Catalog Years
Other Pages In Enrollment
Official degree and major requirements are listed in the catalog. Undergraduate and graduate students are subject to requirements based on a particular catalog, referred to as the student’s “catalog year.” The catalog year is determined for new students as the catalog in effect at the time of their entrance to UCSB, provided there is no significant break in enrollment. It is campus policy to introduce changes in graduation requirements such that students who began their careers with UCSB before the change will not be hindered substantially in the orderly pursuit of their degrees. Changes in requirements that increase the number or distribution of courses required normally will not be applied to students with earlier catalog years, provided there is no significant break in enrollment (see below). For undergraduate and graduate students, the catalog year for university and general education requirements is set as noted above. The catalog year for major requirements is determined by the quarter the major or pre-major is declared, provided there is no significant break in enrollment. Students must petition if they wish to follow a subsequent set of requirements.
Students transferring from other institutions may elect either (1) those major requirements in effect at the time of transfer to UCSB; or (2) those in effect up to two years prior to matriculation, provided that their transcripts from earlier schools indicate commitment to the major within that period and that they have adequate preparation for upper-division coursework.
Breaks in Enrollment
Effective for undergraduate students admitted fall 1997 or later, students who interrupt their studies at UCSB with one or more breaks totaling nine quarters or more (excluding summer session) will be required to follow a newer catalog year than that of their initial admission. A withdrawal term will be considered as a break in enrollment and will be subject to the nine-quarter limit. Upon their return, students who leave the University will normally be required to fulfill requirements as listed in the catalog published no earlier than three years prior to their final return. They must follow the same catalog year for all degree requirements, including: