Admission
Admission to the University
For information on how to apply to the University, please see the UC Santa Barbara Admissions Page or apply directly online through the UC Admissions Page. For TRANSFER STUDENT information, please see this Transfer Admissions Page for requirements.
Admission to the Major
Interested students should apply directly for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science when you first apply to the University. If you’re a current UCSB student and not a CS major, or want to add CS as a double-major, the minimum requirements for the change of major application process are listed in the sections below.
The application process for CS change of major is very competitive. Each quarter we receive more applications from qualified students than we can accept. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the CS major.
Students admitted to UCSB as transfer students are only permitted to major in a College of Engineering major if they were directly admitted into that specific major when they matriculated as a transfer student. Transfer students cannot petition to change or to add an engineering major, and therefore are not eligible for the CS change of major application process.
Changing or Adding the Computer Science Major (current UCSB students)
Due to limited resources and our focus on providing the current Computer Science majors with an excellent education, changing or adding a Computer Science major at UCSB is very competitive.
We accept applications every quarter, including summer. However, due to capacity limits, we can only admit a limited number of students each term. The CS department, despite being midsized, receives the second-highest number of applicants at UCSB, after Biology. As a result, we unfortunately cannot admit every qualified student.
Therefore, we strongly advise students to stay on track with their current major while applying to the CS change of major process. No exceptions will be made for students on the basis that have fallen behind in their current major.
Minimum Requirements for Consideration
The following are the minimum requirements for consideration, including the application submission deadlines. Exceptions are rare; for University requirements such as UCSB unit minimum/maximums, exceptions may not be possible at all. There are no guarantees of acceptance throughout the process. It is the student's responsibility to meet with a CS advisor if they require further clarification about any of the requirements listed below.
Students admitted to UCSB in Fall 2022 and prior years: Students who began as admitted freshmen are expected to complete at least 30 units at UCSB before applying for a change of major and must satisfy all of the minimum requirements for the change of major application process below. Students must have exactly or less than 105 UCSB units completed by the end of the quarter in which they are applying (AP and transferable non-UC units do NOT count toward this limit).
Students admitted to UCSB in Fall 2023 and future years: Students who began as admitted freshmen are expected to complete at least 30 units at UCSB before applying for a change of major and must satisfy all of the minimum requirements for the change of major application process below. Students will not be eligible for change of major application consideration after they have completed six regular quarters (not including summer session), regardless of their expected total number of units accrued. Students may be in their last required change of major application course(s) requirement in their sixth quarter. Students who take a break from UCSB and complete courses at another institution will have those terms counted toward their completed quarter count.
- Complete these courses with a letter grade and on the first attempt:
- CMPSC 16*, CMPSC 24** and CMPSC 40 (or Math 8)**
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 for these courses. - Math 3A (or 2A), Math 3B (or 2B), Math 4A and Math 4B
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for these courses.
- CMPSC 16*, CMPSC 24** and CMPSC 40 (or Math 8)**
- Have a overall UCSB cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
- Never have been on academic probation at UCSB.
- Satisfy one of these options based on your first start quarter at UCSB:
- Students admitted to UCSB Fall 2022 or prior years: Have less than 105 UCSB units completed by the end of the quarter in which you applied.
- Students admitted to UCSB Fall 2023 and future years: Have completed no more than six regular quarters (not including one summer session) at UCSB. Students may be in their last required change of major application course(s) requirement in their sixth quarter.
- Students who take a break from UCSB and complete courses at another institution will have those terms counted toward their completed quarter count.
- Complete a study plan that demonstrates you can finish the CS degree without exceeding 200 units or 5 total years of college.
- Submit your Change of Major application by the end of Week 4 of the same quarter in which you are completing the last of the required course requirements (i.e., CS 16/24; Math 2A/3A, 2B/3B, 4A/4B; CS 40 or Math 8).
- For students completing the last of the required course requirements in a summer period, the application submission deadline is the Friday of the 4th week of July, regardless of when in the summer period the last course is being completed.
*CMPSC 8 is a prerequisite for CMPSC 16, but can be waived with an AP Computer Science A Exam score of 4 or 5
**Can take CMPSC 24 and CMPSC 40/Math 8 concurrently
Due to the overwhelming number of UCSB students applying to change their major to Computer Science, meeting the minimum requirements offers only the possibility of being reviewed for acceptance into the department, and even high-achieving students should not expect admission into the major.
When and How to Apply
All non-CS major students interested in applying, including if you are a current student in the College of Engineering, must submit their application by the end of Week 4 in the same quarter you complete your last required course. Applicants do not have the option to wait to submit their application for a future quarter - the application must be submitted for review in the same quarter you are enrolled in & finishing the last required change of major course.
Example: If you have completed CS 16, CS 24, MATH 3A, MATH 3B, MATH 4A, and MATH 4B, and are currently enrolled in your last required course (e.g., CS 40 or MATH 8), you must submit your CS Change of Major application by Friday of Week 4 of that same quarter in which you are enrolled in CS 40/Math 8.
