Graduate Education at UCSB
Academic Affairs, (805) 893-2559
Outreach, Admissions, and Retention
(805) 893-2278 or 893-4656 (Admissions)
(805) 893-3803 (Outreach and Retention)
Dean: Charles N. Li
Associate Dean: Diane M. Mackie
Recently ranked the second top public research university in the nation, nearly half of UCSB's academic departments and programs are ranked among the top twenty in the United States based on one or more indicators. Supplementing the intellectual resources in UCSB's degree-granting departments are the numerous national research centers, Organized Research Units (ORUs), and affiliated academic units headquartered on the UCSB campus. Examples include the Center for Quantized Electronic Structures (QUEST), the David Simonett Center for Spatial Analysis, the Institute for Computational Earth System Science (ICESS), the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research, the Center for Black Studies, and the Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Students who come to UCSB for graduate study will find unique opportunities for interdisciplinary research, strong funding for student support, and quality laboratories and libraries. Graduate departments are large enough to offer both research and undergraduate teaching experience as part of their graduate programs, yet small enough to provide a sense of community in which faculty mentor students individually. This balance enhances theoretical learning, technical training, and independent inquiry.
The Graduate Division has three sections: Outreach, Admissions, and Retention; Academic Services; and Financial Support. Outreach, Admissions, and Retention facilitates the recruitment, admission, and enrollment of highly qualified and diverse student applicants, and provides supportive services, special events and programs for the development and retention of enrolled graduate students. Academic Services responds to student problems, monitors and encourages the progress of students toward degree completion, enforces academic standards, and processes student petitions. Financial Support administers fellowship and loan programs, maintains an extramural funding database and certifies student eligibility for academic apprentice appointments. All are involved in the recruitment, admission, and retention of a diverse and highly qualified graduate student population.
In collaboration with other campus organizations, the Graduate Division also sponsors an annual series of special programs for graduate students, such as dissertation support groups, research colloquia and workshops on such topics as grant proposal development and professional career planning.
UCSB offers admission to those applicants who have the highest potential for graduate study and who are most likely to contribute substantially to their academic or professional fields through teaching, research, or professional practice. In recognition of the value of a diverse range of ideas and experiences in the learning process as well as in the professional world, the University remains committed to the recruitment, admission, and retention of a diverse graduate student population. UCSB encourages applications from students who have overcome economic or social disadvantage in pursuing their academic objectives and those who bring perspectives, research topics, or career interests that advance the University's goals of excellence and diversity. Among our goals is achieving a student population of men and women reflective of the population at large, inclusive of those traditionally underrepresented in various academic fields and all socioeconomic levels, physical abilities, ages, religions, national origins, sexual orientations, and other attributes.
To be considered for admission to UCSB, applicants must have received a bachelor's degree or its equivalent (with an upper-division grade point average of 3.0 or better) from an accredited university prior to the quarter for which admission is sought. Applications are available in UCSB's Graduate Division or any of its academic departments. Students may apply on-line through the Graduate Division's web site at http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu (will open in a new browser window).
A completed application includes:
All domestic applicants must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of the application process.
Admission decisions are based on the quality of the applicant's academic degrees and record, as presented in the application and supporting documents. Also contributing to the decision are evidence of preparation in the proposed field of study, work experience, and the degree to which the individual's goals and research interests are consistent with those of the academic program and its faculty.
When application packages are complete, they are submitted to faculty committees for review, following which recommendations of admission or denial are communicated to the Graduate Division. Due to the large number of applications received, many well-qualified applicants cannot be admitted.
The application deadline to be considered for most fellowship competitions is January 15, with many departments having earlier deadlines. The standard application deadlines are May 1 (Fall), November 1 (Winter), and February 1 (Spring), but it is important to consult the application and departmental sources for variations. For further details, please consult your prospective department, the Graduate Application, or the Graduate Division web site at http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu (will open in a new browser window). The completed application and all supporting materials must be received by 4 p.m. on the given date, or they will not be processed. Deadlines falling on a weekend or national holiday will be extended to the next working day.
