Before Arriving at UCSB

To initiate the Visa process, visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) Newly Admitted Students page. For questions and information please contact OISS directly.

Provisionally Admitted Students

Provisional admission is very common for incoming graduate students and indicates that your enrollment is contingent upon submitting the document(s) listed in your official decision letter from the Dean of the Graduate Division.

Before leaving home, remember to order the documents you will need to meet your provisional admissions requirements. Refer to your Decision Letter or the Required Documents tab of your eApp for a list of documents that you are required to submit.

The following deadlines apply:

  • Fall Quarter Admission: If you were admitted for fall quarter, your final/official documents must be received by September 1st.
  • Winter, Spring or Summer Admission: If you were admitted for winter, spring, or summer quarters, your final/official transcripts must be received before the first day of instruction for your program.

Records for Degrees from International Institutions

All admitted applicants who have earned a degree(s) from an institution(s) outside of the United States are required to complete and submit a WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation that includes all post-secondary study. Please visit the WES website to create your account. You will be prompted to input your academic history, and will then be provided with a list of documents required for the completion of your evaluation.

     IMPORTANT: All degrees reported on your application must be finalized (awarded to you) before proceeding with the evaluation.

Be sure to follow the steps below to secure your credential evaluation:

  1. Create a WES account by visiting: https://applications.wes.org/createaccount/login/login
  2. Select the course-by-course evaluation option to ensure that your evaluation meets our requirements for admission review.
  3. To ensure that we receive an official copy of your evaluation, select UCSB Graduate Admissions from the drop-down box and add it as a recipient:
    • Recipient: University of California at Santa Barbara
    • Department/Division: Graduate Admissions

Applicants with academic work in progress who have completed or expect to complete a degree program before the intended date of enrollment at UCSB must provide evidence of degree conferral and a final academic transcript as soon as they are available.

If you provided a WES transcript reflecting in-progress study, a follow-up WES course-by-course evaluation showing the complete academic record and degree conferral will be required. Applicants are responsible for paying all fees for such evaluations, upgrades, as well as making arrangements with WES to send and receive their documents.

Submitting Documents to WES

For all degrees completed outside of the United States, please do not send official documents to the UCSB Graduate Division. You must submit a WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation via WES for your admission to UC Santa Barbara to be finalized.

Foreign academic records must show all courses attended each year, examinations passed, seminars completed, and grades or marks received at all institutions where formal records are maintained. Official evidence of degree conferral must also be supplied, together with evidence of rank in class if available.

Official academic records and/or transcripts may take the form of:

  • Transcripts, attestations, appendices or addenda to diplomas, or mark sheets showing courses and examinations, units or hours, and grades (rank in class, if available).
  • Diplomas, degree certificates, or professional titles showing the degree and date conferred.
 
Translations

Official academic records and/or transcripts must be issued in the language of instruction and accompanied by official English translations. Acceptable documentation includes:

Originals issued by the university bearing the original stamp or seal and the signature of the authorized official. Official copies issued by the degree granting university bearing the stamp or seal and signature of the authorized official. Official literal (word for word) English translations issued by the degree granting institution.

Translations prepared by an accredited member of a translator's association, such as American Translator’s Association (ATA), are acceptable. They must be prepared from official copies of your academic records or degree certificate, in the original language. For more information and a directory of members, consult the Services Directories on the ATA website.

Credential evaluations prepared by other schools or by private agencies are not accepted. Materials noted above must be uploaded in your WES account in order to complete your required WES Course-by-Course evaluation.

Questions about WES

For more information, WES applicants can visit: https://www.wes.org/contact-us/ for assistance.

 

Non-Degree Records from International Institutions

To finalize your admission you must send final/official transcripts from all post-secondary educational institutions attended, at which you completed one or more full academic terms (or equivalent). This includes community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs where you did not complete a degree. These transcripts are required in addition to all documents from your degree-granting institution(s) and/or WES evaluation.

If you have completed a degree(s) outside of the United States, documents from other international institutions at which you did not complete a degree may be submitted as part of your WES evaluation, or you may submit a WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation for these documents.

