University of California – Santa Barbara

uc santa barbara online degree

Degree Programs at the University of California – Santa Barbara

The University of California – Santa Barbara appears in our ranking of 30 Great Colleges With An Increasing Student Population.

The University of California – Santa Barbara offers more than 200 fields of study for students today. Those programs are available from the colleges that are part of the university. The College of Creative Studies offers programs for students with a passion for writing and unique thinking. These students can earn bachelor’s degrees in art, biology, chemistry, math, computing, physics, music composition or writing and literature. The university’s College of Engineering offers degree programs in mechanical, chemical, electrical and computer engineering as well as computer science.

One of the largest colleges at the university is the College of Letters and Science. This college offers more than 50 majors for students, including some with different concentration options. Those who major in the classics can choose from concentrations in classical archaeology, classical language and literature, or Greek and Roman studies. The university also offers other majors through this college, including cell and developmental biology, earth science, music studies, zoology, psychology, and philosophy.

Students can also study more than 50 subjects at the University of California – Santa Barbara through one of its graduate programs. The university offers combined degree programs that let students work on their graduate and doctoral degrees at the same time. Some of the combined degree programs include mechanical engineering, cellular and developmental biology, Hispanic languages and literature, Germanic languages and literature, film studies and education. The film studies program is popular because it gives students the chance to complete and work on films that they can show at festivals around the world. Other options for graduate students include programs in anthropology, art, economics, comparative literature, theater studies, technology management, and marine science.

About the University of California – Santa Barbara

The University of California – Santa Barbara is a public university that is part of the University of California system. It often uses the UCSB name to separate itself from other schools, but some also call it UC Santa Barbara. Established in 1891 as the Anna Blake School, its early programs focused on home economics and offered training for future wives and mothers to help them lead and maintain their homes. When the state decided to establish a normal school in the area, it took over that campus and renamed the school the Santa Barbara State Normal School, which would then become Santa Barbara State College. Known as the Santa Barbara College of the University of California for more than a decade, the school did not become UC Santa Barbara until the late 1950s.

The UC Santa Barbara campus today is one of the most beautiful in California. It has an East Campus with lecture halls and other buildings and a large quad with athletic fields between it and the West Campus. More than half of all its enrolled students use bicycles to move across the campus and to get to locations in the surrounding city. UCSB is one of the largest campuses in the UC system because of its enrollment of more than 25,000 students.

University of California – Santa Barbara Accreditation Details

UCSB has accreditation that applies to its degree programs and to the university itself. The main accreditation held by the university comes from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) through its Senior College and University Commission (SCUC). Not only does this accreditation give UCSB the right to develop and design degree programs, but it also lets the university use state and federal funds. UCSB also holds accreditation from the APA, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD).

University of California – Santa Barbara Application Requirements

The university has several deadlines because it lets undergrads start during any semester. Students can submit their applications from August 1 through the beginning of March and get financial aid for the coming year. UCSB sends notification letters and emails in the middle of the month. The basic requirements for incoming freshmen include a subject requirement that asks that they take one year of visual/performing arts and four years of English courses. Students should also take social science, history, life science, and math classes. California residents need a GPA of 3.0 when they apply, but nonresidents should have a GPA of 3.4 or higher. UCSB requires that students supply their transcripts and test scores as well as an application.

Graduate students face different requirements based on the programs offered by the university. The basic admissions requirements including completing the online application, paying the application fee and providing transcripts from any of their former colleges. Students can only enroll in a UCSB graduate program if they have a bachelor’s degree too. Some of the other requirements they may need to meet can include letters of recommendation or reference contact information, a resume, personal statements or test scores. Many UCSB graduate programs ask that students take the GRE or another graduate exam.

Tuition and Financial Aid

UCSB follows a quarter schedule, and most students take classes in the fall, winter, and spring. Undergrads attending the university pay $3,814 per term or $11,442 per year. The total cost for California residents is $14,390 a year. Undergrads who are not from California pay a nonresident fee, which adds to their costs and brings their totals up to $43,382 a year. Graduate students who are California residents pay the same tuition rate but different fees for a total of $13,544 a year. Nonresident graduate students pay UCSB $28,656 a year. Though these figures include tuition and fees, they do not include living expenses or school supplies.

Students who apply for financial aid through the FAFSA can receive aid from the government, in addition, to aid from the university. Student loans allow students to borrow thousands of dollars each year and only begin making payments on those loans after they graduate. Fellowships and assistant jobs can help graduate students afford their costs. They can apply for positions that let them work on research projects or teach classes. UCSB also offers scholarships for both graduate students and undergrads. Some scholarships go to students who show they need help on the FAFSA, but others require that students submit scholarship applications. Incoming and returning students to the University of California – Santa Barbara can view the scholarship requirements online.