About 40% of first-year students at SFSU join a Metro Academy!
Metro provides you with:
- A First-Year Experience course to help you navigate campus and transition smoothly to college life
- Your own dedicated faculty mentor, someone you can turn to for questions, guidance, and support
- A community of students who share similar interests and goals
- Metro supported classes designed to help you succeed during your first two years of college
Metro is especially beneficial for first generation college students or anyone looking for additional support and a strong sense of community.
Starting college is a big step, and you do not have to do it alone!
Starting college at a big university can feel overwhelming — you're in big lecture halls, surrounded by strangers, and trying to figure everything out at once. Metro changes that.
At the heart of Metro is your "core" class — kind of your home base for your first year or two. In this class, you'll build real friendships, learn how to navigate everything college throws at you (financial aid, registration, campus resources, and more), and connect with other students headed in the same direction as you. Your core class is taught by your Metro Coordinator — a faculty member who knows you by name and is always in your corner. You can take a core Metro class for your first three semesters, and they all count toward your graduation requirements.
During your first two years, you'll also be taking general education classes like English, math, critical thinking, and communications. We do our best to schedule you alongside your Metro peers in these classes too — so instead of walking into a room full of strangers, you'll spot familiar faces. Students tell us this is one of the biggest reasons they feel at home at SF State faster than they expected.
Metro core classes cover topics that are genuinely interesting and relevant to your life: education justice in the U.S., community and public health, and histories that most textbooks leave out. And yes — they count toward your graduation requirements (your general ed requirements in humanities, social science, and history), so you're not adding extra work to your plate. Built into every class is also dedicated time to meet with an advisor, register for your next semester, and start thinking about your major and your future.
Think of academies as your Metro community within the larger SFSU community. Each academy is organized around a broad area of study, and being in one is one of the best ways to meet students in or near your major — people you might end up studying with, working on projects with, or just grabbing food with between classes.
That said, you don't have to have a specific major to join an academy. Some students pick the one that best fits their interests. Some pick the one that best fits their schedule. Either way, you'll find your people. And you can always switch around too!
Academy |
Who's usually here? |
|
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) |
Biology, engineering, and computer science are the most popular majors, and psychology students join frequently too. |
|
Health |
A lot of pre-nursing students call this academy home, alongside students exploring public health, pre-med, kinesiology, and psychology. Biology majors are a common fit here as well. |
|
LCA (Liberal & Creative Arts) |
This is a great home for cinema and art majors—but LCA also means communications, political science, international relations, and history. If it involves ideas or expression, you probably belong here. |
|
Business |
Business is one of SFSU's most popular areas, with students in accounting, management, marketing, and more. Economics majors often find a great home here too. |
|
Ethnic Studies |
Students majoring or minoring in Race and Resistance Studies, Latina/o Studies, Asian American Studies, and related fields thrive here. Criminal justice is another popular major in this academy. |
|
Education |
Students majoring in child and adolescent development are a natural fit, and you'll also find students in sociology, social work, and related fields who are passionate about making a difference in their communities. |
|
Undeclared / Exploring |
No idea what you want to major in yet? We think that’s a great way to start! Spend your first semester or two learning about the different majors on campus and get help finding one that’s a right fit for you! |
After two years in Metro
Students who go through Metro don't just finish their general ed requirements — they finish them with a community behind them. They know how to advocate for themselves, navigate the university, and show up for the people around them. Many Metro students go on to become peer mentors, student leaders, and the first in their families to earn a college degree.
That could be you!