Department of Liberal Studies
Liberal Studies Department Advising
The Liberal Studies Department Advising Center serves Liberal Studies majors and Human Development and Family Science majors seeking academic advising. If you are unable to find an answer to your question on the website, or for a more detailed discussion, you can make an appointment with an LS Advisor.
Appointments can also take place by video chat or by phone. The advising staff is dedicated to supporting students and will answer your questions at every stage, from prospective students to graduation and beyond.
If you are interested in creating a learning plan, you could start the process by using the "My Learning Plan" tool on your Oasis. Please make sure to review your learning plan with the LS/HDFS Advisor.
Advisor Advising Areas Sasha Kingsley · Teacher Pathway Programs Advisor and Coordinator - Liberal Studies Traditional (B.A.) and ITEP (B.A. + Credential) Pathways
Jose Zavala · Liberal Studies B.A. Traditional Pathway
Angela Serrano MAESTROs Project Counselor - Liberal Studies ITEP (B.A. + Credential) Pathways Liberal Studies majors: First Year students
Liberal Studies majors have very specific courses that must be taken to fulfill the GE requirements. Please use the following links to ensure that the GE courses you choose are applicable to the LS major.
Sample Schedule for First Semester: Freshmen
14-16 units recommended for first semester:
- First Year Seminar
- A1 GE: Any approved, HCOM 211 recommended
- B4 GE: MATH 100
- Any other GE/Area for which you meet the enrollment criteria. See chart below for the specific Liberal Studies GE requirements.
AREA GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) COURSE A1 Oral Communication Any approved A2 Written Communication Any approved A3 Critical Thinking Any approved B1 Physical Science PHYS 121 and GEOL 210 B2 Life Science BIO 204 B3 Laboratory Practice PHYS 121L B4 Mathematics MATH 100 C1 Arts LS 233 C2 Humanities & Language GS 214 DGSS General Social Science Any approved DHIS US Histories HCOM 251 DCSL Civics & Service Learning ED 212S E Health & Well Being HDEV 200 WCL/C2 World Culture & Language Any approved language course other than English (EX: SPAN 101, ETC.) FYS First Year Seminar Any approved (FYS 148 recommended) Major Req LS 242S Liberal Studies majors: New Transfer students
Courses to Take Your First Semester
It is recommended to take 14-16 units during your first semester. You should take up to four of the following:
- LS 300 (Strongly recommended to complete in first year at CSUMB)
- SBS 386
- KIN 373/L
- LS 390
- LS 398
- MATH 308
- LING 392
- Minor or Emphasis course (For Traditional Pathway students only)
Other Considerations: Lower-Division Content Courses
Have you completed the content courses listed below with a grade of C or better? If you have not, you could register for the CSUMB equivalent during your first semester.
Content Course CSUMB Equivalent Earth Science: Geology, Physical Geography GEOL 210 Life Science: Biology BIO 204 Physical Science: Physics and Chemistry PHYS 121/L Child Development or Infancy through Adolescence HDEV 200 Ancient World History up to the year 1500 GS 214 US History up to 1865 or 1877 HCOM 251 Intro to Education must include a minimum of 30 hours of field work in K-8th grade LS 242S Visual and Performing Arts: Must include all four areas (music, dance, theater/dram, and visual art) LS 233 Freshmen
Human Development & Family Science (HDFS) majors are able to fulfill the lower-division GE requirements through many different courses.
Sample Schedule for HDFS Freshmen: First Semester
Use the Class Schedule to look through the courses before adding them to your shopping cart, and/or registering.
14-16 units recommended for first semester:
- A1: Oral & Written Communication (Any approved)
- B4: Mathematics (Any approved)
- C2: World Languages & Culture (Any approved)
- First Year Seminar (Any approved)
AREA GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE A1 Oral Communication Any approved A2 Written Communication Any Approved A3 Critical Thinking Any Approved B1 Physical Science Any Approved B2 Life Science Any Approved B3 Laboratory Practice Any Approved B4 Mathematics Any Approved; STAT 100 Recommended C1 Arts Any Approved C2 Humanities & Languages Any Approved DGSS Social Sciences Any Approved DHIS US Histories Any Approved DCSL Civics Service Learning Any Approved E Health & Well Being HDEV 200 FYS First Year Seminar Any approved Transfers
It is recommended to take 14-16 units during your first semester. You should take up to four of the following:
- HDFS 301
- HDFS 305S
- Language Course
- Family Studies Course
- Phase Specific Course
- UD B Course (BUS 350 recommended)
Transfer Credit
If you have taken courses at a community college or other university, the first step in receiving credit is to have your transcripts sent to the CSUMB Registrar.
You can view how your transfer credit has articulated to CSUMB by accessing your Transfer Credit Report in Oasis.
The Liberal Studies, B.A. lower division courses and their community college equivalents are listed below. The common titles that will satisfy the requirement are listed to the right. You are welcome to confirm that a course can be substituted by emailing a course description to the Liberal Studies department.
CSUMB Liberal Studies Lower-Division Major Course Community College Equivalent PHYS 121/L Survey of Chemistry AND Physics BIO 204 Introduction to Biology Laboratory Activity Science Lab: Associated with the course taken to satisfy the science lab requirement LS 233 A survey course of art, music, dance, and theater; OR multiple courses that cover all four content areas. GS 214 World History (Ancient up to the year ~ 1500) HCOM 251 U.S. History (Colonial Era to Reconstruction) HDEV 200 Child & Adolescent Development MATH 100 Math course that covers number systems GEOL 210 Survey of Earth Science LS 242S Introduction to Education course with field experience (minimum of 30 hours in a K-8 school setting) Local Community College Equivalents
Did you take or are you interested in taking courses at Cabrillo, Hartnell, MPC, and/or Gavilan? If you are looking for the exact community college equivalents of the Liberal Studies lower-division major courses at these local community colleges, then please reach out to the Liberal Studies department email (liberal_studies@csumb.edu).
Summer Courses
If you intend to take any of the lower-division Liberal Studies courses at a community college, please use the table above for community college equivalents.
Once the class is complete and a grade is posted, don't forget to have the transcript sent to CSUMB.
The California Virtual Campus (CVC) is a website that compiles all of the online courses offered throughout the state. Using the guide to common course titles in the Transfer Credit section above, you can search this site to find a suitable substitute for a lower division LS major requirement. Once you have found one please reach out to the Liberal Studies Advisor for approval; you will need to sign up for that course using that college's website.