Programs and Application Deadlines

 A list of graduate programs offered is available on the Graduate Departments Directory.

The deadline varies by department. To determine the deadline for your specific program of interest, visit the Graduate Departments Directory. You are strongly advised to submit your online application and all required supporting materials well in advance of the official deadline.

Do not apply after the deadline unless you receive advance permission and instructions from the both the Graduate Division and the Staff Graduate Program Advisor (GPA) in the academic department. If you do not receive permission from the Graduate Division and department to apply after the deadline, do not apply. Your application fee will not be refunded, and your application will not be reviewed.

Only one application may be submitted per application year. Simultaneous applications are not accepted.

If you accidentally applied to multiple programs, you must choose the program for which you would like your application to be considered. After logging into your account, submit a request to withdraw your application(s) to the other program(s). In addition, please notify the academic departments of your decision. The application fee for your withdrawn application is non-refundable.

The Graduate Data Reports and UC Doctoral Program Statistics Infocenter provide annual campus-wide and department-specific admissions, enrollment, and alumni outcomes data. You may also contact your department/program of interest directly with specific questions. 

Completing your Application

Please visit the Online Graduate Application. A paper version of the application is not available. In order to ensure that your application is complete by the department's deadline, please (1) complete and submit your online graduate application, (2) pay the application fee, and (3) submit any additional materials required by the academic department (any additional materials will be linked within the application).

Please submit the following materials in your online graduate application:

  1. Transcripts;
  2. Letters of Recommendation (referee information and waivers);
  3. Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV);
  4. Statement of Purpose;
  5. Personal History Statement;
  6. Any supporting documents or supplemental materials marked for online submission by your department. See your program's Department Directory page for details.
  7. Application payment, if paying by credit card.

Submit the following materials directly to the Graduate Division:

  1. Application fee, if not already paid by credit card after application submission;
  2. Official GRE and TOEFL scores (if applicable), sent electronically from ETS. UCSB's institution code is 4835, and the department code should be left blank.
  3. Official IELTS scores (if applicable), sent in the mail or electronically.
  4. Official Duolingo English Test (DET) scores (if applicable), sent electronically.

To add an institution in the School Information window, you will begin typing the school’s name in the Institution field. Suggested results will display, and you should be able to select your school from the list. Schools are listed alphabetically. If your school does not appear, try typing a unique part of your school’s name, or check to see if your school is listed under a common abbreviation (for example, a California State University may be listed under “CSU”). If you still cannot locate your school, type the name of your school into the text box exactly as it appears on your transcript.  

Your application status is available on your Graduate Application Portal, which you can access using the email address you used and the password you created when you started your application. Your Application Status will be displayed in the yellow bar near the top of your portal. Each status is defined by clicking on the “What does this mean?” link next to your status.

The Application Checklist on your portal displays the materials associated with your application that can be submitted post application-submission. Each item includes its current status and the date it was received. Items with a status of “Received” with a green check mark have been completed. Items with a status of “Awaiting” with a red “X” still require action. 
 

If you cannot remember your password, select “Forgot Your Password?” on the application or applicant portal login page. Enter your email address and date of birth to receive an email with instructions to reset your password. If you do not receive the reset email, check your spam or junk folder and confirm that you are using the same email address associated with your application. If you are still having trouble, contact Graduate Division Admissions.

You must check your Application Status and application checklist items online to determine which materials have been received. Contact your department/program of interest if you are not sure which materials are still needed. Application deadlines are typically strict, requiring that all materials, including test scores, be received by the application deadline. Please contact the Staff Graduate Program Advisor in your academic department regarding late application materials.

Please be patient. The departments are very busy and it can often take several business days to return either your email or phone call. Please make sure the information you are looking for cannot be accessed on the academic department or Graduate Division websites.

If your email or mailing address has changed during the application process, you can update them using the links in your Graduate Application Portal located at the bottom right of the page. For other changes to your personal information, email Graduate Division Admissions and the department Staff Graduate Program Advisor with your updated information. 

