Transfer Credit Guidelines

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, e.g. WASC.

• The course(s) you complete must not duplicate any coursework you have already completed at UCSB or any other collegiate institution. In some cases, courses may partially overlap with ones you have already completed. In such situations, only partial credit will be awarded.
• 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.
• Professional development, recreational, and graduate-level courses cannot be applied to an undergraduate degree.
• 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, wine tasting)

Concurrent Enrollment: Students enrolling in a course simultaneous to UCSB enrollment do not need a concurrent enrollment petition as long as they are in good academic standing (as determined by the student’s College). Students who are not in good standing must obtain an approved Concurrent Enrollment Petition from their College prior to simultaneous enrollment in both UCSB and non-UCSB courses during the same term. Students who are not in good academic standing and do not have an approved petition on file at the time of credit review will be denied credit for their non-UCSB coursework.

UC Extension: Effective spring 2020, students taking courses through a University of California Extension program are no longer required to obtain an Extension Petition through their College. However, students are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to consult with their academic advisor prior to enrolling in UC Extension courses as extension courses taken outside of UCSB Extension do not apply towards residency calculations for graduation, nor are they factored into a student’s UC GPA.

UCSB students may enroll in UCSB Extension Concurrent Enrollment (XSB courses) provided they are not enrolled at UCSB during the term they are concurrently enrolled at UCSB Extension.

Please note that only courses numbered 1-199 at UC Extension will transfer to UCSB for degree credit. Only Concurrent Enrollment courses completed through UCSB Extension (XSB) will be calculated in your UC GPA and appear on your UCSB transcript. For more information on UC Cross-Campus Enrollment, please visit the Additional Enrollment Opportunities page. The Office of Admissions only determines if a course is transferable to UCSB; we do not determine if a course meets major, graduation, or GE requirements.

Repeating University of California Coursework: Please note that courses taken at the University of California can only be retaken within the University of California system. To receive credit you must have the appropriate repeat petition on file. Only courses graded “C-“ or lower may be repeated.

You must submit an official transcript from the institution you attended to the Office of Admissions. Official transcripts can be submitted electronically using Parchment, eSCRIP-SAFE, Credential Solutions or eTranscript CA or by physical mail. After we receive your transcript, please allow 6-8 weeks in order for this to be processed and reflected on GOLD.

Send transcripts and test scores to:

Office of Admissions
UC Santa Barbara
1210 Cheadle Hall
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-2014

Retain all notes, exams, essays and syllabi, as sometimes it is necessary to review these for course credit.

Students requesting transfer credit for coursework completed at a higher education institution in China are required to submit a CSSD (Center for Student Services and Development) verification, along with the official transcript issued by the university. These documents should be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Upon receipt of both documents, the courses will be evaluated for transferability. UCSB will not accept letters/verifications from the program or university in lieu of a CSSD verification.

Students considering enrolling in these programs should note that many English-language summer and winter intersession programs in China are administered by third-party entities in collaboration with universities in China. It is important to note that these programs are most likely not affiliated with the university’s undergraduate degree program. Given their non-affiliation, courses offered through these programs may not be recognized by the Ministry of Education and verified by CSSD. Consequently, it is unlikely that you’ll receive transfer credit for the course(s).

Please note, CSSD verification does not guarantee that transfer credit will be awarded, only that transfer credit will be considered. Transcripts received without CSSD verification will not be reviewed for transfer credit. All courses with the appropriate documentation (official transcript and CSSD verification) will be reviewed for transfer credit using UCSB’s transfer credit guidelines.

The student's responsibility for acquiring both the official transcript and CSSD verification, as UCSB cannot contact either entity on the student's behalf. Additionally, it is the student's responsibility to thoroughly research the program or university they wish to attend to ensure it meets the CSSD's verification criteria. UCSB is not responsible for decisions made by CSSD.

The Office of Admissions is unable to pre-approve any courses or programs. Transferability will be determined after we receive your official transcript and CSSD verification. In other words, you cannot have complete assurance that your coursework will transfer to UCSB.

UCSB will consider awarding credit for international programs offered in collaboration with a regionally accredited U.S. university provided the following criteria are met:

• The partnering U.S. institution must hold regional accreditation.
• Courses must be officially recorded on the U.S. institution's transcript under the university's own course listings, including department, course number and units.
• All courses posted on the transcript must also be published in the university's catalog for the academic year in which the course was completed.
• Courses must be similar in level, depth and breadth to courses offered in the UC system.
• All other transfer credit guidelines must be met.
• Courses must not duplicate courses previously completed at UCSB or any other institution.
• Transfer credit for these programs will be determined after you complete the program and submit your official transcript.

We strongly encourage students interested in earning credit during the summer to consider enrolling in a summer session at a UC campus, UCEAP, or the California Community College system.

Assist.org is an 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 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 Transferring Credit