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Academic Skills Requirements for Undergraduate Students
Students Admitted to CSUDH Fall 1998 and After
New students enrolled at the University, fall 2018 and after are subject to E.O. 1110, which dictates that freshman skills assessment and placement for general education written communication and mathematics/quantitative reasoning shall be informed by systemwide skills assessment standards that include the Early Assessment Program/ Smarter Balanced Achievement Levels, ACT scores and/or SAT scores, high school coursework, high school GPA and math GPA.
Skills assessments are designed to inform entering first-year students of placement in appropriate baccalaureate-level Math and English courses.
For Math courses, this means that students will be placed into an entry-level Mathematics course based on their Multiple Measures Placement Level as follows:
Students in majors not requiring Pre-Calculus or Calculus:
Level 2 | 鈥� | MAT 131 |
Level 3 | 鈥� | MAT 134 |
Level 4 | 鈥� | MAT 132 |
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Students in majors that require Precalculus or Calculus:
Level 2 | 鈥� | MAT 153 |
Level 3 | 鈥� | MAT 103 |
Level 4 | 鈥� | MAT 103 |
For more information on Math placement:
Majors that do not require Precalculus or Calculus please visit:
Majors that require Precalculus or Calculus please visit:
For English courses, students are required to complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) in the University learning management system prior to being placed in a First-Year Composition course. DSP is not a test; it is a short survey including questions about students鈥� prior reading and writing experiences, which allows students to choose the First-Year Composition course best suited to meet their needs.
The DSP survey can be found and completed here:
For additional information and support regarding English and Math placements, students should contact the Student Success Center that houses their major or minor department. Please consult the undergraduate catalog entry for undergraduate academic advisement at CSUDH for a list of these centers with contact details.
General Education Requirements for Undergraduate Students
Students must follow the appropriate General Education (G.E.) pattern.
Students who have maintained continuous attendance at any combination of CSU, UC, or California community college under an earlier catalog may elect to complete the G.E. pattern in effect at the time of:
entrance into CSUDH; graduation or; entrance into a California community college or state university. For additional information and support, students should contact the Student Success Center that houses their major or minor department. Please consult the undergraduate catalog entry for undergraduate academic advisement at CSUDH for a list of these centers with contact details.
The current General Education听program is divided into the following areas and includes 43 total semester units:
Area 1 - English Communication (9 units). All courses in this area require a grade of "C-" or higher
Area 2 - Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units). All courses in this area require a grade of 鈥楥-鈥� or higher
Area 3 - Arts and Humanities (6 units of lower division, 3 units of upper division)
Area 4 - Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 units of lower division, 3 units of upper division)
Area 5 - Physical and Biological Sciences (7 units of lower division, 3 units of upper division)
Area 6 - Ethnic Studies (3 units)
1 Students must take nine upper division units of G.E. courses within the CSU and complete Areas 1 and 2 before enrolling in any upper division G.E. courses.
Requirements (43 units)听
The following is the list of courses that are offered in the General Education program. These courses fulfill the objectives stated in the program description. For complete course descriptions, refer to those sections of the University Catalog that describe the programs offering the courses. All Area 1 and Area 2 courses must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher. A grade point average of 2.0 calculated at graduation is required for the entire General Education Pattern.
Area 1. English Communication (9 units required) Complete one course from each of the following categories (1A, 1B, 1C): 1
1A. English Composition (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
ENG听108 | Freshman Composition I: Stretch 1and | 6 |
&听ENG听109 | Freshman Composition I: Stretch 2 2 | 听 |
ENG听110 | Freshman Composition Accelerated | 3 |
1B. Critical Thinking (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
ANT 120 | Pop Culture Archaeology | 3 |
CIS 275 | Internet Literacy | 3 |
CSC 115 | Introduction to Programming Concepts | 3 |
CSC 121 | Introduction to Computer Science and Programming I | 4 |
LIB 151 | Fundamentals of Information Literacy | 3 |
MAT听271 | Foundations Of Higher Math | 3 |
PHI听120 | Critical Reasoning | 3 |
PHI 220 | Symbolic Logic | 3 |
PSY听110 | Critical Thinking and Problem Solving | 3 |
1C. Oral Communication (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
THE听120 | Fundamentals of Speech | 3 |
1听Courses in Area 1 must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher.
