Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions

Application Information

What graduate programs does UCSB offer? A list of graduate programs offered is available at Graduate Departments and Programs.

How do I apply to graduate school? The Application for Graduate Study is online. Your application must be completed, submitted, application fee paid, and any other additional required materials by the department application deadline.

Is the pre-application required for international applicants? International applicants may need to submit a pre-application, and get approval from the academic department before completing the graduate application. To determine if your department requires the pre-application, visit Graduate Programs at UCSB.

What is the application deadline? The deadline varies by department. To check the deadline for your department of interest, visit Graduate Programs at UCSB. You are strongly advised to submit your online application and all required supporting materials well in advance of the official deadline.

May I get a paper or printed application? UCSB no longer offers paper or printed versions of the graduate application.

May I apply to more than one program? Only one application may be submitted per application quarter. Simultaneous applications are not accepted.

What should I do if I applied to more than one program? If you accidentally applied to multiple programs, you must choose the program to which you would like to apply and ask the Graduate Division to withdraw your application, also notifying the academic department(s) of your decision. An application fee refund is not available.

May I apply after the deadline? Do not apply after the deadline unless you receive advance permission from the Graduate Program Assistant in the academic department. The department must notify the Graduate Division of the approval to process your late application. If you do not receive permission to apply after the deadline, do not apply. Your application fee will not be refunded.

Graduate Application Fee

How do I pay the application fee and how much is it? The non-refundable graduate application fee is $70.00 for domestic applicants, and $90.00 for international applicants, paid in US dollars by check, domestic money order, international money order, demand draft, or credit card. Checks and money orders need to be made payable to UC Regents, drawn on a bank that has a branch in the United States, and mailed with the Check/Money Order Submission form to the Graduate Division. Applicants may also pay using your Visa or MasterCard credit card, but only at the point of submission. Cash is not accepted.

May I receive a fee waiver? A limited number of fee waivers are available for qualified US citizens and permanent residents who demonstrate financial need. McNair Scholars and Project 1000 applicants are among those eligible. Fee waivers are not available to international applicants.

How do I apply for a fee waiver? If you wish to apply for a fee waiver, first complete and submit your application for admission, choosing to "pay by check or money order." After submitting your application, make sure to print and sign the Check/Money Order Submission form. This form and a completed Fee Waiver Request form should be mailed along with proof of financial need to the Graduate Division.

How will I know if my fee waiver has been processed? You will be contacted by email once the request has been processed. If approved, the application will be processed and no further action is needed. If denied, the application will not be processed until the application fee is received, and must still be received by the application deadline.

Application Processing

Where do I send my application materials?

Please send to the Academic Department:
1. Two official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
2. Two copies of your Statement of Purpose
3. Three Letters of Recommendation
4. Other materials may be required by the academic department, including a supplemental application, writing samples, and any other materials.
  All supplemental application materials should be sent directly to the prospective academic department using the department specific 4 digit code, and not to the Graduate Division.
  
  Department of ________________________
  Attn: G.P.A.
  University of California
  Santa Barbara, CA 93106-____ (departmental 4 digit code)*
  (USA)
  
  *Check your department website for their specific 4 digit mailing code.
Please send to the Graduate Division:
1. Application fee, if not already paid during application submission.
2. Official GRE and TOEFL scores, sent directly from ETS. UCSB's institution code is 4835, and the department code should be left blank.
3. Official IELTS scores can be sent as a alternative to the TOEFL

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

(USA)

What is my application status? Is my application complete? Your application status is available online using the email address you used and the password you created when you started your application.

Whom should I contact if I cannot remember my password? Passwords are case sensitive. Graduate Division technical support staff can check to see what email address you used on the online application. Your password may be reset online.

What do I do if the deadline is approaching, but the department has not received my materials? Check with the department about which materials have arrived and/or are still needed. Application deadlines are typically strict, which means all materials, including test scores, must be received by the application deadline. If the supplemental materials were sent to the Graduate Division instead of to the department, the materials will be forwarded to the department. The Graduate Division does not keep a record of what is sent to departments. It is your responsibility to send the materials to the right department/office. You can check your application status online. The Graduate Division Admissions staff can tell you whether or not your application fee, fee waiver, and test scores have been received. Contact the Graduate Program Assistant in your academic department regarding all other application materials.

I called and emailed the department, but I did not get a response. What should I do? Please be patient. The departments are very busy and it can sometimes take a few 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 web sites.

How can I update my name and contact information? If your name or contact information has changed during the application process, email the Graduate Division Admissions staff and the department Graduate Program Assistant with your new permanent and/or mailing address. If you are updating a mailing address, include a date when the address will no longer be valid. 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.

GRE, MAT, TOEFL or IELTS Scores

Where may I take the GRE and or TOEFL? The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are both administered by ETS. Applicants should instruct ETS to send scores to UCSB; the institution code is 4835. A department code is not required. Please note that GRE scores must be no more than five years old at the time of application, and TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old at the time of application.

Where may I take the IELTS (International English Lanaguage Testing System)? Applicants choosing to take the IELTS must make arrangements directly with the International English Language Testing System. An institution code is not required to report the score results to UCSB. IETLS scores must be no more than two years old at the time of application.

Note that the GRE is not required by the Department of Art, and that the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education requires either the GRE, or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) for applicants applying to the Teaching Credential Program. MAT scores must be no more than five years old at the time of application.

Do you have my GRE and/or TOEFL scores? Once you ask ETS to send score reports to UCSB, please allow two to three weeks for processing. Once your scores have arrived, your application status will be updated accordingly. Please note, the Graduate Division will not supply GRE or TOEFL score reports to applicants, outside persons, or other institutions.

What if the GRE and/or TOEFL scores will arrive after the department's deadline? 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.