Otherwise, all transcripts, other documents, and translations must be received in envelopes sealed and stamped by the school. All academic documents should be sent in the native language along with authorized, complete, and exact, literal English translations by the school or an official agency.

Ask your home institution to submit the following documents:

  • Final/official transcripts, attestations, appendices or addenda to diplomas, or mark sheets showing courses and examinations, units or hours, and grades (rank in class, if available) issued in the institution's native language.
  • Authorized, complete, and exact, literal English translations of the final/official documents described in the previous bullet point.

Complete instructions on submitting final/official non-degree documents as well as final/official documents from US institutions can be found on the main Admitted Students page.

English for Multilingual Students (EMS) Requirements

There are two language examinations required for students whose first language is not English: English Language Placement Exam (ELPE) and Teaching Assistant Language Evaluation.

English Language Placement Exam (ELPE)

All incoming graduate students whose first language is not English must take the English Language Placement Examination (ELPE) at the beginning of their first quarter of enrollment.

About the Exam

This required exam is conducted by faculty of the English for Multilingual Students (EMS) Program. The ELPE includes both a written and an oral examination. After the writing exam, students make individual appointments through the EMS Program to take the oral exam on a different day. The results of the ELPE are communicated to each department by the EMS Program.

As a result of the student's performance on the ELPE, the student will either (1) be placed in an EMS course or (2) be exempted from EMS courses. Students are advised to complete the EMS course progression within three quarters.

Exam Dates and Times

Testing dates, times, and locations are available through the EMS Program, the Office of International Students and Scholars, and the Schedule of Classes.

Exemptions

​Students whose first language is not English but were exempt from the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) requirement must still take the ELPE. The following students are not required to take the ELPE:

  • Nonnative speakers of English who completed the entirety of their undergraduate degree at an institution where the medium of instruction was English-only. The language of instruction must be verified by the Graduate Division, as described below.
  • International students visiting UCSB under the Education Abroad Program and other non-degree reciprocity statuses unless they later apply for admission to a graduate program.

The language of instruction must be verified in at least one of the following ways:

  • The institution is a regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction.
  • The institution lists English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). If English is not the sole language of instruction listed (or if no language is listed at all), or if the institution does not appear on the WHED website, an exemption is not permitted.
  • The official transcripts specifically state that English is the sole medium or language of instruction. If multiple languages of instruction are listed or if no information about language of instruction is provided on the transcript, an exemption is not permitted.

No other documentation (e.g. letters, language certificates, school websites) will be reviewed or accepted.

Teaching Assistant Language Evaluations

Graduate Council policy requires all prospective teaching assistants (TAs) whose first language is not English to take the TA Language Evaluation prior to being certified to hold sole classroom teaching or laboratory responsibilities.

About the Exam

The TA Language Evaluation simulates instruction in an undergraduate discussion section. It involves a faculty representative from the student's department and a faculty member from EMS. The exam is a 10 minute oral presentation during which the prospective TA teaches a basic, non-technical concept assigned by the department to the examining committee. Additionally, the prospective TA is asked questions by the evaluators who play the role of undergraduates.

Students not certified for sole classroom responsibilities during the TA Language Evaluation are required to complete EMS coursework to improve their spoken English. After completion of the assigned EMS coursework, the student is re-evaluated for certification by a committee of EMS faculty at the end of the quarter.

If a student has been promised financial support but fails the initial evaluation, alternative support will be provided for one quarter. During this period, the prospective TA will be assigned duties that do not involve sole classroom responsibilities—e.g., grading, office hours, or co-teaching with a native speaker. Instructional duties will be withheld until the prospective TA passes the TA language evaluation and is certified for sole classroom teaching duties.

Scheduling an Exam

Your home department will schedule a TA Language Evaluation with the EMS Program when required. Exams will take place prior to your first teaching appointment. Your department will appoint a faculty representative to assign you a presentation topic and attend the examination.

Further pre-instructional information and activities are outlined in the Schedule of Classes available through the Office of the Registrar.