Transfer Credit Guidelines

TRANSFER CREDIT GUIDELINES FOR CURRENT UCSB STUDENTS

The following information is presented as a guide for current UCSB students considering enrolling in courses outside of UCSB. This information is meant to assist you through the process of transferring credit to UCSB.  If you  have general questions regarding transfer credit that are not covered in this document, please email admissions@ sa.ucsb.edu and put 'Credit  Memo ' in the subject line.
 

Initial Considerations

UCSB does not pre-approve coursework. The Office of Admissions determines transferability after you submit an official transcript with the course(s) and grade(s) posted. While you can contact your College Advising Office or Department Advisor prior to enrolling in a course, the final decision rests with the Office of Admissions after your official transcript is received.  In other words, you cannot have complete assurance that your outside coursework will transfer.
 
The college or university you attend must be accredited by a US regional accreditation agency, such as WASC.
 

Selecting Courses

 
  • The course(s) you complete must not duplicate any coursework you have already completed at UCSB or any other collegiate institution.
  • Credit will not be allowed for any math, chemistry or foreign language course that is less advanced than a course you have already completed.
  • The course(s) you take must be academic in nature and cover the same depth and breadth as courses offered in the University of California system. For example, UCSB will not award credit for a lower division marketing course, since the University of California does not offer marketing courses at the lower division level.
  • Upper division credit for transfer courses will only be awarded if the official transcript posted the coursework as such.                         ·
  • Lower division unit limitation: A maximum of 105 lower division quarter units (70 semester units) from non-UC colleges or universities will transfer to UC. Subject credit will be awarded for all transferable courses beyond the unit maximum.
  • Each course posted on the transcript must be listed and described in the college's catalog for the academic year in which the course was taken.
  • Courses in traditional academic disciplines (science, literature, humanities and social sciences) are generally transferable. The following types of courses are not transferable:
    • Courses that are vocational, technical or professional in nature (e.g., advertising, real estate) Remedial Courses (e.g., intermediate algebra)
    • Personal enrichment (e.g., how to use your personal computer)
  • ELWR: If you are planning to take a course that may satisfy GE areas A-1 or A-2, the ELWR requirement MUST be satisfied at UCSB prior to taking the course.

Timing & Petitions

Concurrent Enrollment:

If you are taking a course during the summer term, you do not need permission to take a course outside of UCSB.
 
If you are a current UCSB student taking a course during a regular term (fall, winter, spring) you must obtain written approval from your College in the form of a Concurrent Enrollment Petition prior to enrolling in the course.
 
If an approved Concurrent Enrollment Petition is not on file, you WILL NOT receive credit for the course.
 
The Office of Admissions only determines if a course is transferable to UCSB. The Office of Admissions does not determine if a course meets major requirements or GE requirements.
 

UC Extension:

If you are taking courses through a University of California Extension program, you MUST obtain an approved Extension Petition from your College. This includes UCSB Extension courses. Please note that only courses numbered 1-199 at UC Extension will transfer to UCSB for degree credit.
 

Repeating University of California Coursework:

P lea s e note that courses taken at the University of California can only be repeated at the University of California. You must have the appropriate repeat petition on file in order to receive credit. Only courses graded "C-" or lower may be repeated.
 

After you Complete the Courses

You must submit an official transcript from the institution you attended to the Office of the Registrar.
Retain all notes, exams, essays and syllabi, as sometimes it is necessary to review these for course credit.
 
Resources
  • Assist.org is a n online tool that can help you if you plan to take courses at a California Community College. You can use this tool to find what courses will transfer to the University of California, which courses satisfy general education requirements and which courses fulfill major preparation requirements.
  • UCSB Office of Admissions Guide to Course Transferability While this document is intended for prospective students, it may assist you in selecting transferable courses from other institutions
  • UCSB General Catalog
  • UCSB College of Letters and Science Guide to Transferrin g Credit
 

CREDIT GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN NON-UC STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

 
The following information is presented as a guide for students considering studying abroad in a Non-UC education abroad program. The Office of Admissions at UCSB does not have a study abroad advisor for these programs, therefore, this information is only meant to assist you through the process. Plan in advance; this process takes time.
 

