UC Santa Barbara attracts top graduate students and faculty from around the world to actively engage in interdisciplinary and collaborative research through 50 graduate programs and 100 interdisciplinary research institutes. You have been chosen from a highly competitive applicant pool to contribute to the research and teaching that is central to UC Santa Barbara's graduate community.

Now that you have been admitted, the following information will guide you on how to accept our offer, contact your department, get situated in Santa Barbara, and begin your graduate career.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your department or the Graduate Division. We are happy to assist you.

If you are an admitted international student, consult our guidelines here.

STEP 1: TELL US YOUR DECISION

Statement of Intent to Register

To officially accept or decline our offer of admission, you must submit the online Statement of Intent to Register (SIR), located within your online application. Please submit the SIR as soon as possible - we are eager to hear from you!

If you have received a funding offer: In accordance with the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) resolution on financial support offers, we must be in receipt of your acceptance of your funding offer no later than April 15. Be sure to follow the instructions in the funding letter you received to formally accept the offer. In addition, you must also officially accept your offer of admission by submitting your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) via the graduate application system prior to June 15.

STEP 2: SUBMIT REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Send Final/Official Transcripts

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), including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. Unofficial transcripts, including those uploaded to your application, do not take the place of official documents under any circumstance.

How to Submit your Documents

Official transcripts must be sent to the UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division directly from the institution. If sending paper documents by mail, official transcripts must be sent to the UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division directly from the school in the institution's sealed envelope, with all official seals and stamps intact.

UCSB Graduate Division mailing address:

UCSB Graduate Division
Attn: Graduate Admissions
3117 Cheadle Hall
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-2070

If sending electronic documents, transcripts must be sent directly from the institution using their approved official transcript or document delivery service. Be sure to supply the document delivery service with the Graduate Division's document submissions email address: transcripts@graddiv.ucsb.edu. Electronic document delivery services approved by UC Santa Barbara include Parchment, eSCRIP-SAFE, National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), Credential Solutions, and eTranscript CA. Transcripts sent as email attachments or using cloud storage services will not be accepted.

Official Document Requirements

Official transcripts must show all of the following:

  • All courses taken
  • Credits or hours
  • Grades or marks in each course
  • Rank or class level, if given
  • Institutional grading scale, including maximum and failing grades
  • Type of degree awarded or in progress (e.g., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science), and the date of the award if the program is complete

Transcripts are not considered final until all degrees reported have been finalized and conferred. Records submitted to UCSB will not be copied, returned, or sent to another institution.

As documents are received, the notes in your Decision Letter and the Required Documents tab of your eApp will be updated to reflect any items that are still pending. Please allow at least 4-6 weeks for review and processing of your documents after the expected date of delivery. Once all required documents and materials have been received and processed, your admissions status will be updated to Unconditional.

Document Submission Deadlines

If you were admitted for fall quarter, final/official transcripts must be received by September 1st. For winter, spring or summer admission, final/official transcripts must be received before the first day of instruction of the quarter to which you are admitted. If you feel you will not meet this deadline please email gradadmissions@graddiv.ucsb.edu.

Records from International Institutions

Students who have completed (or will complete before matriculating at UCSB) degrees at institutions outside of the United States may be required to submit official degree certificates, diplomas, or other documents in addition to official transcripts. All documents must be sent in the native language along with authorized, complete, and exact, literal English translations by the school or an official agency. All documents and translations must be received in envelopes sealed and stamped by the school. Unofficial copies made by the applicant or UC faculty and staff are unacceptable.

International students should review all information here and on the Admitted International Students web page to ensure proper compliance. 

Records from Chinese Universities

In addition to submitting final, official transcripts and degree certificates directly from the institution attended, applicants who have earned degrees from universities in China are also required to arrange for a verification report of your university degree certificate with the Center for Student Services and Development, Ministry of Education, P.R. China (CSSD), formerly known as China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC).

A printed copy or pdf of the CSSD Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate in both English and Chinese must be mailed or emailed to our office directly by the CSSD. Note that your verification report(s) must state the name of the specific degree that was awarded to you and the date on which it was awarded (Qualifications or Certificates of Graduation are not sufficient).

Students submitting documents from Chinese universities should review all information here and on the Admitted International Students web page to ensure proper compliance.

If you previously obtained an official degree verification report from the China Academic Degree and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC), you are not required to obtain a new report from the CSSD as long as your CDGDC report can be verified by our office. You may mail or email a printed or pdf copy of your CDGDC verification report to us directly.

Deadline Extensions and Exception Requests

If your documents are delayed for any reason and will not arrive by the deadline, you may submit a Provisional Admission Requirements Petition to request an extension. 

If you have discussed your options with your home institution and are unable to meet any of the other document submission requirements outlined here, you may submit a Provisional Admission Requirements Petition to request an exception. A detailed justification, supporting documentation, and the approval of your home department are required.

Note: Exceptions are considered only in rare circumstances where students can clearly demonstrate that every attempt has been made to request the required documents from the institution. Please be sure to contact your institution and discuss all available options before submitting an exception request.