2听If the stretch course option is selected, completion of both听ENG 108 and 109 is required to satisfy 1A. ENG 108 must be completed with a grade of CR. ENG 109 must be completed with a grade of "C-" or higher.
Area 2. Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units required)
Select one of the following: 3
Course | Title | Units |
MAT听105 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
MAT听111 | Discovering Mathematics | 3 |
MAT听131 | Elementary Statistics and Probability | 3 |
MAT听132 | Statistics and Probability with Support | 4 |
MAT听134 | Statistics & Probability - Supported | 4 |
MAT听151 | College Algebra and Trigonometry | 4 |
MAT听153 | Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry with Lab | 4 |
MAT听171 | Survey of Calculus for Management and Life Sciences | 4 |
MAT听191 | Calculus I | 5 |
MAT听193 | Calculus II | 5 |
3听Courses in Area 2 must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher.
Area 3. Arts and Humanities (9 units required)
Complete one course from each of the following categories (3A, 3B, 3UD).
3A. Arts (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听205 | Introduction to Hip Hop | 3 |
APP听225 | Pacific Islander Culture in Oceania and the U.S. | 3 |
ART听100 | Looking At Art | 3 |
ART听101 | Experiencing Creative Art | 3 |
COM听130 | Introduction to Film | 3 |
DAN听130 | Global Dance Perspectives | 3 |
ENG听271 | Introduction to Creative Writing | 3 |
MUS听101 | Introducing Music | 3 |
MUS听110 | Music Fundamentals | 3 |
MUS听201 | Music in Film: From the Silent Era to The Lord of the Rings | 3 |
MUS听250 | History of Rock | 3 |
THE听100 | Television Film & Theatre | 3 |
THE听160 | Acting For Non-Majors | 3 |
WMS听330 | Queer Art and Visual Culture | 3 |
3B. Humanities (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听200 | Intro to Africana Studies | 3 |
APP听101 | Introduction To Asian Studies | 3 |
CHS听100 | Chicana/o Cultural Roots | 3 |
CHS听205 | Introduction to Chicana/o Literature | 3 |
COM听100 | Media & Society | 3 |
ENG听230 | Literature and Popular Culture | 3 |
HIS 203 | Conspiracy Theories in HIS | 3 |
HUM听204 | Introduction to the Humanities | 3 |
JPN听110 | Beginning Japanese I | 3 |
JPN听111 | Beginning Japanese II | 3 |
LBR听202 | Class Struggles in Film and Popular Culture | 3 |
PHI听101 | Moral Problems | 3 |
PHI听102 | Humanity, Nature & God | 3 |
PHI听201 | The Good Life | 3 |
PHI听202 | The Devil You Don't Know | 3 |
SPA听151 | Introduction to Hispanic Culture | 3 |
SPA听221 | Intermediate Spanish II | 3 |
WMS听100 | Gender, Sex, the Body, & Politics: An Introduction | 3 |
WMS听410 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
3UD. Integrative Studies in the Arts & Humanities (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听331 | Key Movements: African Literature and Culture | 3 |
AFS听332 | Key Movements: Harlem Renaissance | 3 |
AFS 333 | Black Movements of the Sixties | 3 |
AFS 334 | African Cultures and Art | 3 |
AMS 321 | The Long 1980s | 3 |
APP 314 | Asian Americans and the Media | 3 |
