General Education Theme Options

General Education theme options are sets of GE courses sharing a common intellectual theme. These GE theme options are not a separate element of the GE requirement, but a way of selecting your GE courses so that you may benefit from a coherent focus of study while completing the GE requirement. Completion of a theme satisfies the GE requirement for students with majors assigned to the GE topical breadth area of Arts and Humanities. Students with majors assigned to the topical breadth area of either Science and Engineering or Social Science will need to complete additional GE courses in Arts and Humanities to satisfy the campus GE requirement.

Global Population and Environmental Issues

For centuries, there have been concerns and predictions about population growth and its potential effects on the environment and the quality of life. Perspectives on population and environmental issues often vary based on such factors as gender, social class, culture, nation, race/ethnicity, and religion. In this group of courses, students will learn about the complex interplay among environmental, economic, and ethical issues through the study of global population patterns. They will learn how science addresses the use of natural resources by humans, along with the fundamentals of environmental impacts such as global warming. This option group of courses explores diverse perspectives on global population and environmental issues by examining biological, physical, and social processes that influence the everyday lives of people around the world.

Topics might include the social, economic, and environmental challenges of population growth; and the ethics and dilemmas of natural resource use.

Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity

The nations with the greatest biodiversity often have tremendous ethnic and cultural diversity. This option examines diversity in many interrelated contexts: biological diversity and the impact of contemporary humans; values and cultural practices in regard to production and consumption; the clothes people wear; creation and use of social spaces; and the preservation of genetic resources for food, fiber, and pharmaceuticals.

Topics might include conservation biology; integration of human and natural systems; cultural expression through clothing and appearance; and discussion of what are cultural and social rights.

Food and Fiber

This option focuses on food and fiber systems, from their plant, animal, or synthetic sources to their ultimate use by humans for health, safety, communication, and pleasure. Understanding these systems enables students to see the connections between the food and clothes that are part of our everyday lives and the scientific, social, and cultural issues that make them so significant to society as a whole.

Topics might include food and clothing safety, quality, and availability; media and consumer perceptions; and cultural histories, values, and meanings.

Changing Agriculture

Changing demographics, environmental issues, and social-political trends in California all play a role in public perceptions and policies related to our food and fiber systems, natural resources, and community values. These perceptions, policies, and values need to be critically examined in the context of larger global economic trends and environmental health and safety. In this option group of courses, students can explore a range of challenging issues related to the complex interplay between rural and urban needs and values.

Topics might include holistic approaches to agriculture; international migration and agricultural development; and how plants and animals influence the course of history.