Liberal Studies
The major for future elementary school teachers.
Liberal Studies Coursework
Visit http://sdsu-dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.10/1474 to view a recent syllabus of each required Liberal Studies course.
Catalog years 2010 and prior | Catalog years 2011 and later
Core Liberal Studies Coursework
Of the 120 units required for graduation with a bachelor’s degree from SDSU, Liberal Studies specifies approximately 110, which means there are many course requirements to satisfy. These requirements include lower division preparation for the major coursework and upper division major coursework. All students are given course sequence charts at their Liberal Studies Orientation. Prospective students can view a list of course requirements by content area and a sequence chart on this website. They can also view their degree evaluation through the SDSU web portal (available after matriculation). While slightly different, both resources show all of the classes required to complete the Liberal Studies major. These requirements provide the extensive content background students need not only to pass the CSET but also to teach effectively once they earn their credential.
Specialization Coursework
In addition to the core coursework, students pursuing the Traditional Program need to satisfy coursework requirements in a specialization of their choice. The specializations page of this site lists the choices and the requirements of each specialization.
Middle School Option Coursework
In addition to the core coursework, students pursuing a Middle School Option need to satisfy coursework requirements in a middle school option of their choice, which include courses for a specialization plus the additional courses needed to earn a total of 32 units. The specialization page of this site lists the choices and the requirements of each specialization. The Middle School Options page of this site lists the choices and the additional requirements of each middle school option.
Registration Updates
From time to time, coursework requirements change between the time a student begins the Liberal Studies major and the time he or she decides to satisfy a given requirement. In some cases this is because entirely new classes are substituted for old ones. In other cases, the class remains the same, but the course name or number changes. In either case, this can cause problems for students looking to satisfy an affected requirement. When changes like these occur, a student’s Degree Evaluation, which is accessible through the Web Portal, will always reflect the change. Students are highly encouraged to consult their Degree Evaluation regularly. The registration updates page of this site lists all such changes that have occurred since Fall 2006.
PLEASE NOTE: the changes taking place in the major will not affect students with major catalog years of 2010 and prior. Check your degree evaluation through the web portal to see your major catalog year.
PLEASE NOTE: the information below applies only to students with major catalog years of 2011 or later. Check your degree evaluation through the web portal to see your major catalog year.
Core Liberal Studies Coursework
Of the 120 units required for graduation with a bachelor’s degree from SDSU, Liberal Studies specifies between 110 and 120, depending on the content focus a student chooses (see below), which means there are many course requirements to satisfy. These requirements include lower division preparation for the major coursework and upper division major coursework. All students are given course sequence charts at their Liberal Studies Orientation. Prospective students can view a list of course requirements by content area and a sequence chart on this website [currently under construction]. They can also view their degree evaluation through the SDSU web portal (available after matriculation). While slightly different, both resources show all of the classes required to complete the Liberal Studies major. These requirements provide the extensive content background students need not only to pass the CSET but also to teach effectively once they earn their credential.
The lower division core course work is the same for all students and consists of 59.5-63.5 units. This course work covers a variety of content areas, including Language Arts, Social Science, Math, Science, Visual and Performing Arts, PE/Human Development, and the Humanities.
The upper division core course work is the same for all students and consists of 22 units. This course work covers a variety of content areas, including Language Arts, History, Math, and Science.
Content Focus Coursework
All Liberal Studies students matriculating in Fall 2011 or later will choose a content focus, either Literacy, Math or Science. The number of required units ranges from 23 units in the Literacy Focus, to 35 in the Math Focus, to 38 in the Science Focus . In addition to its content focus course work, the Literacy Focus also requires a 5-7 unit Option, which is designed to help students pursue career goals within the education field.
Students in each focus complete sufficient course work to qualify for an Introductory Subject Matter Authorization to teach that content area in middle school, provided they also earn a multiple subjects credential. For more information on middle school Introductory Subject Matter Authorizations visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website .
For more information that can assist students in determining which content focus area is their best choice, consult this document.
Suggested Course Sequence Charts
Students interested in seeing suggested course sequence charts for all versions of the major can find them on this site.