APP 315 | Asian Pop Culture and Globalization | 3 |
APP 325 | Asian Pacific Art, Music and Literature | 3 |
APP 339 | Asian Diaspora and Transnational Asian Religions | 3 |
APP 343 | Asian Pacific Film & Literature | 3 |
ARH 370 | Art and Social Protest | 3 |
CHS 340 | Native American and Chicana Women鈥檚 Narrative | 3 |
CHS 345 | Latina/o Identities in the Americas | 3 |
ENG 308 | Critical Approaches to Children鈥檚 Literature | 3 |
ENG 360 | Heroes and Antiheroes | 3 |
ENG 362 | Environment in Literature & Culture | 3 |
ENG 364 | Literary Utopia | 3 |
HIS 342 | Native American History | 3 |
HIS 355 | American Civil Rights History | 3 |
HIS 375 | Pop Culture in History | 3 |
HIS 376 | Film as History | 3 |
HUM 300 | Introduction to Health Humanities | 3 |
HUM 301 | Mind/Brain and the Arts | 3 |
HUM 302 | Deals with the Devil: Magic, Science, Technology, & the Anthropocene | 3 |
HUM 303 | Animals from Sacred to Endangered | 3 |
HUM 304 | Vampires: Disease, Identities, Predatory Capitalism | 3 |
HUM 305 | Never Lose Infinite Hope: Imagining Justice, Cultivating Mental Wellness | 3 |
HUM 306 | Humanities, Science, Technology, and Environment | 3 |
HUM 307 | eSports Issues: Health, Society, Sustainability | 3 |
HUM 308 | Garden of Delights | 3 |
HUM 309 | War and Human Experience | 3 |
HUM 311 | Power of Myth | 3 |
HUM 315 | American Musical | 3 |
HUM 316 | Middle Eastern Culture and the Arts | 3 |
IDS 312 | Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Humanities | 3 |
LBR 310 | Success and Values | 3 |
LBR 312 | Decade of the Sixties | 3 |
LBR 314 | Key Issues: American Dream | 3 |
MUS 302 | African American Music | 3 |
MUS 312 | The Jazz Age | 3 |
MUS 345 | Global Popular Music: Identity and Social Change | 3 |
MUS 486 | Music History III: 1880 to Contemporary | 3 |
NCR 390 | Fundamentals of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding | 3 |
PHI 351 | Death and Dying | 3 |
PHI 352 | Myth as Reality | 3 |
PHI 353 | Age of Revolt | 3 |
PHI 383 | Comparative Religions | 3 |
SPA 310 | Romantic Love in the Western Tradition | 3 |
SPA 312 | Literature, Art and Culture of Spanish-Speaking Countries | 3 |
SPA 313 | Encountering the Other | 3 |
SPA 352 | Central American Cultures | 3 |
THE 313 | Voices of Contemporary Women Playwrights | 3 |
THE 315 | Key Concepts: The American Musical | 3 |
THE 317 | Theatre of Revolt | 3 |
THE 319 | The Power of Masks | 3 |
WMS 310 | The Witch in Literature | 3 |
WMS 311 | Comedy, Sex and Gender | 3 |
WMS 314 | Feminism and Film | 3 |
WMS 315 | Literary Topics in Gender Studies and Sexuality Studies | 3 |
WMS 380 | Gender and Sexuality in Popular Culture | 3 |
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Area 4. Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 units required)
Complete one course from each of the following categories.听 Please note that 4A, 4B, 4UD courses must be taken from more than one department听(e.g., if you are satisfied with 4A and 4B with听anthropology听courses, then 4UD听cannot听be satisfied with an anthropology course).