Deadlines and specific admission requirements, which may vary by department, are summarized in the application packet as well as in subsequent chapters of this catalog. Further detail may be available in discipline-specific brochures distributed by departments.
English language requirements for nonnative speakers. All students whose native language is not English must demonstrate competence in English, before admission, by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Exceptions to the TOEFL requirement are made for applicants who will have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited university in the United States by the time of enrollment. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required for graduate admission, with some departments requiring a higher score. Applicants must make arrangements to take the TOEFL directly with the Educational Testing Service at P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, N.J. 08541-6151. UCSB's TOEFL institutional code is 4835.
Once admitted, nonnative speakers of English must meet proficiency requirements in spoken and written English before they will be awarded a degree at UCSB. Such requirements are met through successful completion of the English Language Placement Examination (ELPE), and, if necessary, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. At the beginning of their first quarter of registration at UCSB, nonnative speakers of English-including both international students and permanent residents-are required to take both the written and oral portions of the ELPE. Based upon the results of this exam, students will be either placed in or exempted from ESL courses. Students for whom the TOEFL requirement has been waived (after receiving a U.S. degree) may still be required to take the ELPE. Students visiting UCSB under the Education Abroad Program and non-degree reciprocity status are exempt from taking the ELPE; if they later petition for admission to a graduate program to seek a master's degree or doctorate, they must take the ELPE at that time. If EAP or non-degree reciprocity status students wish to take an ESL course they must first take the ELPE for placement purposes.
Teaching Assistant language evaluations. All international students and permanent residents for whom English is not the native language are required to have their spoken English evaluated before they can be certified for classroom or laboratory teaching responsibilities. Prospective TAs who do not pass the TA language evaluation on their first attempt are required to take ESL classes before they can be reevaluated. TA language evaluations are conducted jointly by the academic departments, the ESL Program, and Graduate Division.
Degree titles are posted on transcripts and diplomas for
the eight graduate degrees conferred at UCSB:
Some departments offer emphases within degree objectives. An emphasis is a formally approved sub-component of a degree program; it is noted on the student's transcript but does not appear on the diploma.
Use of the terms specialization or area of study indicates that several faculty are working in a particular area, or that the department offers a cluster of related courses. Specializations do not appear on transcripts or diplomas.
Academic residence. Students in master's programs must spend a minimum of three quarters in residence at UCSB, of which at least one quarter must be a regular session (fall, winter, or spring quarter). Two UCSB summer sessions of full-time work are equivalent to one quarter of residence for students working on a master's degree. Students in doctoral programs must spend at least six regular academic quarters in residence on the UCSB campus. Three consecutive quarters of this residence must be completed in regular session before advancement to candidacy. Summer sessions do not count toward fulfillment of the academic residence requirement for doctoral students.
Language and methodology requirements. Academic departments set language and methodology requirements for their fields; students should consult the academic department for details.
Standards of scholarship. Only upper-division and graduate courses in which a student earns grades of A, B, C, or S may be applied toward the unit requirements for graduate degrees. In courses specifically required for a program-often called core courses-grades of A or B must be earned for the course to count toward degree requirements. Neither lower-division courses numbered 1-99 nor undergraduate independent study courses numbered 198-199 count toward unit requirements for graduate degrees.
Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 to remain in graduate status. Students with less than a 3.0 grade-point average will either be placed on academic probation or dismissed from graduate status by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation by the students' academic department. Graduate students carrying more than 12 units of Incompletes and/or No Grades may be placed on academic probation and become subject to dismissal for failing to make timely progress toward degree completion. Note: Additional standards of scholarship that apply to doctoral degree students are described below.