If you need to change your personal information after completion of the online Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) and online Statement of Legal Residence (SLR), please contact the Office of the Registrar.
 

Application Requirements

To be considered for admission, you must have received a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited university prior to the quarter for which you seek admission, and have at least a B average (3.0 GPA) in your undergraduate coursework. Satisfaction of minimal standards does not, however, 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.

Review the Statement of Purpose guidelines located on the How To Complete the Online Application webpage. The length of your Statement of Purpose can depend on the individual departmental requirements, though approximately two pages or more is typically recommended. For additional information about the Statement of Purpose, speak to the Staff Graduate Program Advisor Graduate in the academic department to which you are applying.

In addition to the Statement of Purpose, applicants are also required to submit a (1) Personal History Statement and a (2) Resume or Curriculum Vitae. Instructions for each document are located in the Experience and Statements pages of the online application and on the Graduate Division’s How to Complete the Online Application webpage. Note that applicants are required to respond to different prompts/questions for each statement and that statements must be written in essay format.

No. Upload an unofficial copy of your UCSB transcript to your application for review. If you are admitted, the Graduate Division staff will verify your coursework and degree(s) completed with the Office of the Registrar. You do not need to send any transcripts or other documents to the Graduate Division unless they are specifically requested.

Note: The UCSB Graduate Division reserves the right to require official transcripts upon request at any time during the admissions process, and to rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between uploaded transcripts and UCSB registration records or official transcript(s) are found.

Graduate Application Fee

The non-refundable graduate application fee is $135.00 for US citizens and Permanent Residents; and $155.00 for all others, paid in US dollars by credit card, check, or money order. Applicants may also pay using a Visa or MasterCard, but only at the point of submission. Cash is not accepted. Please make checks and money orders payable to UC Regents. Checks and money orders must be drawn on a bank that has a branch in the United States and mailed to the Graduate Division with the Check/Money Order Submission form found on the final page of your Online Graduate Application.

Note: Your complete application, including application fee payment, must be received by the application deadline. This means the credit card payment must be processed or the mailed check/money order must be received by the deadline. 

A limited number of fee waivers are available for qualified US citizens and permanent residents. Fee waivers are not available to international applicants. More information can be found on our Requesting an Application Fee Waiver webpage. 

You may apply for a fee waiver within the online application. The Fee Waiver Request page will become available after you have completed the Academic Program and Citizenship pages. On the Fee Waiver Request page, select the option, "I believe I am eligible for a fee waiver and would like to proceed with determining my eligibility."

Click on the link to open the Fee Waiver Request Form. Submit your request online by selecting the option relevant to you and uploading your supporting documentation. Requests must be submitted at least one week prior to the application deadline for your selected program. You do not need to submit the full application prior to submitting a request for a fee waiver. 

You will receive an email once a decision about your fee waiver has been made. You can also check the status of your fee waiver request on the Fee Waiver Request page of the online application or the Graduate Application Portal. If your fee waiver has been approved, be sure to complete your online application and submit your application on or before the application deadline.

There are several reasons why your fee waiver request may have been denied. In many cases uploading the correct, required documentation will result in an approved request. Please review the following common reasons why your request may have been denied. 

Requests Denied Based On Citizenship:

  • Fee waivers are not available for international students.

Requests Denied Based On Timing:

  • Your fee waiver may be denied if it was submitted less than a week before the application deadline for your selected program.

Requests Denied Based On Program Participation:

  • The program you participated in is not on our published list of eligible programs and/or cannot be verified, or; 
  • You participated in an approved program, but instead of uploading a letter verifying your participation in the program, you uploaded an acceptance letter only. We must receive a letter of participation signed by an official with your program. In most cases, this request will be returned to you as Incomplete and you will be able to submit a new request form with the correct documentation.