4A. Perspectives on Individuals, Groups and Society (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听220 | African World Peoples & Soc. | 3 |
ANT听100 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
APP 231 | Approaches to Pacific Knowledge | 3 |
CDV听150 | Intro Child Development | 3 |
ECO听210 | Economic Theory 1A Micro | 3 |
ECO听211 | Economic Theory 1B Macro | 3 |
HEA 201 | Healthcare Systems and Perspectives | 3 |
HHS 100 | Health Professions | 3 |
IDS听210 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3 |
LAW听240 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
LBR听101 | Introduction to Labor Studies: Work, Wealth, and Power | 3 |
LBS听205 | Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
NCR听291 | Psychology of Peacebuilding | 3 |
PUB 101 | Money and Power in Los Angeles | 3 |
PUB 102 | Health Governance | 3 |
PSY听101 | General Education Psychology: Understanding Human Behavior | 3 |
SOC听101 | The Individual In Society | 3 |
SOC听102 | Understanding Social Relationships in a Global Perspective | 3 |
WMS听200 | Foundations in Queer Studies | 3 |
WMS听250 | Foundations in Women's Studies | 3 |
WMS 370 | Gendered and Queer Migrations | 3 |
4B. Global and Historical Perspectives (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听201 | African World Civilizations | 3 |
ANT听102 | Ancient Civilizations | 3 |
APP 227 | Social Activism in Hawai'i and the Pacific | 3 |
CHS听200 | Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o History | 3 |
ENG听150 | Languages of the World | 3 |
GEO听100 | Human Geography | 3 |
HEA 104 | Food, Health, and Environment | 3 |
HIS听120 | World History I | 3 |
HIS听121 | World History II | 3 |
LBR听200 | Labor and the Environment | 3 |
MGT听200 | Global Organizational Ethics and Social Responsibility | 3 |
OMG 230 | Understanding Globalization | 3 |
POL听100 | General Education Political Science: World Perspectives | 3 |
4UD. Integrative Studies in Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听310 | The African American Experience in the US | 3 |
AFS听311 | Afro Latinidad & the Caribbean | 3 |
ANT听312 | Language And Culture | 3 |
ANT听330 | North American Indians | 3 |
ANT听334 | Mesoamerica Past and Present | 3 |
ANT听336 | Comparative Cultures: Culture, Environment and Globalization | 3 |
ANT听337 | Ethnography and Film | 3 |
ANT听338 | Mainland Southeast Asia | 3 |
ANT听342 | South America | 3 |
ANT听371 | Historical and Cultural Perspectives in Disability Studies | 3 |
APP听311 | Contemporary Issues in Asian American Communities | 3 |
APP听318 | Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Lao Americans: Culture, History, and Identity | 3 |
APP听327 | Values and Communication of Asian Pacific Cultures | 3 |
APP听335 | Asian Pacific Culinary Culture | 3 |
APP听350 | Asian-Pacific Gender and Family | 3 |
BSN听306 | Cult Diversity Healthcare 4 | 3 |
CDV 363 | Development in Diverse Contexts | 3 |
CHS听323 | Latina/o Perspectives on U.S. Immigration and Citizenship | 3 |
CHS听330 | Latina/o Identities in U.S. | 3 |
GEO听318 | Cultural Pluralism The Human Environment: Methods of Knowledge and Truth | 3 |
HEA听468 | Multicultural Health | 3 |
HIS听340 | American West | 3 |
HIS听348 | Labor In American Society | 3 |
HIS听352 | Topics in United States Foreign Relations History | 3 |
HIS听354 | History of American Immigration | 3 |
HIS听356 | American Environmental History: American Environment from Pre-Contact (prior to 1500) to the Present | 3 |
HIS听380 | Women In History | 3 |
IDS听304 | Issues in Global Studies | 3 |
IDS听318 | Interdisciplinary Approach to Cultural Pluralism | 3 |
ITC听300 | Security in a Digital Society | 3 |
LBR听313 | The Future of Workers and Work | 3 |
LBR听316 | Working Class and Education | 3 |
LBR听350 | Research Methods for Social Change | 3 |
LBR听365 | Racial Capitalism | 3 |
