If you have visa status that is F-1 or J-1 and you have been issued an I-20, you are considered a degree-seeking international student.

You must speak with the Office of International Students and Scholars and an academic advisor in the College of Letters & Science. These requests are only approved under very special circumstances.
 

To discuss potential employment in the U.S., please speak with the Office of International Students and Scholars.

Yes. However, you will need to discuss visa matters with the Office of International Students and Scholars.

All students must satisfy General Education Area B, the Foreign Language requirement.  Please check the General Catalog to find different options for how this requirement can be satisfied.  You may not need to take a course here at UCSB – please consult with an academic advisor in order to evaluate the best option for you.

The General Catalog has information about how each exam will apply to degree requirements.  The Cambridge International A Level exams may have UCSB course equivalents and apply to General Education requirements. Please review the most recent LASAR for accurate and up-to-date information. 

We strongly encourage you to take a course to satisfy this requirement. However, if you find that you cannot fit a course into schedule, you may ask to waive this requirement by sending an email to intl_students@ltsc.ucsb.edu.

Many students wish to take university courses during the summer in their home countries.  It MAY be possible to earn units and satisfy requirements.  However, only the UC Santa Barbara Office of Admissions can determine if you will earn units for courses taken at other institutions. 
If you wish to take courses back home during the summer you should:

1) Ask the UCSB Office of Admissions for guidelines on the types of institutions that are acceptable.

2) Make sure the institution is recognized by the Government’s Ministry of Education.

3) Find syllabi for the courses you wish to take.

4) Meet with an academic advisor in the College to discuss if the courses can apply to GE if you are granted units by the UCSB Office of Admissions.

5) If trying to take major courses, bring the syllabus to your major department advisor to see if the course can apply to your major if you are granted units by the UCSB Office of Admissions.

Note: You will not be able to know with complete certainty whether you will receive unit credit for the courses before you enroll in them. The Office of Admissions will only review an official transcript to see if they can award units once you have finished the courses.  You will not be able to apply this coursework to requirements unless Admissions awards units.