Degree deadlines and normative time. The UCSB Graduate Council has set maximum time limits for degree completion to ensure that students make timely progress toward completion of their degree objectives. Graduate Council is concerned that graduate degrees are granted only to students who are current in the scholarship of their chosen field. Students who are not making adequate progress toward degree completion in terms of the standards presented below may be dismissed upon the recommendation of their departments. Academic departments may set time limits in addition to the minimum standards described below.
Graduate Council has set four years as the time limit for completion of master's degrees at UCSB. The time limit for completion of a doctoral degree is seven years from the time of admission to and enrollment in a doctoral program. A student's first quarter in a doctoral program is defined as one in which the degree objective of Ph.D. or D.M.A. reflected on records maintained by the Office of the Registrar. In addition, doctoral students admitted fall 1995 or later are required to advance to candidacy for the doctorate within four years of admission to and enrollment in a doctoral program. A student who exceeds one of these time limits must petition for an extension. A petition for an extension of a degree deadline must be accompanied by departmental certification that the student is current in the literature and research of the discipline.
Graduate Council's degree deadlines are distinct from normative time, which is the number of years considered to be reasonable by the faculty of the department for completion of a doctorate by a full-time student in that program. Normative time, which varies by department, is measured from the time a student begins graduate studies at UCSB. (See accompanying table for the normative time established in each department.)
Enrollment Requirements. Continuous registration is required of all graduate students; the normal courseload for graduate students is twelve units per quarter. Graduate students must enroll in at least eight units to be appointed as graduate student researchers or as teaching assistants, to receive fellowships and most forms of financial aid, and to be eligible for campus and extramural benefits and services (University Housing, Student Health Service, etc.).
There is no part-time status for graduate students at UCSB, nor are there reduced fees for a reduced courseload. Most lending agencies demand repayment of loans if a student is not registered or is carrying less than a normal courseload. The Immigration and Naturalization Service requires international students to be engaged in a full course of study while at UCSB.
Graduate students who fail to register lose all status as students, including access to the privileges outlined above. Students who wish to return to registered status must apply for reinstatement or readmission and, when applicable, for readvancement to candidacy. Students who failed to register for six or fewer quarters may petition for reinstatement; students who failed to register more than six quarters must apply for readmission. Neither reinstatement nor readmission is automatic; both are subject to the approval of the academic department and Graduate Division.
Leaves of absence. Under certain circumstances, students may petition for a leave of absence that must be approved by the student's department and Graduate Division. There are six categories of leave: 1) leave for medical emergencies (doctor's note required); 2) leave for pregnancy/parenting needs during the first 12 months after the child's birth or placement in the home (doctor's note or verification from placement agency); 3) leave to deal with emergencies in the immediate family (explanation of circumstances required); 4) military leave for students required to engage in military service (documentation of call to duty required); 5) Research Leave for students who will be away from the campus conducting research and not using faculty time or University resources (faculty verification required); 6) A Filing Fee Quarter of Leave for students who intend to file the thesis or dissertation the quarter of the leave request (faculty verification required.
Off-campus employment, lack of funds, exam preparation, or taking time off from school for personal reasons do not warrant leaves of absence. Students who do not register and who do not have a leave of absence must seek reinstatement if they wish to return to graduate standing. Graduate students studying outside the state of California for a quarter or more are encouraged to consider registering in absentia, which entitles them to a one-half reduction of the registration fee and allows them to maintain continuous registration.
Medical, parenting, family emergency, or military leaves are usually granted on a quarter-by-quarter basis, with a maximum of three quarters during the student's career. Quarters of Research Leave and Filing Fee Quarters of Leave are counted separately.
Graduate students who are granted leave are not eligible for either teaching assistant or graduate student researcher positions or for campus fellowships or financial aid. A leave of absence is no substitute for registered status in the eyes of lending agencies.