LBS听370 | Multicultural Studies | 4 |
MLG听318 | New Perspectives on Language and Sex | 3 |
NCR听391 | Restorative Justice | 3 |
POL听350 | History of Political Ideas | 3 |
POL听351 | Modern Political Thought | 3 |
POL听354 | American Political Thought | 3 |
SBS听318 | Cultural Pluralism: | 3 |
SOC 321 | Sociology of Education | 3 |
SPA听318 | Movements of Latin America | 3 |
SPA 321 | The Afro-Latin American Experience | 3 |
WMS 300 | Community Organizing & Gender | 3 |
WMS听318 | Race, Class and Gender | 3 |
WMS听340 | Politics of Women's (Un)Paid Labor | 3 |
WMS听390 | Transnational Feminisms | 3 |
4 Restricted to Nursing Majors
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Area 5. Physical and Biological Sciences (10 units required)
Complete one course from each of the categories (5A, 5B, 5C, 5UD):5
5A. Physical Science (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
CHE听102 | Chemistry For The Global Citizen | 3 |
CHE听110 | General Chemistry I 6 | 5 |
EAR听100 | Physical Geology | 3 |
GEO听200 | Physical Geography | 3 |
PHY听100 | Patterns In Nature | 3 |
PHY听120 | Elements Of Physics I听7 | 4 |
PHY听130 | General Physics I 8 | 5 |
5 Students majoring or minoring in one of the natural sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry, or Physics) may substitute more advanced science courses. These students should see a faculty advisor.
6听Meets area 5A and 5C for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Chemistry: Biochemistry Option, BA Chemistry: General Chemistry Option, BS Chemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Biology, Minor in Microbiology, Minor in Organic/Biochemistry, BS in Clinical Science, BS in Earth Science, BA in Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy Option, BS in Physics
7听Meets Area 5A and 5C for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, BA Chemistry: Biochemistry Option, BS Earth Science, BA Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy Option, BS Quality Assurance
8听Meets Area 5A and 5C for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BS Biology, BA Chemistry: Biochemistry Option, BA Chemistry: General Chemistry Option, BS Chemistry, BS Computer Science, BS Mathematics, BS Physics, Minor in Physics
5B. Biological Science (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
ANT听101 | Intro to Biological Anthro | 3 |
BIO听102 | General Biology | 3 |
BIO听120 | Principles of Biology I 9 | 3 |
BIO听122 | Principles of Biology II 10 | 3 |
9听Meets Area 5B for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS in Clinical Science, BS Earth Science, BA Physical Education: Pre-Physical Therapy Option
10听Meets Are 5B for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, Ba Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS Clinical Science, BS Earth Science
5C. Laboratory (1 units):听
The laboratory must be associated with one of the two lower-division courses taken for Area 5A and 5B.听听
Course | Title | Units |
BIO听103 | General Biology Laboratory 11 | 1 |
BIO听121 | Principles of Biology Laboratory I 12 | 1 |
BIO听123 | Principles of Biology Laboratory II 13 | 1 |
CHE听103 | Chemistry Lab for the Global Citizen | 1 |
EAR听101 | Physical Geology Laboratory 14 | 1 |
11听Concurrent enrollment in听BIO听102听General Biology or prior life science course recommended.
12听Meets Area 5C for the following programs only: BS in Biochemistry, BS Biology, Minor in Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS Clinical Science, BS Earth Science, BA Physical Education: Pre Physical-Therapy Option
13听Meets Area 5C for the following programs only: BS Biochemistry, BA Biology, BS Biology, Minor in Microbiology, BS in Clinical Science, BS Earth Science
14听Concurrent enrollment in听EAR听100听Physical Geology or prior earth science course recommended.