For Summer 2024, all applications from students enrolled in the last of their minimum required courses (including students enrolled in courses in any Summer Session or at a Community College/other Institution during the summer period) and are expected to or have already completed at least 30 units at UCSB were due by the end of Week 4 of Session A, 5:00 pm Pacific Time on July 19th to cs-undergrad@ucsb.edu. Only applications received by this deadline will be considered for review. Applicants can expect to hear back with a decision from the Department within 2-3 weeks after the end of all Summer Sessions and once the grading deadline for all Summer Sessions has passed (i.e., late Sept to early October 2024).
For Fall 2024, all applications from students that are enrolled in the last of their minimum required courses, and are expected to or have already completed at least 30 units at UCSB, are due by the end of Week 4 of the quarter, 5:00 pm Pacific Time on October 25th to cs-undergrad@ucsb.edu.
The application packet consists of the Undergraduate Petition for Change of Major and the completed CS study plan worksheet. If you are applying as a potential double-major request, then you also need to include the Proposal for Double Major form.
Study plans should reflect that applicants will not have future access to CS courses while their application is pending. Students must plan to take other courses in the next immediate quarter while they await an admission decision.
Example: student has submitted their application in Fall quarter, the study plan must show that for Winter quarter they do not plan to enroll in CS courses; if admitted, student would continue in CS courses for Spring quarter.
Applicants can expect to hear back with a decision from the Department within 2-3 weeks after the end of a quarter and once final grades for the quarter are complete. This delay will mean applicants will not receive future access to CS courses for the next immediate quarter while their application status is pending. Note: Petitions which are denied are NOT eligible for appeal. You can find a GPA calculator tool here.
Change of Major Undergraduate Petition Study Plan Proposal for Double Major
Policy on Transfer Courses:
You are allowed to transfer department-approved equivalents of any of the above courses from another UC or from another accredited institution except CMPSC 24. CMPSC 24 must be taken at the UCSB campus for a student to be eligible to submit an application to Computer Science. Additionally, students must earn a B or above in any transferred course they wish to use for their change of major.
For 2-year CA community college classes, you can check Assist.org. If you see the equivalent approved there, you may take the class. Once the course is finished, have your official transcripts sent directly to the UCSB Admissions office. The Registrar's office can take up to a quarter to process transfer work. If the transfer class is a pre-requisite for another CS course at UCSB, you will need to email the CS undergrad advisor for pre-requisite clearance to enroll (which may give you access to a waitlist, but due to limited space may not guarantee enrollment into a CS course at UCSB).
NOTE: Transfer work (anything completed outside of a UC campus) will only result in completed credits. The grade does not transfer to your UCSB GPA nor will be taken into account when your application GPAs are calculated. The cumulative GPA application requirements (3.2 between CS 16, 24 and 40/Math 8; and 3.0 between Math 3A&B and 4A&B) will be calculated only from the courses completed on a UC campus.
FAQ's
Apart from other College of Engineering majors that require CS lower-division courses for their majors, there are not other majors on campus that receive a significant access advantage to CS courses due to the extremely high demand which far exceeds our course capacity limits. The demand for our courses is such that there is always a very long waitlist and the demand does not nearly meet the capacity we are able to offer any available seats to non-COE majors. We make sure COE students that need course access for their major requirements receive access first and during Pass 1 and 2 during the academic year, i.e., Fall Winter and Spring quarters. The only period in which CS lower-division courses do not have major limit registration restrictions is in Summer Sessions.
Our classes are heavily impacted, and thus, enrollment is limited due to the extremely high demand which far exceeds our course capacity limits. You can choose to take course equivalents at another 4-year institution (UC/CSU or out of state) or at a community college. To get a 4-year school’s equivalent approved, email the undergraduate advisor with the course information (website, syllabus, etc) BEFORE you enroll in it. They will inform you as to whether or not the class is considered UCSB-equivalent. For 2-year CA community college classes, check on Assist.org. If you see the equivalent approved there, you may take the class. Once the course is finished, have your official transcripts directly sent to the UCSB Admissions office. The Registrar's office can take up to a quarter to process transfer work. If the transfer class is a pre-requisite for another CS course at UCSB, you will need to email the CS undergrad advisor for pre-requisite clearance to enroll (which may give you access to a waitlist, but due to limited space may not guarantee enrollment into a CS course at UCSB).
See our Policy on Transfer courses section above for important information regarding transferred courses.
If you get less than a C the first time you take the course in CS 16, 24, 40 or Math 8 (first time for either option), or Math 3A/B and Math 4A/4B, you are ineligible to submit a change of major application. You can repeat/re-take the course for your own GPA improvement purposes, but you will not be eligible to submit an application for CS change of major consideration.
The Data Science Initiative at UCSB continues to grow and has courses specifically for L&S majors to learn coding skills that students can apply skills from toward their future career goals. Students should also make an appointment with the STEM Career Counselor in Career Services as they are an excellent resource to help you find a non-COE major to achieve your goals and/or help frame your resume/experience for engineering jobs/internships as a non-engineering major.