Will UCSB send copies or a printout of my GRE and/or TOEFL scores to me or other schools? No, the GRE and TOEFL scores become property of UCSB admission process and cannot be reprinted or recreated for applicants, outside persons, or other institutions.

How do I update my test scores if I took the test again? You can request the new scores be sent to UCSB. For admissions purposes, UCSB reviews the most current complete set of scores reported. It is not possible to mix-and-match the best scores. If you want to improve your GRE or TOEFL scores, you need to retake the entire test.

What are competitive scores? 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 can be no more than five years old at the time of application. For international applicants required to take the TOEFL or IELTS, the minimum TOEFL score is 550 when taking the paper based test, 213 when taking the computer based test, and 80 when taking the internet based test. The minimum IELTS score for consideration is an Overall Band Score of 7 or higher. Some departments may require a higher score. TOEFL or IELTS scores can be no more than two years old at the time of application.

Will you accept my photocopy of my GRE, TOEFL or IELTS scores? The Graduate Division requires official scores, submitted directly from ETS, or for the IETLS, directly from the International English Language Testing System organization. GRE scores can be no more than five years old at the time of application. TOEFL or IELTS scores can be no more than two years old at the time of application. If it is the case that ETS will not release your GRE and/or TOEFL scores to UCSB, the Graduate Division will only accept a copy of the original score report if the you bring the original score report to the Graduate Division, where Graduate Admissions staff can certify that the score report is the original and official. Please do not send in the original paper score report that you have as you may not be able to obtain another copy and the Graduate Division will not release this original copy back to you or another university.

May I waive the TOEFL or IELTS requirement? Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the ELPE (English Langauge Placement Exam) conducted by the English as a Second Language Program offered at the beginning of each quarter at UCSB. Exceptions to TOEFL or IELTS testing may only be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate education at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. For additional information, contact the academic department.

What are the differences between TOEFL and IELTS? Depending on location, the TOEFL exam comes in two different formats: Internet-based (iBT) and Paper-based (PBT). The Internet-based test is the first TOEFL exam to test speaking, along with writing, listening, and reading. The speaking section is done through a voice-recorder online. The Paper-based exam tests listening, reading, writing, and structure, which tests how students recognize English sentence structure and idiomatic word usage. Scores can be sent either in paper-based form or electronically.

The IELTS is a newer exam and has recently become a competitor for TOEFL. It also tests speaking, reading, writing, and listening. However, the speaking portion is conducted through a live interview with a trained and certified ESL specialist. However, whereas TOEFL is offered through ETS, IELTS is its own organization and test registration is handled through them. Scores are usually mailed to the Graduate Division, where we then enter them into the online application. However, applicants can opt to have them sent electronically, but this rarely happens. The tests are quite similar, and the Graduate Division does not have a preference--it really depends on how the student wishes to be tested, taking into consideration his or her strongest areas of language.

International Teaching Assistant

What is the testing requirement? All prospective international teaching assistants (TAs) whose first language is not English are required to take the TA Language Evaluation in order to be certified for sole classroom teaching responsibility. This required exam is scheduled by your department faculty and conducted through the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program prior to the beginning of each quarter. The Language Evaluation exam requires the prospective TA to give a brief oral presentation in English and respond to questions.

Academic Review

What is the minimum GPA requirement? 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 the last two years of undergraduate coursework. Satisfaction of minimal standards does not, however, guarantee admission, since the number of qualified applicants far exceeds the number of places available. As a consequence, many well-qualified applicants cannot be accommodated.

What do you require in the Statement of Purpose? Review the Statement of Purpose guidelines. The length of your Statement of Purpose can depend on the individual departmental requirements, though a minimum two pages is recommended. For additional information about the Statement of Purpose, speak to the Graduate Program Assistant in the academic department to which you are applying.

Do I need to order UCSB transcripts if I attended (or I am currently attending) UCSB? Yes, you must request transcripts from the Office of the Registrar, even if you attended or are attending UCSB.

Admissions Decisions

How do I find out my admissions decision? You will be notified by email when a decision has been made on your application, and your application status will be updated with the decision result.

I have been admitted, now what do I do? Congratulations! Complete the Statement of Intent to Register. This form lets us know your decision whether to attend UCSB. If you accept the offer of admission, your information will be transmitted to the Office of the Registrar. If you inform us you are not coming, we will close out your application.

What is "Provisional Admissions Status"? "Provisional Admissions Status" means you were granted admission under the condition you would provide any missing application materials. Such application materials often include:

Two copies of your final and official transcript with the completed degree posted. Some international applicants will need to supply not only the transcripts but a copy of the diploma or degree certificate. Not all international transcripts will have the degree posted on the transcript. Domestic and international applicants are not allowed to submit only the degree certificate or diploma. Proof of course completion is required.
GRE and/or TOEFL scores reported directly from ETS, or for the IETLS, directly from the International English Language Testing System organization.

I am admitted provisionally but I will not receive my final, official transcript until this summer. Is that okay? UCSB requires your final transcripts with your degree posted. If you are admitted provisionally because of missing final transcripts, you will have until the end of your first quarter at UCSB to provide the required transcripts. Please make certain you have requested the transcripts to be sent to the Graduate Division and the transcripts will have your degree posted on it. Contact Graduate Division Admissions staff to confirm receipt of final transcripts.

How can I find out why I was denied? The academic departments make all admissions decisions. Contact the department to which you applied.

If I was denied, may I reapply? Yes, you can reapply if it is in your best interest and that of the department. If after consulting your department they encourage you to reapply, you will need to submit a new online application and pay a new application fee. Please contact the academic department where you last applied to determine what application materials, if any, can be reused.

May I have my application materials? No, the application file and all contents become and are UCSB property, 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.