Requests Denied Based On Financial Aid Documentation:

You may be eligible based on your financial aid need level, but the documents you provided did not state your SAI (Student Aid Index) value, or they are not for the current academic year.  In most cases, this request will be returned to you as Incomplete and you will be able to submit a new request form with the correct documentation.

Acceptable documentation must include:

  • A signed letter from a financial aid officer stating your SAI (Student Aid Index), or;
  • An official financial aid award letter for the current year, or a copy of a university Student Aid Report (SAR). All documents must include your SAI (Student Aid Index).

The document generated by the FAFSA agency has the required information. It may be helpful to inform any financial aid officers who may be assisting you that we can no longer accept "Expected Family Contribution" values to make this determination.

Letters of Recommendation

Once you add a recommender, our system will automatically email them a request for a letter of recommendation.

If you have added a recommender and they have not received a message, please ask your recommender to set their email accounts to allow messages from the UCSB Graduate Division, gradadmissions@graddiv.ucsb.edu. It is possible that the messages we sent were filtered out by your recommender’s email spam settings.

You may prompt the electronic system to send new emails to your recommenders. To do so: 

  1. Log into your online Graduate Application. 

  2. Navigate to the Letters of Recommendation page of the application or from your Applicant Portal.

  3. Click on the recommender, and then click "Send Reminder" from the pop-up window that opens.

You may not edit existing recommender information; however, you may exclude the recommender you originally added and re-add the same recommender with corrected information or add a new one.

To exclude a recommender, complete the following steps:

  1. Log into your online Graduate Application and navigate to the Letters of Recommendation page of the application or from your Applicant Portal.
  2. Click on the recommender for whom you wish to modify information.
  3. Click Exclude.  

To add a new recommender, complete the following steps:

  1. Click on the green Add Recommender button.
  2. Add information about the recommender and click the Send to Recommender button. 
  3. If you exclude a recommender, please notify them personally, as they will no longer be able to upload a letter per the instructions UCSB previously provided them via email.
     

You may use a Letter Service to submit your letters of recommendation. Letter Services may submit letters online. Even if a Letter Service is submitting letters on behalf of a recommender, you still must enter the recommender name, email address, and institution into the online application. You must fill out an electronic waiver for the recommender. You may then identify that the letter will come from a service.

No. Our electronic application will only accept four letters of recommendation electronically per applicant. If you have more than four recommenders, you may contact your department to determine whether or not more than four letters of recommendation can be reviewed with your application.

Exam Scores

The GRE is required for some of our graduate degree programs, but not all of them. Be sure to review the complete list of application requirements on our Department Directory pages to determine whether or not the program to which you are applying requires the General GRE or a GRE Subject Test. Do not send GRE scores if your program does not require them. 

Once you ask ETS, IETLS, or Duolingo to send score reports to UCSB, please allow up to three to four weeks for processing. Please also be sure to report your exam information by completing the Exam Scores section of your application. Once your scores have arrived, the status of your scores in this section of your eApp will be updated accordingly. If you have not self-reported your scores in your online application, we will not be able to locate your official scores from ETS. Please note that the Graduate Division will not supply test score reports to applicants, outside persons, or other institutions.

If you have specific questions about the status of your scores, please login to your account portal or contact the exam administering organization directly. If you have additional questions after doing so, you may contact UCSB Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@graddiv.ucsb.edu. All inquiries regarding IELTS scores must include your Test Report Form (TRF) number.

When ordering your GRE scores or sitting for the exam, if you listed UCSB only as your Undergraduate Institution (UI) and not as a Graduate Institution (GI), we will not receive them. You will need to reorder your scores through ETS. UCSB must be listed under "Graduate Institutions" in the "Designated Score Recipients" section of your score report. If you ordered your GRE scores to be sent to the GI, waited 3-4 weeks for processing, and checked your status via your online application, you may e-mail gradadmissions@graddiv.ucsb.edu to inquire about the status of your scores. Please attach a copy of your score report.

