i.e., use different catalogs to satisfy GE, major and other graduation requirements (such as foreign language proficiency).

Advising is available to students with questions about General Education in the Academic Advising Center (LSN-1012) on a drop-in basis. The Center is open from 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. from Tuesdays and Wednesdays and from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Monday, Thursday, and Friday.

Students must petition to request exceptions or substitutions to the General Education or graduation requirements. Forms are available from the Academic Advising Center (LSN-1012) and the Evaluations Office (Admissions and Records window and LSN lobby).