General Education

MMW 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

• All MMW courses must be taken for a letter grade. 
• MMW course overview

• Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) is a prerequisite for enrollment in MMW 12 and MMW 13. 
  • Satisfaction of the ELWR does NOT waive MMW 11. 
• The University-level requirement in English composition takes place in MMW 12 and MMW 13.  During those two quarters you will receive intensive instruction and practice in writing on subjects drawn from course materials.
• Neither Advanced Placement test scores nor International Baccalaureate credit nor transfer coursework will exempt you from any quarter of The Making of the Modern World.
• MMW can only be taken at UC San Diego.

• This two course requirement may be taken for letter or P/NP grade.
• Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping these courses with your major. 

Choose any two courses from the lists below: 

Courses best suited for STEM majors and/or pre-health students

  **  Available only to CSE majors Fall quarter

#  Prerequisite for the calculus sequence. Take only if you need calculus for your major.

Courses best suited for non-STEM majors and/or non-pre-health students

‡ Not recommended during your first quarter at UC San Diego.

Majors requiring the 10 series of Calculus:

Economics, All Biology (except Bioinformatics), ANY pre-med (unless major requires 20 series), Psychology (BA/BS),
Cognitive Science (BA), Environmental Systems, some Environmental Science

Majors requiring the 20 series of Calculus:

Earth Science, Bioinformatics, Cognitive Science (BS), all Engineering/Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Math, some Environmental Science, Management  Science, Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts, Psychology (BA/BS). If you want to leave as many possible major options open, take the 20 series.

If you want to request a college exception to substitute a GE course, you must submit a message in the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for instructions on how to petition. Use the "Ask A Question" tab.

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate in Quantitative and Formal Skills

See our AP/IB chart in the left hand column for the most updated information

• This two course requirement may be taken for letter or P/NP grade.
• Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping these courses with your major.

Choose any two courses from the lists below:

Courses best suited for STEM majors and/or pre-health students 

Courses best suited for non-STEM majors and/or non-pre-health students

If you want to request a college exception to substitute a GE course, you must submit a message in the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for instructions on how to petition. Use the "Ask A Question" tab.

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate in Natural Science

See our AP/IB chart in the left hand column for the most updated information.

• This requirement may be taken for letter or P/NP grade.
• Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping these courses with your major.

Students are required to demonstrate basic conversational and reading proficiency in a modern foreign language, or advanced reading proficiency in a classical language. The requirement may be satisfied by: 

1. Completion of a fourth quarter college level language course or third semester level equivalent course elsewhere.
   • See chart below for the fourth quarter level language courses at UCSD
   • NOTE: Self-directed language study (Linguistics 19) may NOT be used to satisfy this requirement.
2. Passing an individually arranged language proficiency exam.
   • See Linguistics Language Program website for more information.
3. Earning a qualifying AP or IB score. See our AP/IB chart for qualifying scores.
4. Earning a score of 700 or higher on SAT II Language exam.*
5. Placement into courses above intermediate level (typically in Spanish or Chinese Studies). Contact ERC Advising.
6. Attending high school outside the U.S. Contact ERC Advising for eligibility.*

*Official test scores/transcripts must be received and posted to your academic history

• NOTE: Students cannot overlap courses for the Language GE requirement with their Regional Specialization GE requirement. This includes language courses used as pre-requisites to the fourth quarter level language course.

Language Sequence Flowchart

• For languages offered through Linguistics
  • LIxx 1A/AX 
  • LIxx 1B/BX
  • LIxx 1C/CX
    • LIxx 1D/DX* (meets Proficiency but does not allow continuation in the language)
    • LTxx 2A (meets Proficiency and allows continuation in the language)

Language Placement Exams

For language placement exams go to https://llp.ucsd.edu/.

Language Courses at UCSD

Find information about language courses and programs available at UC San Diego.

If you want to request a college exception to substitute a GE course, you must submit a message in the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for instructions on how to petition. Use the "Ask A Question" tab.

•  This one course requirement may be taken for letter or P/NP grade.
• Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping Lower-Division courses with your major.
  • Courses taken for the Fine Arts requirement must be at least 4 units (2 unit courses will not be accepted). Any 4-unit course from the departments of Music, Theatre and Dance, or Visual Arts may be used to satisfy this requirement. LTEA120A-B-C and COMM 50 may also satisfy the requirement.
  • NOTE: Students cannot overlap courses for their Fine Arts GE requirement with their Regional Specialization GE requirements.

If you want to request a college exception to substitute a GE course, you must submit a message in the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for instructions on how to petition. Use the "Ask A Question" tab.

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate in Fine Arts

See our AP/IB chart in the left hand column for the most updated information.