Note: If you send us your official GRE scores but your department/program does not require the GRE, the scores will not be considered. Only send GRE scores if your department/program requires the exam. 

Contact the department if the scores will arrive after the deadline. A delay in your test scores could make your application incomplete and ineligible for application review.

No, all exam score reports become property of UCSB Graduate Division Admissions and cannot be reprinted or recreated for applicants, outside persons, or other institutions.

You can request the new scores be sent to UCSB. For admissions purposes, UCSB reviews the most recent and complete set of scores reported. It is not possible to mix-and-match the best scores (TOEFL MyBest® and IELTS One Skill Retake scores are not accepted). If you want to improve your test scores, you need to retake the entire test.

The Graduate Division does not set minimum score requirements for the GRE. Some academic departments do have certain exam standards and you should contact the department directly. GRE scores must be valid within the five years after your exam administration date. If you are not sure when your scores expire, please contact ETS directly to inquire.

For nonnative English speakers who are required to take the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) the minimum score requirements can be found in the Exam Scores section of our How to Complete the Online Application webpage. Please note that some departments or programs may also require higher minimum scores. TOEFL, IELTS, and DET scores can be no more than two years old at the time of application.

No. The Graduate Division requires official scores, submitted directly from ETS, Duolingo, or the International English Language Testing System. GRE scores are valid for five years after your test administration date. If you are not sure when your scores expire, please contact ETS directly to inquire. Please do not send your original paper score report since you may not be able to obtain another copy and the Graduate Division is unable to release the original copy back to you or another university.

The following exams are accepted for meeting English Language Examination admissions requirements: TOEFL iBT, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS (Academic), IELTS Online (Academic), IELTS Indicator, and Duolingo English Test (DET). The following exams are not accepted: TOEFL ITP Plus, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS One Skill Retake, and other exams not specifically noted above. If you are unable to take a required language exam in time to meet your application deadline, please contact your department/program of interest directly. Or see the How to Apply Guide for more information.

Exemptions from the English language admissions requirements are permitted for applicants who have completed an undergraduate (bachelor's or equivalent) or graduate (master's, doctoral, or equivalent) degree at an institution where the verified sole official language of instruction is English. Refer to the How to Apply page for complete details on how to qualify for an exemption.

Gender, Pronouns, and Sexuality Application Questions

On October 8, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 620, which includes a request that UC provide the opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to report their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression on any forms used to collect demographic data. 

In 2012, then UC President Mark Yudof created and charged the Task Force & Implementation Team on LGBT Climate and Inclusion (LGBT Task Force) with developing priorities, strategies, and expected resource requirements to advance recommendations submitted by the LGBT Working Group of the President’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate and Inclusion. On May 30, 2014, the LGBT Task Force presented a report to UC President Janet Napolitano with a recommendation to implement AB 620. 

In September 2014, UC President Janet Napolitano formed the President’s Advisory Council on LGBT Students, Faculty, and Staff, which is comprised of faculty, LGBT Center staff, students, and community experts. They were charged with making the UC system a gold standard for LGBT issues, and to provide recommendations for the implementation of AB 620 by collecting data on gender identity and sexual orientation through the admission application. 

Providing the LGBT community with the option to self-identify supports the University’s priorities of creating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment across the UC system. Including these questions on the graduate application will signal to applicants that UC is an inclusive environment and that the LGBT community is part of it. As with all other demographic questions on the admission application, providing gender identity and sexual orientation data will be voluntary, optional, and as required by law, not impact admission decisions.

The University of California's nondiscrimination policy includes protections for sex and gender identities. A key element of creating a safe space for people of all sexes and gender identities is the respectful use of pronouns. Asking UCSB community members what their pronouns are and consistently using them correctly is one of the most basic ways to show respect. To learn more about pronouns and why they are important, please visit the UC Santa Barbara Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (RCSGD) web site.

