General University Requirements

The University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement may be fulfilled prior to “matriculation” (before beginning at UCSB) by:

1. Scoring 3 or higher on the AP Seminar or AP Research Exams or either of the AP English Exams
2. Scoring 30 or higher on the ACT combined English Language Arts (ELA) Exam
3. Scoring 680 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of paper-and-pencil SAT (offered prior to March 2024). Scores from the digital SAT are not approved to satisfy the ELWR. 
4. Scoring 5 or higher on the IB higher level English A exam
5. Scoring 6 or higher on the IB standard level English A1 exam
6. Receiving a C or higher in an English composition course that satisfies GE Area A-1
7. Placing in Writing 2 via UCSB’s Collaborative Writing Placement Exam (CWP, see below)
8. Passing the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE).  UCSB will only accept AWPE results from students transferring from another UC campus

Collaborative Writing Placement (CWP)

The Collaborative Writing Placement (CWP) will be offered twice during Summer Orientation and once a quarter. U.S. students who have not fulfilled the requirement by 1-6 above will be contacted via email about how to register for the placement. Students with questions about the CWP may contact the Writing Program: placement@writing.ucsb.edu. Students who are not placed in Writing 2, should plan on enrolling in Writing 1 during their first year at UCSB. A grade of C or higher is needed in Writing 1 to satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement. A student who receives a C- or lower must repeat Writing 1 until they earn a C. International student who are not immigrants and who have not fulfilled the requirement through 1-6 above must participate in the English for Multilingual Students Program online writing diagnostic essay.  Details about this assessment will be sent to students via email. The diagnostic essay, as well as other student information, including TOEFL, SAT and/ or ACT test scores, will be used to guide writing course placements. Students will be placed into one of four academic English levels in the English for Multilingual Students Program, Department of Linguistics (LING3A, LING 3B, LING 3C or LING 12) or may be referred to the Writing Program for placement. To satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement through the EMS Program, students must successfully complete LING 12 with a C or better.

Once students matriculate at UCSB, they may not fulfil Entry Level Writing by transferring course from another institution, and transfer courses that are articulated to fulfill GE Area A will not be accepted for credit unless Entry Level Writing has been satisfied.

The American History and Institutions requirement is based on the principle that students enrolled at an American university should know about the history and government of this country. The requirement may be satisfied by completion of any four-unit course chosen from the following list:

• Anthropology 131, 176B
• Art History 121A-B-C, E, 136H
• Asian American Studies 1, 2
• Black Studies 1, 1H, 6, 6H, 103, 137E,169BR-CR
• Chicano Studies 1A-B-C, 144, 168A-B, 174,188C
• Comparative Literature 133
• English 133AA-ZZ, 134AA-ZZ, 137A-B, 191
• Environmental Studies 173
• Feminist Studies 155A, 159B-C
• History 11A, 17A-B-C, 17AH-BH-CH, 105A, 142AL, 142S, 159B-C, 160A-B, 161A-B, 164C,164IA, 164IB, 165, 166A-B-C-D, 166LB, 168A-B-C-D, 168N-M, 169M, 172A-B, 173T, 175A-B, 176A-B, 177, 178A-B, 179A-B
• Military Science 27
• Political Science 12, 115, 127, 151,152, 153, 155, 157, W157, 158, 162, 165, 180, 185
• Religious Studies 7, 14, 151A-B, 152
• Sociology 137E, 140, 144, 155A, 157
• Theater 180A-B

Courses used to fulfill the American History and Institutions requirement may also be applied to General Education and/or major requirements where appropriate. Equivalent courses taken at other accredited colleges or universities or in UC Extension are acceptable as determined by the Office of Admissions.

The American History and Institutions requirement may be satisfied in four additional ways:

1. A score of 650 or higher in the SAT Subject Test in U.S. History. 
2. A score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in U.S. History.
3. A score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in American Government and Politics.
4. Passing a noncredit examination in American history or American institutions offered in the Department of History (consult the department for further information).

Students who transfer to UCSB from another campus of the University of California where the American History and Institutions requirement was considered satisfied will automatically fulfill the requirement at UCSB. International students on a nonimmigrant visa may request a waiver of this requirement by emailing the Letters and Science international student advisors at intl_students@ltsc.ucsb.edu.

Candidates for a bachelor’s degree must be registered in the university for at least three terms to fulfill the university’s academic residence requirement. A term is a regular quarter or summer session in which a student completes six or more units as a registered UCSB student. Each UC summer session in which a student completes at least two units, but fewer than six units, is the equivalent of half of a term’s residence. (In this context, summer session refers to the entire summer, not to each mini-session.)

Also, a student must complete at least 35 of the final 45 units in the college or school in which the degree is to be awarded.

Coursework completed elsewhere does not apply to academic residence. Courses taken in the University’s Education Abroad Program as well as courses taken at another UC campus and online courses from another UC campus cannot be used to satisfy academic residency requirements. In addition, UCSB coursework completed through Intersegmental Cross Enrollment does not apply to academic residence. Courses, including UCSB courses, taken via UC Extension cannot be used to satisfy residence requirements.
 

With one modification, students who participate in the University of California Education Abroad program, UCDC program, or UC Center in Sacramento program are responsible for all academic residence requirements as explained above. For students who participate in EAP, UCDC, or the UC Center in Sacramento program as seniors, the rule requiring 35 of the final 45 units in the college or school in which the degree is to be awarded is modified to 35 of the final 90 units. Students must secure prior approval to use this modification and may graduate without returning to UCSB provided that they have satisfied all degree requirements by the end of their year abroad. Those who have any remaining degree requirements must return to UCSB to complete a minimum of 12 units on campus while fulfilling final degree requirements.

At the time of graduation, students in the College of Letters and Science must have at least a 2.0 (C) grade-point average in: 

• All courses undertaken in the University of California except those graded passed/not passed 
• All UC courses required for the student’s overall major program, both lower and upper-division 
• All UC courses required for the student’s upper-division major program

Courses undertaken at any of the UC campuses in regular session or summer session, except for those that appear exclusively on a UC Extension transcript, are included in these grade-point average computations. UCSB courses completed by concurrent enrollment through Extension will be added to students’ UCSB transcripts and integrated into the UC grade-point average if degree credit is approved. Courses graded Incomplete, except those taken on a passed/not passed basis, will be included as F grades in final computations. See Grades section for details about grades available at UCSB.