C. Admissions

• Criteria for Admission
  • Current Students: New Applications Are Not Needed for Reinstatement
• Application Fee Waivers
• Standardized Tests
• Special Classifications
  • Permission for Dual Enrollment
  • 5-Year Combined Degree Programs
  • Summer Session Pre-Matriculation

The Admissions' section of the Handbook focuses on admission policies generally. Graduate advisors and graduate program assistants will find a comprehensive administration guide to all admissions procedures in the Graduate Program Assistant Manual of Admission Procedures housed on GradNET (personnel only). For prospective student information on processes, procedures, and graduate study at UC Santa Barbara, please refer to the Admissions Web page.

Criteria for Admission

UC Santa Barbara is committed to the recruitment, admission, and matriculation of a highly qualified and diverse graduate student population. The University of California offers admission to those applicants who have the highest potential for success in graduate study and who, with the benefit of graduate education, are most likely to contribute substantially to their academic or professional fields.

To be considered for admission, one must submit the following:

1. Transcripts reflecting completion of a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited university prior to the quarter for which admission is sought;
2. At least a B/3.0 grade point average or equivalent in last two years of undergraduate coursework;
3. Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores; exceptions being that:

1. GRE scores are not required for applicants to the Department of Art
2. Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores may substitute for GRE scores for Teacher Education Program applicants*;

1. Official TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable*;
2. Statement of Purpose, Statement of Personal Achievements/Contributions, and Résumé or Curriculum Vitae, with coversheets;
3. Three Letters of Recommendation, must include coversheets if not submitted online; and
4. Any departmental requirements in addition to those required by the Graduate Division.
•  See "Standardized Tests" section below for more details.

Satisfaction of minimal standards does not guarantee admission since the number of qualified applicants far exceeds the number of spaces available. As a consequence, many well-qualified applicants cannot be accommodated. Students must refer to individual departments for additional admissions criteria.

   •  NOTE : Only one application may be considered per applicant per year.               Simultaneous applications to multiple departments are not allowed.

New applications are not needed for reinstatement

Students who have allowed their registration to lapse must petition for reinstatement to graduate standing and should not submit a new graduate application. Students who wish to change or add another degree objective or transfer to another department must do so by Graduate Student Petition. For more information, see Section M.

Application Fee Waivers

A limited number of application fee waivers are available for applicants who can demonstrate serious financial need ( U.S. citizens and permanent residents only, international applicants are not eligible). The Fee Waiver Request Form must be accompanied by proof of need that meets specific financial criteria. On the Fee Waiver Request Form, applicants may qualify through one of the three following options:

FEE WAIVER OPTION 1: RESEARCH PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
Applicants who are participants in the following research programs must verify their affiliation with the program and attach a letter from the campus program director.

•  California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP)
•  California State University Pre-Doctoral Program
•  Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies Diversity Program (ICB)
•  Internship in Nanosystems Science, Engineering and Technology (INSET)
•  Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement ( MESA )
•  McNair Scholars Program
•  Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
•  Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)
•  NSF Alliances for Graduate Education in the Professoriate (AGEP)
•  NSF Louis Stokes Bridges to the Doctorate Program
•  NSF UC Diversity Initiative for Graduate Study in the Social Sciences (UC DIGSSS)
•  Project 1000
•  UC LEADS
•  Other

FEE WAIVER OPTION 2: FINANCIAL AID
Students who have received significant financial aid from their current university may be eligible for a fee waiver. Acceptable documentation includes (1) a signed letter from a financial aid officer stating Estimated Student or Family Contribution (EFC), or (2) an official financial aid award letter for the current academic year.

FEE WAIVER OPTION 3: HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Household size is determined by the number of people the applicant reports or claims on her/his state or federal income tax forms. If the applicant is claimed as a dependent, the household size is determined by the total number of people claimed on that tax form. The household income is determined by the income reported on that same tax form. A copy of this form must be submitted for verification of eligibility. If the applicant is independent and has no earned income, the applicant must document how s/he supported her/himself for the past year and why s/he does not have sufficient funds to pay the $70 domestic application fee.

Standardized Tests

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all graduate degree programs except Art Studio. Applicants should check department and program Web sites to find out if a GRE Subject Test is also required. GRE scores may not be more than five years old at the time of application. The Graduate Division does not have a general minimum GRE score for applicants; individual departments may establish minimum GRE test score requirements as appropriate for their selection process.