Here is the wording for the application questions pertaining to pronouns, gender identity, and sexual ​orientation:

1. Pronouns

  • Decline to state
  • He/Him/His
  • She/Her/Hers
  • They/Them/Theirs
  • Ze/Hir/Hirs
  • I do not use a pronoun
  • Other, please ask
  • I use all gender pronouns
  • None (will not display)
  • No Selection

2. Gender Identity: How do you describe yourself?

  • Decline to state
  • Female  
  • Male
  • Trans Female/Trans Woman
  • Trans Male/Trans Man
  • Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming
  • Different Identity (you may specify)
  • No Selection

3. Sexual Orientation: Do you consider yourself to be:

  • Decline to state
  • Asexual 
  • Bisexual
  • Gay
  • Lesbian
  • Heterosexual or Straight
  • Not listed above (you may specify)
  • No Selection 

The Transgender Health Advocacy Coalition in Philadelphia, PA developed the two-step question protocol for gender identity data collection in 1997. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health and UC San Francisco began advocating the use of the two-step protocol in 2007, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopted it in 2011. The two-step method was also cognitively tested by two research teams as part of the Williams Institute’s research on best practices to identify transgender people and other gender minorities through population-based surveys.

The Williams Institute at UCLA recommended the question regarding sexual orientation after a five-year study of sexual orientation measures. The question has been thoroughly tested and is currently in use in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), and other state-level surveys. In keeping with approaches employed by NHIS and CHIS, respondents are provided a space to self-identify if the available answer options do not suit them.

Data collected on gender identity and sexual orientation will provide UC Santa Barbara with meaningful population data necessary for targeting resources and other student support services. These data will also enable campuses to develop curricular and co-curricular offerings that reflect students’ diverse perspectives, and that promote a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students.

As a recipient of federal Title IV financial aid funds, UC Santa Barbara is required to gather and report demographic data for undergraduate and graduate students, including gender data. For federal reporting purposes (i.e., IPEDS), it is recommended that Trans Female/Trans Woman be reported as Women, and Trans Male/Trans Man be reported as men. In addition, genderqueer and gender non-conforming individuals should be reported as their sex assigned at birth.  Data collected should be included on the student record, unless the student opts for “only aggregate” reporting. If a student opts for exclusion from their personal record, these data should be maintained in aggregate form at the campus and student classification levels.  Students will be provided with an avenue to update or change their gender identity or sexual orientation data through online campus student portals or an alternate method determined by the campus.

  • Asexual – A person who experiences little or no sexual attraction or desire for sexual relationships.
  • Bisexual – A person whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same and other genders, or toward people regardless of their gender.
  • Gay – A sexual and affectional orientation toward people of the same gender.
  • Gender – A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some other identity.
  • Gender Expression – How one expresses oneself, in terms of dress, mannerisms, and/or behaviors that society characterizes as “masculine” or “feminine.”
  • Gender Non-Conforming – People who do not subscribe to gender expressions or roles expected of them by society.
  • Gender Queer – A person’s whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside of the dominant social norm for their assigned sex, is beyond genders, or is some combination of them
  • Heterosexual/Straight – A sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of a gender other than their own.
  • Lesbian – A woman whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same gender.
  • Transgender – Used most often as an umbrella term; some commonly held definitions: 1) someone whose gender identity or expression does not fit within dominant group social constructs of assigned sex and gender; 2) a gender outside of the man/woman binary; 3) having no gender or multiple genders.
  • Trans Man/Trans Male – A female-to-male (FTM) transgender person who was assigned female at birth, but whose gender identity is that of a man.
  • Trans Woman/Trans Female – A male-to-female (MTF) transgender person who was assigned male at birth, but whose gender identity is that of a woman.​​​

Undocumented / Dream Scholars Applicants

Student who qualify for AB 540 legislation and are undocumented fall into the category of Dream Scholars. The terminology is UCSB specific; it reflects the academic success of these students on our campus. 