Transfer of credit. Credit for upper-division and graduate courses may be transferred to UCSB only if the student was enrolled in a graduate program when the courses were completed and they have not been applied toward a degree already awarded. Graduate students must complete one quarter of residency at UCSB before they can petition to transfer units earned elsewhere. With the permission of Graduate Division and the academic department, up to eight quarter-units of credit for courses completed with a B or better from an accredited college other than another University of California campus may be transferred as upper-division credit toward a graduate degree. Up to twelve quarter-units may be transferred from another UC campus. Transferred units will be treated as Passed/Not Passed and will not be counted in calculating the grade-point average at UCSB.
No transfer credit is allowed for any course taken as an undergraduate. No courses taken during UCSB Summer Session will apply toward a graduate degree or teaching credential unless admission to graduate standing at UCSB was effective in the summer or in a previous quarter. Ordinarily, no credit is allowed toward an advanced degree for units taken while in non-degree status.
Students who had formally applied to a UCSB graduate degree program at the time they completed coursework through UC Extension's Concurrent Enrollment may transfer up to 12 units of credit to their graduate program if admitted. Students must petition their academic department and Graduate Division for approval. Units taken through concurrent enrollment prior to filing an application cannot be transferred.
Graduate students may not take courses through concurrent enrollment which can be completed through regular enrollment at UCSB. If such courses are taken, no unit credit will be counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements set by the UCSB Graduate Council.
Graduate students must receive permission from Graduate Division to take "special" Extension course offerings-i.e., coursework other than concurrent enrollment courses. Consult the Graduate Division for a petition and further information.
Since departments are normally interested in the competencies attained in previous coursework rather than in unit credit, students should consult their academic departments and the Graduate Division to determine if a transfer of units is necessary.
Final degree requirements. A graduate degree cannot be awarded until the student has fulfilled all Graduate Council and departmental degree requirements, as determined by degree checks conducted by the student's academic department and the Graduate Division. The student is responsible for remedying any deficiencies found during a final degree check.
Filing fee. All students must be in a fee relationship with the University the quarter their degree is awarded-i.e., they are either registered or pay a filing fee. The filing fee is a reduced fee paid instead of full registration fees the quarter a student is completing the last requirement for a degree. Payment of the filing fee does not entitle the student to any of the privileges and services that accompany full registration, except for filing. Doctoral degree candidates may use it to file the dissertation. Because paying the filing fee terminates graduate status, it may be used only by terminal master's degree students who have finished all requirements with the exception of the comprehensive exam or filing the thesis.
Changes in degree requirements. As research or new knowledge develops, departmental requirements may change. Departments may ask students to accept additional or new requirements. In general, a student follows the departmental degree requirements set forth at the time of the student's admission. If requirements change, the student is usually given the option of continuing under the original requirements or changing to the revised curriculum.
Degree Plans. The master's degree may be obtained in one of two ways: Plan 1 requires a thesis; Plan 2 requires a comprehensive examination. Departments may offer one or both of these plans. Students in either plan must satisfy all departmental and UCSB Graduate Council requirements. The study plan of every master's student must be approved by the department.
Plan 1 (thesis). In addition to the submission of an acceptable thesis, this plan requires completion of a minimum of 30 units of upper-division and graduate coursework, of which at least 20 units must be at the graduate level (excluding courses numbered 597 or 598, units for teaching assistant duties or training, or service as a graduate student researcher). A maximum of 10 units of the required 20 graduate units may be in 596 coursework. Some departments also require completion of an examination at the conclusion of coursework.
A master's thesis committee consists of a minimum of three tenure-track faculty members (also called ladder faculty), at least two of whom must be from the student's major department. Some departments may require more than three ladder faculty on thesis committees, including a faculty member from another discipline. The chair of this committee advises the student on a course of study and usually directs the thesis research. The committee is nominated by the department chair in consultation with the student and approved by the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean will consider written requests for exceptions to thesis committee policy from departments. All committee members must approve the thesis.
