Add a Course, Late

Purpose: To add a course during the quarter the course is offered after the add deadline (the 15th day of instruction) during a regular quarter.

Petition Instructions:

1. Contact the instructor for approval. The instructor's approval is always required to add a course late. In some situations, the department's approval is also required. Please look on GOLD under Course Information > Restrictions to see if adding the course late requires department approval.
2. Complete the petition using the link below. If the class you are petitioning has multiple sections, make sure to include the 5 digit enrollment number (found on GOLD) of the section you have approval to enroll in.
3. Upload an email from the instructor and/or department advisor that indicates you are approved to add the course late.

Note: If you are requesting a late add for an Independent Study Course (numbered 98/99/198/199/199RA), please check if you need to submit an Independent Study Exception in place of a Late Add Petition. If the exception petition is approved, the class will be added to your schedule. 

Petition Processing and Notification:  Allow 1-2 weeks to process. If the petition is approved, the course will be added to your schedule and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Submit Request Here

Add a Course, Retroactive

Purpose: To add a course to a quarter after the final day of instruction.

Petition Instructions:

Petition Processing and Notification: Allow 1-2 weeks for the college to review the petition after submitting. If the exception petition is approved, the class will be added to your schedule and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Submit Request Here

1. Contact the instructor for approval. The instructor's approval is always required to add a course retroactively. In some situations, the department's approval is also required. Please look on GOLD under Course Information > Restrictions to see if adding the course retroactively requires department approval.
2. Complete the petition using the link below. If the course you are petitioning for has multiple sections, make sure to include the 5 digit enrollment number (found on GOLD) of the section you have approval to enroll in.
3. Include a written statement in which you address the following:
   • When you began attending the course.
   • Your level of participation in the course.
   • Why you did not add the course before the end of the quarter.
4. Upload an email from the instructor and/or department advisor stating that you have been approved to add the course retroactively. If your petition is approved, follow up with the instructor to request that your grade be recorded in eGrades.

Drop a Course, Late for Academic Reasons

Purpose: To drop (or withdraw) for academic reasons from one or more, but not all, UCSB courses (excluding UCEAP or UC Online courses) in a quarter after the drop deadline on GOLD and before the last day of instruction of the quarter.

Per College of Letters & Science policy, up to three Late Drop requests for academic reasons can be approved while a student is enrolled at UCSB primarily provided the requests meet the following criteria:

• The request is submitted by the last day of instruction for the quarter/session.
• A Late/Retro Drop has not been approved for the same course in a prior quarter.
• The course is not being repeated.

Petition Instructions for Academic Reasons:

1. Complete the Late Drop petition.
2. Include a written statement describing the reason for dropping the course AND an explanation for why the course was not dropped before the deadline.
3. Provide any relevant documentation.

Petition Processing and Notification: 1-2 weeks. If the drop is approved, the course will remain on your transcript with a W (Withdrawn) listed as the grade. In addition, your record will reflect the change and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Submit Request Here

To Drop a UC EAP Course: Contact the International Academic Specialist for the country or area of your program for information about how to petition to drop a UC EAP course.

To Drop a UC Online Course: Go to the UC Online Education website for information about how to drop a UCOE course.

To Drop all courses in a quarter before the last day of instruction:  Complete the Undergraduate Withdrawal form available in the Forms section of the Office of the Registrar’s website.

Drop a Course, Late for Hardship Reasons

Purpose: To drop (or withdraw) due to hardship from one or more, but not all, UCSB courses (excluding UCEAP or UC Online courses) in a quarter after the drop deadline on GOLD and before the last day of instruction of the quarter. Late drops for hardship reasons will be considered if a student experiences an unanticipated personal or family hardship that affects their performance in a course. 

Petition Instructions for Hardship Reasons:

1. Complete the Late Drop petition.
2. Provide any relevant documentation. Please provide documentation that helps to verify the hardship--for example, a doctor or therapist note, receipts, wage statements, an obituary notice, legal papers, etc. If documentation is unavailable, requests will still be considered.
3. Include a written statement describing the following:

• The challenges/obstacles faced
• The steps taken to address those challenges
• If requesting to drop one or more, but not all, of the courses in one quarter, be sure to address course selectivity. In other words, explain why the hardship had a more significant impact on the course(s) you wish to drop and not on the other course(s) that you took during the quarter.
• Explain why the course(s) was not dropped before the deadline.

Petition Processing and Notification:  1-2 weeks. If the drop is approved, the course will remain on your transcript with a W (Withdrawn) listed as the grade. In addition, your record will reflect the change and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Submit Request Here

To Drop a UC EAP Course: Contact the International Academic Specialist for the country or area of your program for information about how to petition to drop a UC EAP course.