The application fee for Dream Scholars is $155. Dream Scholars may apply for a fee waiver within the online application if they meet the eligibility requirements. Refer to our How to Request an Application Fee Waiver website or to the Graduate Application Fee section of the FAQs for more information on how to submit a request. 

UCSB recognizes the AB-540 nonresident tuition exemption. All admitted applicants who choose to attend UCSB must complete a Statement of Legal Residence (SLR), which determines the tuition and fees assessed. You can find more information about UCSB’s SLR process and AB540 regulations on the Office of the Registrar's web site. 

No. Dream Scholars should not file a FAFSA for UC Santa Barbara. Dream Scholars who qualify for the AB-540 nonresident tuition exemption should file the California Dream Act Application by the posted deadline (March 2nd of the year prior to enrollment) to be considered for financial aid.

If a student has DACA certification, they may have an opportunity to work as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR), Teaching Assistant (TA), Teaching Associate, Reader, or Tutor through their program. (Note: If a student is eligible for DACA, but not for AB 540, they can still be employed by UC). 

UCSB regularly offers fellowships, scholarships, and “block grants” to graduate students to help cover tuition, fees, and stipends.  Dream Scholar graduate students who have AB 540 status are eligible for block grants, private scholarships, and fellowships donated to the UC Regents and administered by the UC. (Disclaimer: Some fellowships may be restricted to only US citizens/permanent residents.  Additionally, some fellowships require employment, in which case the student must have DACA certification.)  If a student does not have AB 540 status, that student cannot receive institutional fellowships or block grants from either UC or from private donors administered through UC. 

Yes. Information is available on the UCSB Undocumented Student Services page. UCSB also has a student-run organization called IDEAS (Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success).

Admissions Decisions

You will be notified by email when a decision has been made on your application, and your Applicant Portal will be updated with a decision letter.

Most departments begin reviewing applications shortly after the application deadline and continue doing so over several months. The time needed to finalize admissions decisions varies greatly depending on the size of the department, the application deadline(s), and other factors. Admissions decisions are typically released throughout winter and spring. Please be patient if you have not yet received a final decision on your application.

Congratulations! Complete the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) through the Applicant Portal. This form lets us know whether you plan to attend UCSB. If you accept the offer of admission, your information will be transmitted to the Office of the Registrar. If you also received a financial offer with your admission, you will need to formally accept or decline the offer according to the instructions outlined in your offer letter. If you inform us you are not coming, we will close out your application. Please complete the SIR even if you have decided not to attend UCSB.

The academic departments make all admissions decisions. Contact the department to which you applied.

Yes, if you did not receive an offer of admission during a previous admissions year, you may reapply. We recommend that you first contact the academic department where you last applied. If you are encouraged to reapply, you will need to submit a new online application and pay a new application fee. Your academic department can advise on which application materials, if any, can be reused.

Please note that only one application is permitted per admission year, so if you are denied, you may not reapply until the next year's application becomes available. 

No, the application file and all contents are property of UCSB and will not be released to the applicant or another institution. This includes, but is not limited to, transcripts, letters of recommendation, statements of purpose, and test scores. You may, however, continue to log into your Applicant Portal and access materials that you previously submitted by viewing your Application Proof. 

Incoming Students

Congratulations on your decision to attend to UC Santa Barbara! We are excited to welcome you to our graduate community. Please see our FAQs for Incoming Students page for answers to commonly asked questions for students who have been admitted and have decided to enroll at UC Santa Barbara. 

The following resources may also be useful to you: 

Other Topics

The University will contact you concerning available campus aid, if applicable. Visit our Student Financial Support webpage or contact your department regarding funding opportunities. All domestic applicants must complete the FAFSA.

Yes, you can take classes through UC Santa Barbara Open University or Summer Sessions. These programs are separate from the graduate application process. Please consult these programs directly regarding courses and deadlines.

More questions?

Contact Graduate Admissions.