Since you have been to college before, you already know some things about college, its requirements, expectations, challenges and rewards. Nevertheless, it is important for you to keep in mind that UCSB is a new school, with its own rules and regulations. To support your transition, we offer helpful observations in the following categories: |
Adapting to UCSB as a Different Place
No matter where you have studied in the past, you are sure to notice some differences at UCSB. Noted below are some of the things that new transfer students often find surprising. By being alert to these concerns, you can be better prepared to meet new challenges.
Pace of the quarter system: If you are used to semesters, you will probably need to make some changes in your approach to study. With only ten weeks of instruction, most instructors give assignments the very first day of class. In addition, there tend to be fewer exams in the quarter system than the semester system, giving less opportunity to recover if you're not completely successful on one test or assignment. The real message is this: don't fall behind.
Amount of coursework: At UCSB, it is not uncommon to be required to read more than four textbooks in a single course. In addition, many courses require numerous essays or research papers totaling 10 or more pages. Find out early exactly what is expected of you in each of your courses.
Majors with required series courses: Many majors require a full-year sequence in one or more subjects as part of the preparation. If you have completed one semester of the equivalent sequence elsewhere, it is very important that you consult your major department early on to determine what course(s) you must still take to complete the sequence. Consult your department advisor. Don't make assumptions about how your transfer work applies to the major.
Applying transfer work to the major: Visit your major department advisor with a copy of your records from your previous school(s). In that way, you can find out what you have already completed for your major and avoid duplicating coursework. Further, you can learn what you are ready to take and the best order to approach your remaining major requirements.
Pre-majors: If you are hoping to complete a major that has an associated pre-major, you should note that you must meet a specified pre-major grade-point average (GPA). What's more, the calculation will be based only on coursework you complete within the University of California. If you have completed courses equivalent to some of the pre-major requirements outside the University of California, that transfer work will be accepted to fulfill the subject requirements, but it will not contribute to your pre-major GPA. Accordingly, if you have only one or two pre-major courses left to complete, it is absolutely critical that you perform well in those courses. If you do not meet the required pre-major GPA, you will have to find a new major.
Applying transfer courses to General Education Program requirements: If you think some of your transfer work should apply to General Education Program requirements, but you do not see them applied that way on your New Student Profile (available through GOLD), please come to the college advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall). We will re-examine their possible application. Please note that we may ask you to provide a complete syllabus for each course that you wish to have reconsidered.
Learning about campus life: At UCSB you will find myriad opportunities to get involved in campus and community activities. Two good places to begin learning about these opportunities are the Office of Student Life in 2201 SAASB and the publication Kiosk.
Honors Opportunities: The College Honors Program offers many ways for you to deepen and broaden your academic pursuits at UCSB. In addition, many academic departments have an honors program that encourages real depth within the major. Consult your department to learn about this option.
Research Opportunities: As members of a research university, UCSB faculty engage in a wide array of research programs. Many invite undergraduate students to assist them with their study. In addition, students often find it possible to engage in their own research under faculty direction. Consult your major department to learn about opportunities there and also check out the website of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA).
General Education/IGETC Issues
To earn a bachelor's degree from the College of Letters and Science at UCSB, you will have to fulfill all of the General Education Program requirements as listed in official publications (General Catalog, Guide to Undergraduate Studies, General Education brochure), unless one of the following is true:
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IGETC: Your most recent California community college sends UCSB an official statement indicating that you have fully completed the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) prior to your first regular term at UCSB.
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Check to be sure that your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) indicates that UCSB is aware that you have completed IGETC.
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If you believe that you completed IGETC but your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) does not indicate this, check with your community college to be sure that you have truly fulfilled all IGETC requirements.
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If you have indeed fulfilled all IGETC requirements, ask your community college to send notification to the College of Letters and Science at UCSB.
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In the event that your community college indicates that you have not fully completed the requirements for IGETC and you do not qualify to complete IGETC after transfer (see below), you must fulfill the General Education Program requirements as listed in the publications noted above. You can use your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) as a guide to determine which requirements you must still fulfill.
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IGETC AFTER TRANSFER: Your most recent California community college sends UCSB an official statement indicating that you are eligible to complete IGETC after transfer and you do complete your final one or two IGETC requirements within one calendar year of your admission to UCSB.
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Your community college must send your partial certification before the end of your first regular term at UCSB.
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Consult the IGETC After Transfer Coordinator in the college advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall) with any questions.
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Remember that you have only one calendar year to complete your final one or two IGETC requirements.
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It is your responsibility to notify the IGETC After Transfer Coordinator when you have completed your final IGETC requirement (and provide evidence of how you have done so).
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If you do not complete your final IGETC requirement(s) within one calendar year from the start of your first quarter at UCSB, you must fulfill the General Education Program requirements as listed in the publications noted above. You can use your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) as a guide to determine which requirements you must still fulfill.
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UC RECIPROCITY: Your prior University of California campus sends UCSB an official statement indicating that you fully satisfied the breadth/general education requirements at that campus.
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Check to be sure that your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) indicates that UCSB is aware that you have completed the breadth/general education of your earlier campus.
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If you are sure that you completed breadth/GE at your earlier campus but your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) does not indicate this, check with the staff at your former campus.