5UD. Integrative Studies in the Natural Sciences (3 units):
Course | Title | Units |
BIO听336 | Environmental Biology | 3 |
BIO听340 | Genetics | 3 |
BSN听346 | Human Pathophysiology 15 | 3 |
CSC听301 | Computers And Society | 3 |
EAR听312 | Natural Disasters | 3 |
EAR听416 | Earth Science for Teachers | 3 |
HEA听466 | Environmental Health Problems | 3 |
IDS听310 | Global Climate Change | 3 |
LBS听380 | Blended Science Methods | 4 |
SMT听310 | Science and Technology | 3 |
SMT听314 | Introduction to Cosmology | 3 |
SMT听410 | Development of Scientific Thinking and Theories | 3 |
15听Course restricted to Nursing majors
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Area 6. Ethnic Studies (3 units)
Select one of the following.听
Course | Title | Units |
AFS听100 | The African American Experience | 3 |
AFS听212 | Intro To Comp Eth & Global Soc | 3 |
AFS听231 | Africana Literary Traditions | 3 |
APP听201 | Introduction to Asian American Studies | 3 |
APP听212 | Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Global Societies | 3 |
CHS听125 | Chicano/Latino Musical Culture | 3 |
CHS听212 | Introduction to Comparative Ethnic Studies | 3 |
Statutory Requirements (6 units)
Students must satisfy requirements in U.S. history and U.S California government by completing the following:
Course | Title | Units |
HIS听101 | History Of United States (or articulated course at a California Community College or examination) | 3 |
POL 101 | American Institutions (or articulated course at a California Community College or examination) | 3 |
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General Education Certification
Accredited community colleges and public four-year colleges may sanction (certify) that all or part of General Education requirements (post 1980), have been met.听 Transfer students with complete certification of California State University General Education breadth requirements, the CSU version of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements, or Cal-GETC are not required to complete additional lower division courses in general education. Transfer students should request General Education certification from their community colleges. An additional nine-semester units of upper division General Education courses must be completed at CSU Dominguez Hills.
Double Counting General Education Courses
General Education courses may be double counted in either the major or the minor. Even though students may double-count certain General Education courses, they will not receive additional unit credit towards graduation by double-counting. For example, a double-counted course counts three units (not six) towards graduation. Please consult the University Catalog and/or an academic advisor for more information.
Graduation Requirement in Writing Proficiency (GWAR)
The California State University requires that all undergraduate students demonstrate competency in writing skills at the upper division level as a requirement for graduation.
Undergraduate students must first complete their lower division English composition courses in Area 1A, General Education, before attempting to complete this upper-division requirement. Fulfillment of GWAR should be undertaken at the beginning of the junior year (or 60 units) and can be met by completing an upper-division GWAR-certifying course in the major or a closely related major. Many departments and programs offer GWAR-certifying courses for their majors. Students should contact their major department to determine if such a course is offered. Students must earn a grade of C or higher to satisfy the GWAR.听
Those students whose major department does not offer an upper-division GWAR-certifying course may elect to take one of the following after consulting with their major department:听
| Anthro Theories of Behav |
| Senior Project |
| Experimental Biophysics |
| International Business |
| Mthd & Analysis in Child Study |
| Writing in Chemical Sciences听 |
| Critical Issues in Chicana/Chicano Studies |
| Research Methods and Communication in Criminal Justice Administration |
| Clinical Hematology |
| Senior Design |
| Black English Language and Culture |
| Advanced Composition The English Department regularly offers this GWAR-certifying course. Students must earn a grade of C or higher to satisfy the GWAR requirement. |
| Seminar in Literature |
| Research Methods in Health Sciences |
| Proseminar in History |
| Helping and Professional Relationships |
| Writing Adjunct |
| Interdisciplinary Studies Senior Seminar |
| Senior Design |
| Sport and Exercise Psychology |
| Multicultural Studies |
| Music History III: 1880 to Contemporary |
| Research Design in Political Science |
| Research Methods in Public Administration |
| Research Methods in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences |
| Writing Skills in Sociology |
| Senior Capstone |
Transfer Certification
Students who have satisfied the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) at another CSU campus in 1984 or later, but prior to matriculation at CSU, Dominguez Hills, may petition for fulfillment of GWAR at CSUDH. Students must complete a Petition for Fulfillment of GWAR, attaching a copy of the certifying test score or copy of an official transcript and the catalog description of the pertinent coursework.