Admissions

Statement of Purpose, Personal Achievements/Contributions, and Résumé/CV

In order to complete your graduate application, you will be required to submit the following three documents in your online application:

1. Statement of Purpose
2. Statement of Personal Achievements/Contributions
3. Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Please compose each of the above as a separate electronic document. Save your compositions to your computer so you can upload them to your online application. Though you may submit and pay for your online application prior to uploading these documents, your application will only be considered complete and ready for review if you upload all required documents by your department's application deadline. For a departmental application deadlines, please see http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/programs/.

Prompts

Statement of Purpose
Give a brief statement outlining your reasons for undertaking a graduate program, your particular area of specialization within the major field, your past academic work, and your plans for future occupation or profession. Also include any additional information that may assist the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UC Santa Barbara.

Personal Achievements/Contributions
UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bicultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect underserved segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations.

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
List your positions of employment or volunteer work/community service since high school, either full or part-time, including the hours per week worked and the nature and dates of employment or service.

Additional Supplemental Documents

Some departments require that you upload additional supplemental documents, such as a writing sample, information sheet, or unofficial transcript, to your online application. For departmental supplemental documents requirements, please see http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/programs/. Do not upload additional documents that are not required by your prospective department.

Document Upload Specifications and Requirements

UCSB accepts PDF and Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx) documents for upload in the online application. The maximum file size allowed is 10 mb per document.

You may select a document and preview what you have uploaded before finalizing your online submission. Important: Once you click the "Finalize Submission" button, you will not be able to replace what you have uploaded. Please use the preview function carefully to make sure you have selected the correct document for upload, and that it contains all of the information you wish for it to contain prior to finalizing your submission. Graduate Division and departmental staff will not be able to replace documents for you once you have indicated to "Finalize Submission" of a document.

Instructions for uploading documents to your online application

1. In the Statements & Uploaded Documents tab of your online application, Select the appropriate document from your computer.
2. Use the Preview option to carefully review your submission, making sure you have selected the correct document, and that the content and formatting are correct.
3. If you need to correct something in your submission, open the document saved on your computer, modify it, and re-save. Use the Select button to upload the corrected document. Preview the new upload using the Preview function.
4. Once you are satisfied with your document, close the Preview window. Click the "Finalize Submission" button. You will see the date and time submitted. You cannot replace this document. The submission is final.

Documents must be uploaded to the online application absolutely no later than 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on your departmental application deadline. Documents received after 5:00 PM on the departmental application deadline may be considered ineligible for review, and your application may be marked as Incomplete, and therefore unreviewable, by the department. The application fee is non-refundable for Incomplete applications.

Letter of Recommendation Coversheet for Hard Copy Letter of Recommendation Submissions

Online submission is preferred for all letters of recommendation. If your recommender cannot submit their letter online, and only will submit the letter personally via mail, this coversheet must accompany the submission. This coversheet is not required if the recommender is submitting online or if a letter service is providing a letter. If a letter service will be sending the letter of recommendation, enter your recommenders contact information and we will send them a request only for ratings.