The thesis must be presented in a form acceptable to the UCSB Library and meet the filing requirements of the Graduate Division. For details, see the Graduate Division publication, Guidelines for the Preparation and Filing of Theses and Dissertations at UCSB. The student is also responsible for fulfilling disciplinary norms and requirements affecting content of theses.
Plan 2 (comprehensive examination). In addition to the successful completion of comprehensive examinations, this plan requires completion of a minimum of 36 units of upper-division and graduate coursework, of which at least 24 units must be at the graduate level (excluding courses numbered 597 or 598, units for teaching assistant duties or training, or service as a graduate student researcher). A maximum of 12 units of the required 24 graduate units may be in 596 coursework.
Master's degree comprehensive examination committees normally consist of at least three faculty members. In some departments the chair appoints one committee for all candidates taking examinations in a given quarter.
Doctoral committees. A doctoral committee consists of a minimum of three tenure-track faculty in the student's major department; additional members from the department or from other disciplines may be added either to meet departmental requirements for additional members or at the student's discretion. In some departments, the same committee conducts qualifying examinations and supervises work on the dissertation; in other departments separate committees are nominated. It is not unusual for doctoral committee membership to change during the course of a student's work on the doctorate.
The doctoral committee is nominated by the department chair in consultation with the student and approved by the Graduate Dean. The chair of the committee advises the student on a course of study leading to the qualifying examinations and usually serves as director of the student's dissertation research. The Graduate Dean will consider written requests for exceptions.
Qualifying examinations and advancement to candidacy. All doctoral students are required to officially advance to candidacy for the doctorate. In order to officially advance to doctoral candidacy, students must satisfy all course and residence requirements; fulfill foreign language and/or methodology requirements set by the academic department; pass departmental preliminary and screening examinations; pass oral qualifying examinations administered by the student's doctoral committee (as well as written qualifying examinations in some departments); and pay an advancement to candidacy fee of $50 at the Graduate Division. Students admitted for fall quarter 1995 or later must advance to candidacy within four years of admission or be subject to dismissal.
In a few departments, students may petition for the award of the candidate in philosophy (C.Phil.) degree at the time they advance for the Ph.D. Students must petition the Graduate Division for award of the C.Phil. within one year of passing their oral qualifying examination. The C.Phil. degree certifies that a student has completed all doctoral requirements except for the dissertation. The C.Phil. degree is awarded only to Ph.D. candidates on recommendation of departmental faculty in those departments which have elected and been approved by the Graduate Council to award the C.Phil. degree. No applicant will be admitted with a final degree objective of C.Phil.
Additional standards of scholarship. In addition to the basic standards of scholarship detailed above, doctoral students who cannot develop a satisfactory dissertation research proposal or form a faculty committee of three members to supervise the dissertation research are subject to dismissal from graduate standing for failure to make satisfactory progress toward the degree.
Doctoral students are required to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner. As noted above, doctoral students have four years from beginning a doctoral program to officially advance to doctoral candidacy and seven years to complete the doctorate. Academic departments may set time limits for completion in addition to the minimum standards established by the UCSB Graduate Council. Students may be recommended for dismissal by their respective departments if they do not make timely progress toward degree completion.
Dissertation and filing requirements. The doctoral dissertation must be the result of original research in the field of the candidate's specialization. The candidate's doctoral committee determines the acceptability of the dissertation; all members of the committee must approve the dissertation. Departments may require a defense of the dissertation, or waive the defense if appropriate.
The dissertation must be presented in a form acceptable to the UCSB Library and meet the filing requirements of the Graduate Division. For details, see the Graduate Division publication Guidelines for the Preparation and Filing of Theses and Dissertations at UCSB. The student is also responsible for fulfilling disciplinary norms and requirements affecting content of dissertations. Ph.D. degree candidates must complete a Permission to Microfilm form, the UCSB Survey of Doctoral Degree recipients, and a Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) questionnaire available at the Graduate Division. The Graduate Council requires that dissertations be microfilmed by University Microfilms International to allow for the widest possible dissemination of knowledge. The Survey of Earned Doctorates, conducted by the National Research Council, provides nationwide information on all Ph.D. recipients, their fields, their career plans and other pertinent data.
