Area F Frequently Asked Questions

Watch a 10-minute presentation by Dr. Joanne Rondilla, Assistant Professor from the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, about the definition of Ethnic Studies, including the background and learning goals/outcomes of the new Area F requirement.  

• 1. What is Area F? 

  • Area F is the new CSU Ethnic Studies requirement, per the CSU GE Breadth Requirements (EO 1100). See the SJSU Academic Catalog for Area F description and courses.

• 2. Are all students required to take Area F courses?

  • All incoming first-year students starting in Fall 2021 are required to take 3 units in Area F as part of their Core GE program. Incoming transfer students starting in Fall 2023 will be required to take Area F, with the exception of transfer students with continuous enrollment at a California Community College (CCC) prior to Fall 2023. Continuous enrollment is defined as attendance for at least one term per academic year.

• 3. What courses can be offered in Area F?

  • Per CSU GE Breadth Requirements (EO 1100) only courses in the following four disciplines are eligible for approval in Area F: African American Studies (AFAM), Asian American Studies (AAS), Chicana and Chicano Studies (CCS), and Native American/American Indian Studies. Area F courses may be cross-listed with other disciplines as appropriate.

    Please note: not all Ethnic Studies (AFAM, AAS, and CCS) courses fulfill Area F. Only courses that have been approved for Area F will fulfill this GE Area.

• 4. Do the Ethnic Studies/American Institutions course sequences at SJSU fulfill Area F?

  • No. The three course sequences (AFAM 2A/2B, AAS 33A/33B, CCS 10A/10B) fulfill 6 units of Area D, US1, US2, and US3. Students taking one of these course sequences must take another course to fulfill Area F, and must take a course in a different discipline for Area S.

• 5. How are courses approved for Area F at SJSU?
  • To obtain Area F approval, courses must go through the normal curriculum review and approval process. Courses approved at the department level will then be submitted for consideration to the Area F GE Review Panel (GRP), which will forward their recommendation to the GE Advisory Committee (GEAC). 
• 6. What Area F courses are available at SJSU?
  • As of 2023-24, 11 Area F courses have been approved. These courses are listed in the Academic Catalog, and include both lower division and upper division courses. Upper division Area F courses are appropriate for students who have completed written communication (GE Area A2) and Critical Thinking (GE Area A3). We anticipate that additional Area F courses will be approved in the next few years.
• 7. Can Area F courses be substituted or waived?
  • No. There are no waivers or substitutions allowed for Area F courses, per the CSU GE Breadth Requirements (EO 1100). 
• 8. Can students take Area F courses at community colleges?
  • California Community Colleges have developed Ethnic Studies courses for articulation to Area F. Students can check ASSIST.org and the SJSU Articulation Page for current course articulations for Area F.
• 9. How will these GE changes impact high-unit majors at SJSU?
  • Some high-units majors at SJSU have been granted permission to exceed 120 units for the Bachelor’s degree to accommodate Area F. Refer to current Academic Catalog for current degree requirements.