STEP 3: COMPLETE STEPS TO ENROLLMENT

Obtain a UCSB Net ID and Umail

You will need to obtain a UCSB Net ID and activate your UCSB university email account (Umail). Please allow 5-10 business days after you submit your SIR before proceeding with this setup. Your UCSB Net ID will be used to access most student systems including the course registration system, housing preferences site, and the billing office to view and pay your fees and tuition. Please visit the UCSB Identity Manager and select "I am…A New or Current Student with a Perm Number." Follow the steps to set-up your UCSB Net ID. Your Umail account will be yourUCSBNetID@umail.ucsb.edu. Access your Umail account here.

Note: If you do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), please enter “0000” as the last four digits of your SSN when setting up your UCSBnetID.

Submit Statement of Legal Residence

After you have established your UCSB Net ID, submit your Statement of Legal Residence (SLR). You will need your UCSB Net ID and password to log-on and complete this step. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at Residency@sa.ucsb.edu or 805-893-3033.

Apply for Graduate Student Housing

UCSB offers a variety of housing options for incoming graduate students, including San Clemente Villages single-student housing. For more information or to apply for housing online, please visit the Housing and Residential Services Online Application.

Update Your Address

Please update your Address information in the Application Sections tab of your eApp to ensure that any materials mailed by campus or departmental offices reach you.

Update Your Preferred Name

When your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) is processed, only your legal name is transmitted to the Office of the Registrar. To specify your lived or preferred first name for your student and registration records, please log into the Identity Services Directory Editor, and update the "Preferred Name" field. This field should also be used to update or remove a lived or preferred first name (if needed). See the Office of the Registrar’s website for more information.

Submit your immunization information by Sept. 1

All incoming students are required to receive certain vaccinations and tuberculosis screening. Failure to comply may result in a registration hold. We strongly urge you to have all your immunizations up-to-date before you arrive at UCSB.

Complete this requirement by following the instructions on the Student Health website. You will need to enter your dates of the required immunizations and tuberculosis screening as well as upload your immunization records.  

Review and agree to UC requirements for health insurance coverage by Sept. 1

All registered UC students are required to have medical health insurance that meets minimum coverage limits. It is a condition of enrollment AND a non-academic requirement of registration. Please log on to Student Health Gateway Portal and follow the “Forms” menu to comply with this requirement.

UCSB students are automatically enrolled in the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP), which includes vision and dental coverage, and access to most Student Health services with no additional charges. The insurance premium is automatically included in your quarterly BARC bill. For information about this comprehensive plan, visit the Student Health website.  

If you have adequate private insurance and do not wish to enroll in UC SHIP, you may submit a request for a waiver. You will need to have your insurance plan information available. Waiver requests may be submitted beginning in April. The waiver deadline is September 1. Once a waiver request has been approved, it remains in effect until the beginning of the next academic year.

Students with approved waivers may purchase pre-paid access to most Student Health services through the GAUCHO ACCESS PLAN (GAP). Students who waive with insurance plans exclusive to any county outside of Santa Barbara will be REQUIRED to be enrolled in GAP.  Click here for more information about GAP. 

International Students

For information on mandatory requirements for newly admitted international students, please visit the International Applicants information page and the Office of International Students and Scholars.

STEP 4: CONNECT WITH UCSB

Contact Your Department

Your department can provide you with complete information about your graduate program. Department faculty and staff are eager to hear from you and welcome questions. We recommend that you contact the Graduate Program Staff Advisor for your department and ask to be put in touch with faculty and current graduate students in your specific area of interest.

New Student Page

Visit our New Students Page for information about housing, transportation, campus orientations, the local area, frequently asked questions, and more.

Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC)

Get connected to the Graduate Student Resource Center, where you can find resources and information on many aspects of graduate student life. The GSRC also houses graduate peer advisors who are available to speak with you about issues related to funding and finances, writing and editing, professional development, and more. Click here for a list of the GSRC staff, peer advisors, and their office hours.

UCSB GradPost

Subscribe to the UCSB GradPost, which is the go-to website for news about graduate student life at UCSB, including information about events and workshops, graduate students profiles, and tools for academic success. To receive regular updates, sign up for the GradPost e-mail digest.

STEP 5: BEGIN YOUR GRADUATE CAREER

Registration

The Office of the Registrar will send an email to students who have submitted an SIR (most students receive this email in June). This email contains important enrollment information and a link to the Registrar’s Welcome New Students web page. Please read the Welcome New Students information carefully as it is your source for registration instructions.

If you do not receive this email by late June, you may contact the Office of the Registrar at registration@sa.ucsb.edu or 805-893-3592 for more information.

New Graduate Student Orientations and Welcome Receptions

New graduate students will have multiple opportunities to meet fellow graduate students, staff, and learn about the university and its resources. For more information on the various orientations for graduate students, visit the Graduate Student Resource Center's New Students Page.

Additionally, you will receive information from the Graduate Division about a number of welcome receptions for incoming graduate students. Be sure to check your email regularly for updates.

Contact Us

Please feel free to contact your academic department or the Graduate Division with any inquiries. We are happy to help.

For regular news, updates, and announcements you can also follow the UCSB Graduate Division on Instagram.