Initial Steps

Selecting a program: UCSB does not endorse specific programs or study abroad agencies. If you are not sure where to start, the following websites are resources for starting your search: www.studyabroad.com or www.goabroad.com.
 
UCSB does not pre-approve programs or courses taken through non-UC study abroad programs.  While you may contact your college advising office or department advisor prior to enrolling in a Non-UC Study Abroad program, the final decision for transferability rests with the Office of Admissions after your official transcript is received. In other words, you cannot have complete assurance that your Non-UC Study Abroad coursework will transfer. However, if you have general questions regarding a program or institution, you are considering, you may e-mail the Office of Admissions admissions@sa.ucsb.edu. Please put "study abroad" in the subject line of the e-mail.
 
UCSB does not nominate students to participate in Non-UC Study Abroad Programs, nor do students need permission from UCSB to participate in Non-UC Study Abroad Programs.
 
Please note, UCSB does not offer financial aid for Non-UC Study Abroad programs.

 

Before You Go

Education: The college or university you attend must be accredited by a regional accreditation agency, if the school of record is a US school. If the school of record is an international institution, it must be recognized by the Ministry of Education as a degree granting institution in that country. This information may be found on the institution's website.
 
Leaving and Returning: UCSB students planning to study abroad through a non-UC program may retain their enrollment priority by submitting a formal leave request. Please refer to Office of the Registrar's website (www.registrar.ucsb.edu) and the link to "Leaving and Returning" for details. If you are planning on attending a Non-UC Study Abroad program during the summer term, you do not need to submit a formal leave request.
 
Verification of good academic standing and record:  Most programs require verification that students are in good academic standing. This verification can be obtained through GOLD and the Office of the Registrar website. Also, a letter of recommendation indicating that you do not have any disciplinary action on your record may be requested. This may be obtained from the Office of Student Life, which is located in the Student Resource Building.
 

Selecting Transferable Courses

The course(s) you   take must be academic in nature and cover the same depth and breadth and as courses offered in the UC system. Courses that are in traditional academic disciplines (science, literature, humanities and social sciences are generally transferable.) Personal enrichment courses, such as 'Wine Tasting in Spain' generally are not transferable to UCSB.
 
You must not duplicate any coursework you have already completed at UCSB or any other collegiate institution. This includes language study, in which the study abroad agency might place the student into a course level equivalent to or lower than a course already completed.
 
You must receive a passing grade in the course(s). This will be determined by the Office of Admissions as grading systems vary from country to country. Grades of P/NP are not available in international institutions. Certificates of attendance do not yield transfer credit.
 
Unit value for credit granted is based on the. length of term and the numb r of contact hours, and will be determined by the Office of Admissions upon submission of the official transcript. Upper or lower division credit is assigned based on course numbering system of the school of record.  Please be aware that courses will be granted lower division credit unless the course number on the transcript of record explicitly assigns upper division credit.
 
You will need approval from your major/minor department and college by petition if you want to apply transfer credit to your major/minor or for general education requirements. Some advisors will be willing to meet with you before you leave to give you a general idea if a class you are enrolling in might meet a requirement. Pre-approval by the department does not guarantee a course is transferable; ultimately the Office of Admissions determines transferability AFTER you submit your official transcript.
 

Returning to UCSB From a Non-UC Study Abroad Program

 
You must submit an official transcript from the institution you attended to the Office of the Registrar. Upon receipt of an official transcript, courses will be evaluated to determine UCSB transferability by the Office of Admissions.
No credit will be awarded for coursework which appears on a transcript issued by a study ab road organization/agency.
R e t a in all notes, exams, essay s , syllabi , and course descriptions. Sometimes it is necessary to review these materials to determine transferability.
I

Additional Resources

UCEAP course catalog: This website can be used as a guide for possible examples of transferable courses. Please note, no  t all courses in the UC  EAP Catalog  are guaranteed to transfer through  a Non-UC Study Abroad Program.