A-G Courses

As a first-year applicant, you must complete, with letter grades of C- or higher, the 15-unit comprehensive pattern of college preparatory courses.

A‑G Subject Years Specifications
A Social Science 2 years required Must include one year of U.S. history and government.
B English 4 years required Acceptable courses must include substantial reading of classic/modern literature and writing of structured papers. Elective courses do not fulfill the English requirement.
C Mathematics 3 years required;
4 recommended		 Acceptable courses include algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and other advanced courses that require algebra and geometry as prerequisites. Computer programming courses do not fulfill the math subject requirement.
D Laboratory Science 2 years required;
3 recommended		 Must include one year of biological science and one year of physical science. Both must have a laboratory component.
E Foreign Language 2 years required Must be the same language. (Subject to waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence.)
F Visual and Performing Arts 1 year required Must be a year-long visual and performing arts course selected from visual art, dance, drama/theatre, or music. May complete two semester-long courses from the same discipline.
G Electives 1 year required College preparatory courses selected from the areas listed above or other approved college preparatory A–G courses.

CSU Minimum First-Year Eligibility

SDSU is an impacted campus with a competitive applicant pool. The average high school GPA for admitted students is 3.9. First-year students must meet the following minimum CSU eligibility requirements to be considered:

  • be a high school graduate or equivalent;
  • complete or will complete 15 year-long college preparatory courses with a grade of C- or higher upon graduation from high school; and
  • earn a qualifying A-G grade point average (GPA) in one of the following ways:
    • Meet at least a 2.5 GPA or greater for California residents and graduates of a California high school; OR
    • Meet at least a 3.0 or greater for non-California residents and graduates of a non-California high school