UC Santa Barbara General Catalog

General Education Requirements

The aims of the General Education Program in the College of Engineering are to provide a body of knowledge of general intellectual value that will give the student a broad cultural base and meet the objectives of the engineering profession. An appreciation and understanding of the humanities and social sciences are important in making engineers aware of their social responsibilities and enabling them to consider related factors in the decision-making process.

Students in the College of Engineering must complete the General Education requirements in order to qualify for graduation. These requirements may be met with courses satisfactorily completed on this campus or with equivalent courses completed at another accredited college or university. Once a student has matriculated at UCSB, the writing requirement may be met only with designated UCSB courses. Descriptions of the General Education subject areas and lists of courses that satisfy these requirements can be found in the "Undergraduate Education" section of this catalog under "General Subject Area Requirements" and "Special Subject Area Requirements."  Current information regarding the general education status of courses can also be found on GOLD or in the College of Engineering General Engineering Academic Requirements (GEAR) Requirements Brochure available in the Office of Undergraduate Studies or in PDF format from the College of Engineering website: engineering.ucsb.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising/gear-publications.

Undergraduates in the College of Engineering must complete the following general subject area requirements:

• Area A - Students must enroll in Writing 2 or 2E and Writing Writing 50, 50E, 105CD, 105CW, 105M, 105PD, 105PS, 105S, 105SW, 107B, 107EP, 107G, 107J, 107L, 107M, 107T, 107WC, 109ED, 109ES, 109HP, or 109ST. Students must complete the University of California Entry Level Writing requirement before enrolling in courses that fulfill the Area A requirement of the General Education Program.
• Six courses are required from areas D, E, F, and G. At least two courses must be from Area D. At least two courses must be from Area E. At least one course must be from Area F. At least one course must be from Area G.

In the process of fulfilling the general subject area requirements, students must also fulfill the following special subject area requirements:

• Writing Requirement. Four courses designated as writing requirement classes.
• Ethnicity Requirement. One course that focuses on the history and cultural, intellectual, and social experience of racial minorities and/or other ethnic groups in the United States.  
• European Traditions or World Cultures Requirement. One course that focuses on European cultures or cultures in the European tradition or one course that focuses on world cultures.

Students should consult with the Office of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering for additional information about General Education requirements.