Area 6 Frequently Asked Questions

Watch a 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 Area 6 (formerly F) requirement.  

1. What is Area 6 (formerly F)? 

Area 6 (formerly F) is the new CSU Ethnic Studies requirement, per the (EO 1100). See the 91吃瓜 Academic Catalog for  description and courses.

2. Are all students required to take Area 6 (formerly F) courses?

All incoming first-year students starting in Fall 2021 are required to take 3 units in Area 6 (formerly F) as part of their Core GE program. Incoming transfer students starting in Fall 2023 will be required to take Area 6, 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 6 (formerly F)?

Per (EO 1100) only courses in the following four disciplines are eligible for approval in Area 6 (formerly F): African American Studies (AFAM), Asian American Studies (AAS), Chicana and Chicano Studies (CCS), and Native American/American Indian Studies. Area 6 courses may be cross-listed with other disciplines as appropriate.

Please note: not all Ethnic Studies (AFAM, AAS, and CCS) courses fulfill Area 6. Only courses that have been approved for Area 6 will fulfill this GE Area.

4. Do the Ethnic Studies/American Institutions course sequences at 91吃瓜 fulfill Area 6 (formerly 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 6 (formerly F), and must take a course in a different discipline for Area 4 (formerly S).

5. How are courses approved for Area 6 (formerly F) at 91吃瓜?To obtain Area 6 (formerly 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 6 GE Review Panel (GRP), which will forward their recommendation to the GE Advisory Committee (GEAC). 
6. What Area F courses are available at 91吃瓜?As of 2023-24, 11 Area 6 (formerly F) courses have been approved. These courses are listed in the , and include both lower division and upper division courses. Upper division Area 6 courses are appropriate for students who have completed written communication (GE Area 1A - formerly A2) and Critical Thinking (GE Area 1B - formerly A3). We anticipate that additional Area 6 courses will be approved in the next few years.
7. Can Area 6 (formerly F) courses be substituted or waived?No. There are no waivers or substitutions allowed for Area 6 (formerly F) courses, per the (EO 1100). 
8. Can students take Area 6 (formerly F) courses at community colleges?California Community Colleges have developed Ethnic Studies courses for articulation to Area 6 (formerly F). Students can check and the for current course articulations for Area 6.
9. How will these GE changes impact high-unit majors at 91吃瓜?Some high-units majors at 91吃瓜 have been granted permission to exceed 120 units for the Bachelor鈥檚 degree to accommodate Area 6 (formerly F). Refer to current for current degree requirements.