Click here for Transfer Student FAQs.
Being a transfer student can be overwhelming at times. We encourage you to take advantage of the resources that the Department of Communication and College & Letters and Science have to offer you. Take control of your education by being responsible for the Major Requirements and General University Requirements you must fulfill. The following are some resources and helpful hints from the Communication Department to ensure your transition is as smooth as possible.
It is not a good idea to take Comm 1 and 88, or 88 and 89 together in the same quarter, even though they may be offered in the same quarter.
It is a good idea to take Comm 87, statistics, (or an equivalent course such as PSTAT 5A) as soon as you can (if you have not taken an equivalent course at your previous school). This is suggested because of the likelihood that your math skills will be sharper the closer you are to when you finished high school. Tutors are available at CLAS (Campus Learning Assistance Services) for some of UCSB's statistics courses.
You must earn a C- or below to have the opportunity to repeat a course. Please see the University Repeat Policy listed on the General Catalog.
You may NOT take upper-division Communication courses during the regular academic year (Fall, Winter, Spring) if you have not completed the four required lower-division Communication courses, or transferable equivalents. You must be successfully admitted to the full Communication major to start your upper-division course work. There are no exceptions to this rule during the regular academic year.
During summer session, any student with a minimum of sophomore standing may take upper-division Communication courses, except those numbered 174 and above. Keep in mind that regardless of the number of upper-division Communication courses completed during summer session, you will not be admitted to the full Communication major without successful completion of pre-major requirements.
So, what other courses do you take while you're finishing up your lower-division Communication courses? You have a couple of options. You can take upper-division courses outside the Communication department major (see below for restrictions), or if you are looking into a minor or double major, you can go to the department you are interested in to see if you can begin taking courses that will count toward that major or minor.
You MAY take upper-division courses outside of the Communication major if you have upper division standing (JR or SR; check GOLD for your class standing). However, you must meet the prerequisites and any special requirements outlined in the Schedule of Classes and General Catalog for those courses. Check the current information for upper-division courses before you register.
Never underestimate office hours! It may be advantageous for you to check in with your professors and T.A.s at the beginning of the quarter to let them know that you are a transfer student, and are adjusting to a new campus and UCSB student life.
Communication Department Requirements Checklist
If you have taken courses at another institution (either 2-year or 4-year) that you've been told by our office will apply towards your Communication lower-division prerequisite courses (1, 87, 88, 89), you need to fill out a Petition for Degree Requirements with our department. Do this as soon as your Major Progress Check is available to avoid delays when you are eligible to declare full major.
In order to be admitted into the Communication major, you must earn a minimum 3.00 UC-GPA average (B average, plusses and minuses do count) in the four lower-division Communication courses. If you have taken equivalent courses to any of the lower-division courses at a different college or university, those grades do not factor into pre-major GPA. So, for example, if you took courses at a Community College that were equivalent to Comm 1 and Comm 87, you need to earn a 3.00 GPA across Comm 88 and Comm 89 at UCSB to be admitted into the major.
You may NOT take any of your lower- or upper-division Communication courses Pass/No Pass at UCSB. You must take them for a letter grade. This also applies to any courses you wish to apply to the major (i.e. Pstat 5A or Pstat 5LS for Comm 87, Psy 102 for upper-division units, or any other upper division, including those taken while abroad).
Transfer students are officially admitted to the Pre-Communication major. The change from Pre-Communication to Communication is not automatic, even if you have already completed and will transfer in with all four pre-major courses. You must submit a Change of Major form to declare your major as Communication. Please note it can take up to two weeks for our change of major paperwork to be processed, so please plan accordingly. Your major status on GOLD must say COMM in order to register for upper-division Communication courses (only exception is in summer session).
When you first begin courses at UCSB, print out a copy of your New Student Profile from GOLD. This will tell you where you stand at UCSB with your General Education Requirements and your IGETC certification.
You must complete 60 upper-division quarter units to graduate from UCSB. In order to graduate with a degree in Communication, you must complete at least 40 of these units in Communication (10 courses, 4 units each). The 20 remaining units may be taken inside or outside of the Communication department.
Please print out this useful worksheet to help you figure out how many units you need to complete at UCSB and in which areas to graduate: Unit Flow Chart.
In order to help you plan the rest of your classes at UCSB, use this sheet: Four-Year Plan (start with Junior year).
If you are thinking about becoming a double major, talk to the Peer or Undergraduate Advisor in both the Comm and other department to fill out a Memo of Understanding for Double Majors. Note: This form is due at the time you submit your Change of Major form.