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SJSU ARTICULATION AGREEMENT
Lower Division Requirements
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023

BS - Earth System Science

San José State University -to- American River College

Community College students should meet with a counselor as soon as possible to determine the equivalent courses offered at that institution. Students should complete as many as possible of the lower division requirements listed below, prior to transfer.

Lower Division Course Requirements

Community College Course Equivalents

STAR Act (SB 1440):

The Geology department accepts the AS-T in Geology for transfer into this major. We recommend transfer students complete the following courses, which are required for the Earth System Science major at SJSU, as part of their AS-T in Geology. Students should take courses which clear the American Institution requirement and a second course in English composition as part of their CSU GE or IGETC requirements for the AS-T degree (doing so will increase greater choice in the 60 units of SJSU course work to be taken after transfer).

This major provides broad background in the earth sciences. Students interested in teaching science in high school or middle school should take the specified elective courses (consult with the advisor as needed).

Second Course in English Composition:

ENGL 002 Critical Thinking and WritingENGWR 301 College Composition and Literature
   OR
ENGWR 302 Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking
   OR
ENGWR 303 Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Through Literature
   OR
ENGWR 481 Honors College Composition and Literature
   OR
ENGWR 482 Honors Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking
or
ENGL 001B Argument and AnalysisENGWR 303 Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Through Literature

Preparation for the Major:

BIOL 010 The Living WorldBIOL 310 General Biology
CHEM 001A General ChemistryCHEM 400 General Chemistry I
MATH 019 PrecalculusMATH 370 Pre-Calculus Mathematics
   OR
MATH 375 Pre-Calculus
STAT 095 Elementary StatisticsSTAT 300 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
   OR
PSYC 330 Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
   OR
STAT 480 Introduction to Probability and Statistics - Honors

Complete one course from the following:

PHYS 002A Fundamentals of PhysicsPHYS 350 General Physics
or
PHYS 050 General Physics/MechanicsPHYS 410 Mechanics of Solids and Fluids

Lower Division Requirements of the Major:

GEOL 001 General GeologyGEOL 300 Physical Geology
   AND
GEOL 301 Physical Geology Laboratory
(GEOL 300 & GEOL 301 must be completed at same institution)
GEOL 003 Planet EarthNo Current Equivalent
GEOL 004L Earth Systems LabGEOL 301 Physical Geology Laboratory
(if not used for GEOL 1)
GEOL 007 Earth, Time and LifeGEOL 310 Historical Geology
   AND
GEOL 311 Historical Geology Laboratory
(GEOL 310 & GEOL 311 must be completed at same institution)
GEOL 028 Geology OutdoorsGEOL 390 Field Studies in Geology

Major Electives:

ENVS 001 Introduction to Environmental IssuesNATR 300 Introduction to Natural Resource Conservation and Policy

University Electives:

ANTH 011 Cultural AnthropologyANTH 310 Cultural Anthropology
   OR
ANTH 481 Honors Cultural Anthropology


IMPORTANT TRANSFER INFORMATION:

Admission to San Jose State is competitive in all majors. SJSU continues to have more qualified applicants than available new student spaces. Because of this, SJSU is an impacted campus with impacted programs. For the most current information regarding admission impaction at SJSU please visit our website SJSU Impaction Information page.

Prior to transferring to San Jose State University all transfers must earn at least 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter), including the CSU four basic skill courses required for CSU admission eligibility (except majors which have an approved CSU GE A3 waiver). Within those 60 semester/90 quarter units, students are strongly encouraged to complete the following:

1. Lower Division Major Course Requirements (especially for STEM Majors):
Complete as many of the lower division courses required for the major as possible. Many of these courses may be double counted as part of the CSU GE-Breadth 39 semester unit requirements. The lower division major courses for this major are shown above.

2. General Education Requirements:
Complete all the CSU GE Breadth requirements at the community college (39 semester units/58 quarter units). The approved courses for each area can be found at www.assist.org under the link "CSU GE-Breadth Certification Courses" for your college. Many of these courses may be double counted to meet the major requirements shown above, so choose your courses wisely. Some SJSU majors which meet GE requirements within the majors are noted on the Major Exceptions and Modifications page in our catalog. Please see your college counselor/advisor to review your general education in order to receive FULL OR PARTIAL CERTIFICATION PRIOR TO TRANSFER to San Jose State University.

3. Second Course in English Composition highly recommended:
All students are strongly encouraged to complete a second English composition course as part of their lower division GE prior to transferring to SJSU (either to meet CSU GE Area A3 or C2) for the greatest success in passing the Writing Skills Test (WST) at SJSU. Complete this course with a grade of "C" or better prior to registering for the WST at SJSU to avoid delays in enrollment for other SJSU courses. To register for the WST contact our Testing office at: testing.sjsu.edu.

4. American Institutions Requirement (US 1, US 2, and US 3 must be completed):
This requirement is normally 2 courses and can be taken as part of your CSU GE-Breadth 39 semester unit requirements (GE Area D and sometimes Area C). The approved courses can be found at www.assist.org under the link "CSU U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals Courses" for your college.

5. Graduation Requirement - Physical Education (PE):
All undergraduate students who matriculate at SJSU are required to complete two units of physical education from Kinesiology/Dance activity courses, unless the major program has an approved PE waiver. Majors which have approved PE waivers are noted on the Major Exceptions and Modifications page in our catalog.


(page last modified: 01/19/2024)