The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education requires scores from either the GRE or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) for applicants applying to the Teacher Education Program. No MAT scores may be more than five years old at the time of application.

TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOFEL) OR INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEMS (IELTS)

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS. Exceptions to this requirement will be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. The minimum TOEFL score for consideration is 550 when taking the paper-based test, and 80 for the internet-based (iBT). The minimum IELTS Overall Band Score for consideration is 7. Please note that some departments require a higher score.

TOEFL and IELTS scores must be no more than two years old at the time of application. UC Santa Barbara does not admit students conditionally in order to learn English during an academic program; an excellent command of written and spoken English is required prior to enrollment.

Special Classifications

Permission for Dual Enrollment

Occasionally, UC Santa Barbara undergraduates who have been admitted to graduate status need an additional quarter to complete a requirement for the bachelor's degree. In cases where this delay was outside the student's control, the Graduate Division will allow the student to petition for "dual enrollment." Under dual enrollment, the student is allowed to begin graduate studies and enjoy graduate student privileges (e.g., holding an academic apprenticeship) while completing the bachelor's degree. Students facing this situation should contact the Graduate Division Academic Services unit gradacademics@graddiv.ucsb.edu, (805) 893-2277, to begin the Graduate Student Petition process.

5-Year Combined Degree Programs

UC Santa Barbara undergraduates may be interested in the following programs that allow completion of both the bachelor's degree and a master's degree within a five-year period. The application process generally occurs early in the junior year, or even as early as late in the sophomore year. Interested undergraduates should consult individual departments for procedures and requirements. The full administrative process for applying to the Five-Year Combined Degree Programs and for advancing to graduate status is outlined in the Admissions Procedures Manual. The manual and the memo on Five-Year Program Procedures are available on GradNET (personnel only) .

UCSB Five-Year Combined Degree Programs
(available to enrolled UCSB undergraduate students only)

• Chemistry, or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology / Biomolecular Science and Engineering (BS/MS)
• Chemistry / Materials (BS/MS)
• Computer Engineering / Computer Science (BS/MS)
• Computer Engineering / Electrical and Computer Engineering with emphasis in Computer Engineering (BS/MS)
• Computer Engineering / Electrical and Computer Engineering with emphasis in Communications, Control and Signal Processing (BS/MS)
• Computer Engineering / Electrical and Computer Engineering with emphasis in Electronics and Photonics (BS/MS)
• Computer Science / Computer Science (BS/MS)
• Creative Studies / Computer Science (BS/MS)
• Chinese or Japanese / Asian Studies with emphasis in East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies (BA/MA)
• French and Italian / French (BA/MA)
• Engineering (any major) / Economics with emphasis in Business Economics (BS/MA)
• Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Computer Engineering with emphasis in Computer Engineering (BS/MS)
• Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Computer Engineering with emphasis in Communications, Control and Signal Processing (BS/MS)
• Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Computer Engineering with emphasis in Electronics and Photonics (BS/MS)
• Geological Sciences / Geological Sciences (BS/MS)
• Geological Sciences / Geophysics (BS/MS)
• Chemical, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering / Materials (BS/MS)

The steps below outline the application process, which generally occurs early in the junior year, or even as early as late sophomore year.

1. Interested UC Santa Barbara undergraduates should first speak with their departments about requirements and application instructions.
2. Applicants to these programs will apply directly to the department. Each department has its own internal application form.
3. Once undergraduates have completed 180 units, they must speak with their departments about instructions for completing the Advancement Request Memo .

•  ENGINEERING NOTE : Some of the College of Engineering's bachelor's degree programs require more than 180 units, always check with your department before proceeding.

1. Once the memo has been approved by the Graduate Division, students must then complete the Online Graduate Application in order to advance to graduate standing.

•  PAYMENT NOTE : Students applying to these programs do not need to pay the Graduate Division's application fee. In order to submit the application, please click on the "Payment by Check/Money Order" option. The application will be forwarded to the department and the fee will be waived.

Summer Session Pre-Matriculation

Students admitted to begin graduate degrees in the fall quarter who enroll in the immediately preceding UCSB summer session are considered "pre-matriculated" UCSB graduate students. Upper-division and graduate-level coursework completed during the summer session by pre-matriculated students will count toward University and departmental requirements.