• First Years must complete three courses from the same region.
  • At least two of the three courses must be upper division (numbered 100 or higher).
  • One of the three courses may be taken Pass/No Pass. The other two must be taken for a letter grade. 
  • Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping a lower-division course (numbered 1-99) with your major. 
• Transfers must complete two courses from the same region.
  • Both courses must be upper division (numbered 100 or higher).
  • One of the two courses must be taken for letter grade; the other one may be taken Pass/No Pass.
• Regional Specialization course lists are available through the links below. Courses not on the approved lists must be petitioned prior to enrollment. Students may choose courses from approved departmental offerings in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts.
  • NOTE: Students cannot overlap courses for their Regional Specialization GE requirements with their Fine Arts GE requirement. 
  • Students may overlap their Regional Specialization requirement with the Upper-Division Writing requirement. Please see our list of Approved Courses for Upper-Division Writing to determine which classes are eligible for overlap. 

Designated Regions for Specialization

(click on each region to see list of approved courses)

These regions have been defined to be broad enough to ensure course availability and narrow enough to ensure coherence of subject matter.  Some courses may overlap regions, in which case you will need to indicate which region you chose before graduation. If you plan to study abroad, you may wish to fulfill all or part of the Regional Specialization requirement at your host institution.

If you want to request a college exception to substitute a GE course, you must submit a message in the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for instructions on how to petition. Use the "Ask A Question" tab.

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate in Regional Specialization

See our AP/IB chart in the left hand column for the most updated information. Qualifying AP credits for Regional Specialization counts as the one allowable lower-division requirement. It does not count as the one allowable P/NP course.

• This one course requirement may be taken for letter or P/NP grade and can overlap with any requirement.
• Check with your major on grading option requirements if you plan on overlapping this course with your major. 

At least one upper-division course (numbered 100-199) in your academic program must include a significant writing component in English to complete the ERC Upper-Division Writing GE requirement.

Students can choose a course from the Approved Upper-Division Writing GE List to clear the requirement.

Alternatively, students may submit an Upper-Division Writing GE Petition for the consideration of a course not on the approved list. This involves providing a course syllabus and graded paper(s) that meets the criteria of one of the following options:

OPTION A: One original graded long paper (2500-word minimum) written for any upper-division course within or outside of your major.

OPTION B: A portfolio of original papers written for one or more upper-division courses within or outside of your major. The portfolio must include one paper of 1500 words or more, and a minimum total word count of 3000 for the entire porfolio (i.e., one 1500 word paper plus several shorter papers). 

For both options, paper(s) must be written in English and have received a passing grade of a C- or better. You must also have received a grade of at least C- or P in the course for which the paper was written. The writing should demonstrate invention of a thesis, an original argument, and development of the argument with evidence and analysis. Paper(s) may include description, provided a significant portion of the paper is devoted to an analysis of the description.

Poetry, short stories, in-class exams, group projects, and laboratory reports are NOT acceptable to meet this requirement.

NOTE: THE IGETC PROGRAM, PARTIAL IGETC PROGRAM, AND ALL TRANSFER AGREEMENTS APPLY EXCLUSIVELY TO STUDENTS ADMITTED AS TRANSFERS. THESE PROGRAMS DO NOT APPLY TO STUDENTS ADMITTED AS A FIRST YEAR.

IGETC Certification Agreement

Agreement Details

• Completion of all IGETC curriculum requirements from a California Community College.
• Must be completed prior to transferring to UCSD, no exceptions.
• Must send certification from the community college to UCSD Admissions Office to be verified and posted to your Academic History.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 and MMW 122. Both must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
  

Partial IGETC Certification Agreement

Agreement Details

• Missing no more than two (2) IGETC curriculum requirements from a California Community College.
• Must be completed prior to transferring to UCSD, no exceptions.
• Must send certification from the community college to UCSD Admissions Office to be verified and posted to your Academic History.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 and either...
  • MMW 122 (4 units) if you have completed Area 1A and 1B of the IGETC. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    
    OR
    
    
  • MMW 12 (6 units) if you completed only one (1) of Area 1A or 1B of the IGETC. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
• Complete the remaining one to two missing IGETC requirements (can be P/NP or letter grade of D or better). Students must meet with ERC Academic Advising to determine which courses are needed to complete your remaining required courses.

NOTE: UC RECIPROCITY, AND ALL TRANSFER AGREEMENTS APPLY EXCLUSIVELY TO STUDENTS ADMITTED AS TRANSFERS. THESE PROGRAMS DO NOT APPLY TO STUDENTS ADMITTED AS A FIRST YEAR.

UC Reciprocity Agreement

Agreement Details

• Completion of all lower-division general education/breadth requirements at another UC.
• Must be completed prior to transferring to UCSD, no exceptions.
• Academic advisor from UC must send letter on official university/college letterhead to ERC Academic Advising to be verified and posted to your records.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 and MMW 122. Both must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.