To Drop a UC Online Course: Go to the UC Online Education website for information about how to drop a UCOE course.

To Drop all courses in a quarter before the last day of instruction:  Complete the Undergraduate Withdrawal form available in the Forms section of the Office of the Registrar’s website.

Drop a Course, Retroactive

Purpose: To drop (or withdraw) from one or more, but not all, UCSB courses (excluding UCEAP or UC Online courses) after the last day of instruction. 

NOTE: Retroactive drops have a higher standard for approval than late drops and are granted for hardship reasons only. Requests to retroactively drop a course primarily for academic reasons will not be granted.

Petition Instructions for Hardship Reasons:

1. Complete the Drop-Retroactive petition.
2. Provide any relevant documentation. Please provide documentation that helps to verify the hardship--for example, a doctor or therapist note, receipts, wage statements, an obituary notice, legal papers, etc. If documentation is unavailable, requests will still be considered.
3. Include a written statement describing the following:

• The challenges/obstacles faced
• The steps taken to address those challenges
• If requesting to drop one or more, but not all, of the courses in one quarter, be sure to address course selectivity. In other words, explain why the hardship had a more significant impact on the course(s) you wish to drop and not on the other course(s) that you took during the quarter.
• Explain why the course(s) were not dropped during the quarter.

Decision notification for Retroactive Drops: 2-3 weeks. If the drop is approved, the course will remain on your transcript with a W (Withdrawn) listed as the grade. In addition, your record will reflect the change, and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Submit Request Here

Grading Option Change, Retroactive

Purpose: To change the grading option for a UCSB course (excluding UCEAP or UC Online courses) after the last day of instruction for a quarter. Only courses allowing optional grading can be considered; check Course Info in GOLD for each course's grading options.

The UCSB Academic Senate has given the Dean very limited authority to approve retroactive grading option changes. Generally, a grading option change petition can be approved for a course that allows optional grading only under the following circumstances:

A.  A student can document a technical problem in GOLD that prevented them from making the change before the last day of instruction in the term the course was offered; or

B.  The change is from Letter Grade to Passed/Not Passed for a course in which the student received a C- or lower, and the student can document a significant unanticipated hardship that prevented them from being successful in the course; or

C.  A student has completed all other degree requirements and the change in the grading option for the course will allow the student to graduate.

Petition Instructions:

1. Complete the Grading Option Change petition using the link below.
2. Provide a written statement describing your reasons for requesting the grading option change and how they align with at least one of the circumstances detailed in A, B, or C above.
3. Provide any relevant documentation verifying that your situation falls within the circumstances above.

Note for Students in their First Three Quarters: Beginning in Fall 2023, students may change the grading option in GOLD after the grading option deadline for one or more courses in which they earn a C- or lower (thus giving a student a NP for the course) with the following conditions:

• The change can only be made during the subsequent quarter
• Once a grade change has been made in GOLD it cannot be reversed
• The change can only be made for courses that allow optional grading
• The student was in good academic standing during the quarter they enrolled in the course

For Grading Options Changes that do not meet the conditions for first-year students described above, a Grading Option Change petition is required.

Petition Processing and Notification: Allow 2-3 weeks for request to be processed. If your request is approved, your record will reflect the change, and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Submit Request Here

To request a grade option change for a UC EAP Course: Contact the International Academic Specialist for the country or area of your program for information about how to petition to drop a UC EAP course.

To request a grade option change for a UC EAP Course: Go to the UC Online Education website for information about how to drop a UCOE course.

Independent Study Exception

Purpose: To request enrollment in an Independent Study course (numbered 98/99/198/199/199RA) outside normal restrictions. This form should be used for:

• Students in lower division standing (fewer than 90 units) wanting to enroll in upper division Independent Study courses.
• Students wanting to enroll in more than 5 units of total Independent Study coursework in a single quarter or in overlapping summer sessions.
• Students wanting to enroll in more than 15 units of Independent Study in an academic year including summer sessions.

No more than 30 independent study units will be accepted toward the Bachelor's degree. No exceptions can be made to this policy.

Petition Instructions:

1. Secure a recommendation from a faculty sponsor(s) and the chair of the course department(s).
2. Obtain and complete a proposal for each Independent Study course proposed.
3. Download and complete the Independent Study Exception petition.
4. Send the form including a short written statement justifying the request to academic_advising@ltsc.ucsb.edu for the Dean's signature and the College's approval.

Petition Processing & Notification: Allow 1-2 weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office. If approved, the course(s) will be automatically added to your schedule. A Late Add petition is not needed if adding the course after the add deadline.

Download Form Here