Earning your bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara is an exciting journey, and we're here to help you succeed. As a Letters & Science student, you’ll fulfill requirements in four key areas:
- Unit Requirements
- L&S General Education Requirements
- University Requirements
- Major Requirements
Each category plays a vital role in shaping your education and preparing you for a successful future. Be sure to explore the details below and connect with a Letters & Science Advisor and Department Advisors to stay on track.
Download the LASAR!
The following information is a summary of the Letters and Science Academic Requirements (LASAR) publication.
For detailed information, we encourage students to download and review the LASAR.
180-184 Unit
Requirement
Students must complete a total 180 quarter units (184 units if General Education Area B: Foreign Language Requirement is fulfilled by completing a level 3 course at UCSB at another college or university), including 60 upper-division units. This includes any credits earned from AP exams or other institutions. UCSB accepts a maximum of 105 quarter units, or 70 semester units, of lower-division units from any non-UC institution (including Community Colleges, Cal States, private schools, out-of-state institutions, etc.)
Note: UCSB courses numbered 1-99 are lower-division, while those numbered 100-199 are upper-division.
University Requirements
University degree requirements include the following:
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University of California Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
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American History and Institutions (AMH) requirement
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Academic residence requirement
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Grade-point average requirement (GPA)
Letters & Science General Education Requirements
The College of Letters and Sciences General Education Program has two types of requirements:
- General Subject (Areas A-G)
- Special Subject Areas:
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Writing Requirement (WRT)
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European Traditions (EUR)
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World Cultures (NWC)
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Quantitative Relationships (QNT)
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Ethnicity Requirement Course List (ETH)
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Click on the links below to read more about the learning outcomes of each requirement. Students can search for courses that fulfill specific requirements on the UCSB Catalog or by using the Advanced Search on GOLD and selecting an "Area" at the bottom. Always check Course Info on GOLD for the most up-to-date course information each quarter.
General Subject (Areas A-G) Special Subject Areas
The number of GEs required depends on the degree you choose.
L&S offers four degrees: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music. Explore the requirements of each using the link below.
Major Requirements
Each Major within the College of Letters & Sciences has specific requirements for completing their degree program. For information about Major Requirements, use the link to explore department websites. We recommend contacting the Major department directly for advising.
Pro Tip: "Work smarter, not harder."
Use these tools to find courses that can satisfy more than one requirement!
Some courses can fulfill multiple requirements. Use the lists here or the Course Info tab on GOLD to see which areas one course satisfies. Remember, a course can not satisfy multiple Area A-G requirements; however, you can find courses that satisfy University + General Subject Area (Area A-G) + Special Subject + Major Requirements!
Note: The PDF course lists provided include courses that have been approved for general education requirements through the previous academic year and not approvals made during the current year. The "Course Info" in GOLD should include the most recent changes.
Area A: English Reading and Composition
- A1: Writing 2, 2E.
- A2: English 10, 10AC, 10EM, 10LC; Writing 50, 50E, 105AA-ZZ, 107AA-ZZ, 109AA-ZZ.
Area B: Foreign Language
Area C: Science, Mathematics, and Technology
- Search UCSB Catalog for Course List.
- View the PDF list of Area C courses (including IGETC categories for students with Partial IGETC certification).
Area D: Social Sciences
Area E: Culture and Thought
Area F: Arts
Area G: Literature
Note: The PDF course lists provided include courses that have been approved for general education requirements through the previous academic year and not approvals made during the current year. The "Course Info" in GOLD should include the most recent changes.
Writing Requirement (WRT)
European Traditions (EUR)
World Cultures (NWC)
Quantitative Relationships (QNT):
Ethnicity
Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
If ELWR is not satisfied before enrollment at UCSB, Students will need to complete UCSB's Collaborative Writing Placement (CWP) to be placed in the appropriate writing course.
American History and Institutions (AMH)
Reminder, AMH is a UC-wide requirement rather than specifically a UCSB General Education requirement. AMH courses may also count toward General Subject and Special Subject requirements.
Note: The PDF course lists provided include courses that have been approved for general education requirements through the previous academic year and not approvals made during the current year. The "Course Info" in GOLD should include the most recent changes.
Degree Requirements FAQs
For General Subject Area requirements (A-G), only courses that appear on the lists of approved courses can satisfy those requirements. There is no possibility of petitioning UCSB courses that do not appear on the lists for GE credit.
UCSB courses can also not be petitioned to satisfy the Special Subject Area requirements or University requirements (Ethnicity, World Cultures, European Traditions, Quantitative Relations, and American History and Institutions).
The only GE area that UCSB courses can be petitioned to fulfill is the Writing Requirement. Up to two courses not listed as satisfying the Writing Requirement, by petition, may be applied to the six maximum Writing Requirement courses required. You can find more information on the Writing Requirement petition on the petitions page.
Although some courses appear on more than one list, individual courses can only satisfy one of the General Subject Areas (A-G) at a time.
However, courses can satisfy both a General Subject Area and one or more Special Subject Areas at the same time. For example, a course like Art History 6C may fulfill the General Subject Area E or Area F requirement and also fulfill the European Traditions (EUR) and a Writing (WRT) requirement. You may also search the course lists above to find courses in each area.
GE courses can change yearly. The UCSB Senate can approve and/or remove courses from the GE list from year to year. Check the current year's list in the General Catalog. If you take a course that is removed later, it will still satisfy the requirement if approved while you were enrolled in the course.
If you have not fully completed your previous UC’s Breadth/GE program requirements before you enroll at UCSB, you will need to complete UCSB’s General Education Program. You will receive UCSB GE credit where appropriate for individual courses taken at the other school, but you will most likely need additional courses to satisfy UCSB’s General Education requirements.
You can use the Progress tab and select “Running a Progress Check” on GOLD, to determine which General Subject Area and Special Subject Area requirements you have left to complete.
A course can satisfy both a General Education requirement and a requirement for your major or pre-major. However, keep in mind it must be taken for a letter grade if it is to be counted towards your major.
You can use the lists above to determine what courses may apply to specific GE requirements.
Additionally, you can use the search tool on GOLD to find courses that satisfy GE requirements. Using the Advanced Search tool on GOLD can help you find courses applicable to specific areas. Filter by the relevant General Subject Area A-G or by Special Subject Area code:
- Writing Requirement (WRT)
- European Traditions (EUR)
- World Cultures (NWC)
- Quantitative Relationships (QNT)
- Ethnicity Requirement Course List (ETH)