Partially Completed UC Reciprocity Exception (verified missing 1-2  courses)

Exception Details

• Missing no more than two (2) lower-division general education/breadth requirements from another UC.
• Must be completed prior to transferring to UCSD, no exceptions.
• Academic advisor from UC must send letter on official university/college letterhead to ERC Academic Advising indicating what one to two lower-division general education/breadth requirements are missing. Official letter is needed in order to verify missing general education and to update your records. 
• Not all UC institutions will provide this for students. If institution will not provide such documentation, student will be considered a General Transfer Student.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 and either...
  • MMW 122 (4 units) if you have completed two (2) semesters of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    
    OR

• • MMW 12 (6 units) if you completed only one (1) semester of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    
    
• Complete the remaining one to two UC Reciprocity requirements (can be P/NP or letter grade of D or better). Students must meet with ERC Academic Advising to determine which courses are needed to complete your remaining required courses.

NOTE: GE CERTIFICATION, PARTIAL GE CERTIFICATION, AND ALL TRANSFER AGREEMENTS APPLY EXCLUSIVELY TO STUDENTS ADMITTED AS TRANSFERS. THESE PROGRAMS DO NOT APPLY TO STUDENTS ADMITTED AS A FIRST YEAR.

GE Certification Exception

Exception Details

• Completion of all lower-division general education/breadth requirements at another 4-year institution.
• Must be completed prior to transferring to UCSD, no exceptions.
• Academic advisor from institution must send letter on official university/college letterhead to ERC Academic Advising to be verified and posted to your records.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 and either...
  • MMW 122  (4 units) if you have completed two (2) semesters of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    
    OR
    
    
  • MMW 12 (6 units) if you completed only one (1) semester of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    

Partial GE Certification Exception

Exception Details

• Missing no more than two (2) lower-division general education/breadth requirements from another 4-year institution.
• Must be completed prior to transferring to UCSD, no exceptions.
• Academic advisor from institution must send letter on official university/college letterhead to ERC Academic Advising indicating what one to two lower-division general education/breadth requirements are missing. Official letter is needed in order to verify partial agreement and to update your records.
• Not all institutions will provide this for students. If institution will not provide such documentation, student will be considered an Articulation Student.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 and either...
  • MMW 122  (4 units) if you have completed two (2) semesters of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    
    OR
    
    
  • MMW 12 (6 units) if you completed only one (1) semester of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.

• Complete the remaining one to two institution requirements (can be P/NP or letter grade of D or better). Students must meet with ERC Academic Advising to determine which courses are needed to complete your remaining required courses.

General Transfer Student

Details

• No transfer agreement.

ERC Requirements

• Complete two Making of the Modern World (MMW) courses: MMW 121 (also satisfies the Upper Division Writing requirement) and either...
  • MMW 122  (4 units) if you have completed two (2) semesters of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.
    
    OR
    
    
  • MMW 12 (6 units) if you completed only one (1) semester of writing. Both courses must be taken for a letter grade and for D or better.

• Complete all remaining ERC GE courses not already fulfilled by transfer courses or test scores, which may include:
  • Language Proficiency
  • 1 Fine Arts
    • Certain transferrable Speech courses may also complete this requirement by petition
  • 2 Natural Science
  • 2 Quantitative/Formal Skills
  • 2 (not 3) upper-division Regional Specialization courses from the same region, one of which may be taken Pass/No Pass
• For questions regarding petitioning courses to complete your GEs, contact ERC Advising using the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) at http://vac.ucsd.edu.

• Lower-division courses taken for your major may overlap with ERC GE requirements.
• Lower-division courses taken for your major may overlap with your minor requirements.
• All courses taken for your minor may overlap with ERC GE requirements.
• Up to two (2) upper-division courses taken for your minor may overlap with your major *
• The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), ERC Upper-Division Writing, and the American History and Institutions (AHI) requirements may overlap with any other requirement for graduation including major, minor, and/ or other GE’s. 
• Upper Division Major and Minor Overlap: https://students.ucsd.edu/academics/advising/majors-minors/upper-division-course-overlap.html 

*Pending department approval

• Upper-division courses taken for your major may NOT overlap with any ERC GE requirements except the Upper-Division Writing requirement. There are some exceptions if you are a double major. (Please see acceptable double major overlap).
• Upper-division courses taken for one minor may NOT overlap with any other minor requirement.
• Courses taken for one ERC GE requirement may NOT overlap with another ERC GE requirement (with exception of the Upper-Division Writing requirement). 

• A student must complete all requirements for BOTH majors, which includes 10 upper-division courses UNIQUE to each major. 
• Outside of the 10 unique upper-division courses, other upper-division courses between majors can overlap (pending approval of both departments).
• Lower-division courses can overlap with no limit.
• ERC students may overlap no more than three (3) upper-division courses between their double majors and their GE requirements.