Getting Started at UC Santa Barbara

Steps to Registration

All new graduate students are asked to visit the Office of the Registrar's Steps to Registration. Please complete the steps outlined on their Web site before the fall 2008 quarter begins.

1. Register through Gaucho On-Line  Data (GOLD)
2. Submit Statement of Legal Residence (SLR)

Note that the fall deadline for Graduate Fee Payment and Regular Registration is Thursday, September 25, 2008. You must register and pay fees in full prior to the September 25 deadline to avoid any late fees.

ALL NEW STUDENTS: Before paying fees, it is IMPERATIVE that you complete UC Santa Barbara’s online Statement of Legal Residence.

3. Establish California Residency

After you have completed your SLR, if you are a domestic student but not yet a California resident, we strongly advise you to start the process of establishing California residency as soon as you arrive to California: find out how at establishing California residency.

4. Update Address

Keep your address updated via GOLD.  

5. U-Mail Account

Set up your U-Mail UC Santa Barbara email account. All future University announcements and correspondences will be sent to this email address.

MyUCSB — Your Information Portal to UC Santa Barbara!

Via the Division of Student Affair’s MyUCSB, you can sign up for GOLD, U-Mail and BARC (see below) as well as schedule doctor’s appointments, view your financial aid status, register for UCSB Alert and more. All you need is your student PERM number to get started.

Gaucho On-line Data (GOLD): view schedule of classes, register for classes, view grades, update personal info, and more…

U-Mail is UC Santa Barbara’s official student email service to which university correspondence is sent.

Billing Accounts Receivable Collections (BARC): receive your stipends directly and pay bills online.

UC Santa Barbara Student Identification Card

The ACCESS card will give you access to the Recreation Center and computer labs, enable you to check out library books, receive student rates at Arts & Lecture events, and ride free on city buses.

Departments & Student Services

Graduate Division

The Graduate Division provides information for new graduate students about academic resources, English as a Second Language testing, financial support and more.

Graduate Handbook

The Graduate Handbook is a resource for policies, procedures, and practices for academic study, student services, and financial resources throughout your academic tenure. For complete information on academic programs, policies, and student services, visit the Graduate Division. 

Academic and Professional Success Workshops. The Graduate Student Peer Advisors (peers@graddiv.ucsb.edu) provide advice and assistance to graduate students and hold workshops to address student needs (e.g., funding, writing theses/dissertations, career development). Feel free to email them now if you have any questions. They are always here to help.

Diversity at UCSB. The Graduate Student Diversity Interns (diversitypeer@graddiv.ucsb.edu) are an open resource for incoming graduate students. Feel free to contact them with any questions before arriving to campus. During the year, as mentors and guides, the Diversity Interns host Coffee Hours, meetings and workshops to enrich the cultural life for all graduate students on campus.

Financial Support. The Graduate Division provides a wealth of information about campus and extramural funding opportunities. We encourage you to subscribe to one or more of the email lists to receive automatic updates for extramural funding from The Source.

Student Health Services (SHS)

SHS provides high quality, accessible primary health care and health education to the UC Santa Barbara campus community.

• UCSB Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan (GSHIP)
• GSHIP Enrollment
• GSHIP Waiver Cancellation Request form

Disabled Students Program (DSP)

DSP works to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities and to foster student independence.

Office of Student Life

Office of Student Life provides comprehensive campus services information including Graduate Student Organizations (e.g., American Indian Graduate Student Alliance, International Students Association, Women in Science and Engineering), events on campus, and the UCSB Wellness Program, designed to connect UC Santa Barbara students to resources and opportunities for wellness.

Graduate Student Association (GSA)

GSA is the elected representative government for UC Santa Barbara graduate students. GSA works to 1) ensure that graduate student concerns are addressed in campus and off-campus policy decisions, 2) provide graduate students with information concerning decisions that are relevant to student life, and 3) provide community building activities for UC Santa Barbara graduate students.

Summer Sessions

Incoming graduate students are welcome to attend UC Santa Barbara’s 2008 Summer Sessions’ classes. Courses taken may be applied to requirements of your degree program. Students may take prerequisites, methodology courses, or begin work on language requirements. Please consult with your department to determine if Summer Sessions’ credits are transferable to your degree program. Enrollment costs may be lower in the summer than during the academic year.

Questions? Please contact the Graduate Division at (805) 893-2277.