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Basically, General Education (or Gen Ed for short) is required curriculum that makes up the foundation of an undergraduate degree. This set of standard classes goes by many other names, including Core Curriculum and Shared Experience.

These include basic liberal arts courses, such as English and history, as well as science and math. An intro to English composition is more or less guaranteed, but which classes are considered essential continues to change and ultimately depends on the institution.

Proficiency in reading, quantitative skills, and written/oral expression are essential for professional success and effective citizenship.

The G.E. requirement — sometimes called the breadth requirement — lists the specific courses students must take or number of credit hours they must earn in each discipline. Each school and college at every UC campus has its own general education requirement.

The GE requirement has two components, Topical Breadth and Core Literacies, and is defined in terms of units, not courses.

General education degree types consist mainly of courses in the liberal arts, including various disciplines in the arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and sometimes foreign language.

Do I need certification? If you plan to attend a UC or CSU it is highly recommended that you do so. Only a few out of state and private schools require general education certification. Check with the institution to see if IGETC or CSU certification is required.

All CSU students must meet the minimum of 48 semester units of General Education (GE)-breadth requirements in order to earn the bachelor's degree. The GE requirement includes 39 semester units of lower-division coursework and at least nine semester units of upper-division coursework.