The Postgraduate Study program is designed for individuals who have completed their first university degree or have equivalent experience. The program provides an opportunity for individuals to select a course of study in one of over 50 master's programs and 35 doctoral programs available at UCSB. Participants in the Postgraduate Study program gain technical, educational, and professional expertise for career advancement while working closely with the University's world-class faculty in state-of-the-art facilities. To be selected, individuals must meet minimum requirements and be able to demonstrate evidence of language ability in English (usually through required test scores in TOEFL, Michigan Test, TOEIC, or Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English).
Information on the Postgraduate Study program and program applications are available at the International Programs office, 320 Storke Road, Goleta, CA 93117. Telephone: (805) 893-8383. Facsimile: (805) 893-8427. E-mail: intlprog@xlrn.ucsb.edu. Web site: http://www.ip.ucsb.edu (will open in a new browser window).
All domestic graduate students at UCSB are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the March 2 deadline to be considered for most of the student support funds. The FAFSA is used to compile a "need analysis" which is used in the determination of all financial support packages. The Graduate Division frequently uses University need-based moneys to fund merit-based awards.
Some fellowships are restricted to doctoral or MFA candidates, whereas others are awarded to both master's and doctoral students. Some fellowships are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, whereas others are available to international students as well. A complete list of fellowships for both new and continuing students, along with a description of each support package, is available on the Graduate Division's web site at http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu (will open a new browser window) under the Financial Support heading.
In addition to the centrally administered fellowships, academic departments have their own funds available that they may use to recruit excellent new students, and support continuing students. Departmental fellowship support can be in the form of fee waivers, nonresident tuition waivers, and stipends. Students should consult their academic department for additional information.
Incoming students indicate on the application for admission whether or not they are interested in being considered for fellowship support. All candidates for centrally administered fellowships must complete the Application for Financial Support, which is included as part of the materials in the application for admission.
All candidates are nominated directly by the academic
department. Departments may nominate up to five candidates for each fellowship.
A multi-disciplinary faculty committee makes awards. The award committees
look at the departmental ranking of each nominated candidate, GPA, GRE
scores, letters of recommend-
ation, and each candidate's statement of purpose. All
fellowship awards are very competitive.
To be eligible for fellowship awards, students must have filed their application for admission, all supporting documents, and the FAFSA by the stated deadline for their department.
Fellowships for Continuing Students
UCSB offers a variety of fellowships to continuing students in an effort to provide support at the various stages of a graduate education. Students may apply directly for some of these awards, while departments must nominate their students for others. To be eligible for these fellowships, students must be registered and in good academic standing for at least three quarters in their graduate program at UCSB.
Multi-disciplinary faculty committees select award recipients. Committee members will review several measures of academic success and merit such as: letters of recommendation; UC GPA; timely progress toward the degree; evidence of scholarly production such as publication of original research in scholarly journals, presentation of research at scholarly meetings, or musical performance in public settings. All award selection processes are very competitive. Students are encouraged to apply for all fellowships for which they are eligible.
Many part-time University staff positions are also available on campus. Jobs are listed at the University's Counseling and Career Services Office and at the Human Resources Office. The Financial Aid Office has information regarding work-study positions. Graduate students may work up to fifty percent time during the academic year in University positions.
Also available for students' use is Table 4B in the reference section on the first floor of the Davidson Library. This table provides a variety of directories describing sources of funding and research opportunities including fellowships, grants, internships and jobs, and useful references on proposal and resume preparation.
For information on any aspect of graduate student support,
contact the Graduate Financial Support Section in the UCSB Graduate Division,
Cheadle Hall 3117, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-2070; or call (805) 893-8344
or (805) 893-2710.