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If you have indeed fulfilled all breadth/GE requirements at your former UC campus, ask the appropriate official there to send notification to the College of Letters and Science at UCSB.
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In the event that your earlier UC campus indicates that you have not fully completed the requirements for GE/breadth there, you must fulfill the General Education Program requirements as listed in the publications noted above. You can use your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) as a guide to determine which requirements you must still fulfill.
Records to Keep
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Keep a copy of your records from your previous school(s) handy at UCSB at all times. This will be helpful when you need to show that you have satisfied the prerequisites for courses that you want to take at UCSB. If you take any further courses at another school and transfer them back to UCSB, keep a personal copy of those records handy for the same reason.
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As soon as possible after you have been admitted to UCSB, you will receive a GOLD message that your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) has been prepared. This is an official statement of the credit that UCSB has accepted from your previous schools at the time of transfer. It also summarizes the application of your previous coursework toward General Education Program and university requirements. View your New Student Profile (available through GOLD). It's a good idea also to print a copy and keep it handy.
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Refer often to your transfer records (items #1 and #2 above) to avoid duplicating credit.
- You are not eligible to earn credit toward your UCSB degree for courses that are substantially like any for which you have already received credit.
- You cannot earn credit for courses in mathematics and foreign language that are at a less advanced level than those for which you have already received credit.
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Keep handy all official notifications from UCSB. They can be vital for future reference.
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If you receive approval for an exception to a UCSB requirement or regulation, always keep your copy of the approval notification.
Summary of UCSB Policies
(That
Transfer Students Must Not Overlook)
To help you avoid disappointment, we have selected a few policies to highlight below, because experience has shown that transfer students sometimes overlook them. This is not a complete listing or explanation of all policies. For complete details, consult the General Catalog.
Upper-Division Unit Requirement: To earn a bachelor's degree from the College of Letters and Science at UCSB, you must complete a minimum of 60 upper-division units. By definition, all coursework from community colleges is considered lower division. Most majors required fewer than 60 upper-division units, so you will probably need to complete some upper-division elective courses. Note that you have upper-division opportunities in most General Education Program areas (if you still have some to complete).
Grade-Point Average (GPA): Unless you have completed prior coursework on a regular transcript from within the University of California, you will be starting a new University of California (UC) GPA at UCSB. Bear in mind that only your UC GPA is used to determine your eligibility for:
- Honors at graduation (and you must have completed at least 76 letter-graded UC units)
- Continued enrollment at UCSB
- Admission to the full major if you are currently in pre-major standing in a major that requires a particular GPA for admission to the full major.
- Graduation
Credit limits:
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No more than 6 total units will be accepted toward your bachelor's degree from UCSB ES 1- (formerly PA 1-) courses and their transfer equivalents typically called physical education or recreation at other schools, these are courses in which you play a sport or carry out an exercise program. If we have accepted any such coursework for you, it will be shown on your New Student Profile (available through GOLD).
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Once you have earned 105 quarter units (70 semester units) of credit from two-year colleges, no further unit credit will be awarded for additional coursework you complete at a two-year college. Subject credit, however, will be allowed for coursework in excess of 105 units.
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You cannot earn credit for coursework at UCSB that substantially duplicates credit you have already earned elsewhere. In addition, credit will not be allowed for coursework you complete elsewhere if you have already completed a very similar course at UCSB.
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Credit will not be allowed for mathematics and foreign language courses at a level that is less advanced than coursework for which you have already earned credit.
Simultaneous Study: Consult the college advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall) if you are considering enrollment in courses elsewhere while you are enrolled at UCSB. Very strict limitations affect what credit, if any, will be allowed for the transfer work.
UC Entry Level Writing Requirement (formerly called Subject A): You must satisfy the UC Entry Level Writing requirement within your first three quarters at UCSB, unless you satisfied it with prior transfer work. Look at your New Student Profile (available through GOLD) to check your status in fulfilling this requirement.
Sequence courses: If you have completed part of a year-long sequence that is required for your major, consult the advisor in your major department to determine what additional course(s) you will need to complete at UCSB. If you have completed a portion of a sequence in General Education Area E, consult the college advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall) to determine how to fulfill the remainder of the requirement.
Choice of Major
As a transfer student, you are probably hoping to complete your degree and graduate within two years, or three at most. For that reason, it is vital that you learn as much as possible about your major early on. We hope you have already made a choice that matches your talents and interests, but if you have not, it is important to find a new direction without delay.
Talk to your departmental advisor and members of the faculty to find out the structure and emphases of your major. Is it what you expected? Your advisor can also tell you where you are in the major: what you've completed through transfer work and what you still must complete.
If you think you've made the right choice of major, start on it right away to confirm that choice. As you progress through the courses for the major, reevaluate. Are you learning what you had hoped to learn? Are you able to perform at a satisfactory level (and if you are in a pre-major, remember that "satisfactory" may mean better than C-. If everything is going well in your major, you'll be glad to have started right away, because in this way you'll have adequate time to complete all of the requirements and maybe even take some enrichment courses within the major. If things aren't going so well, you'll also be glad to have started right away, because in this case you will more quickly recognize that you need to find something new.
You should keep in mind that you will be expected to graduate without exceeding 200 units, which may limit some of your choices. Again, we hope you have already made a suitable choice of major, but if you have some doubts, please visit the college advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall) for assistance in reviewing your options.
