Course Registration

Schedule Planning

The UCSB Schedule of Classes is created and published on a quarterly basis. It is typically published two weeks before Pass Times begin. 

More information about quarterly schedule planning is available on this website.

Public Schedule of Classes

GOLD

GOLD

GOLD 101 Overview

GOLD is UCSB's student web portal, where current students can:

• Register for classes, including:
  • add classes
  • drop classes
  • switch sections
  • change grading option (Letter, Pass/No Pass, or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
• Track degree progress (undergraduate students)
• View grades
• View quarterly class schedule, including final exams
• Update personal data such as address and pronouns
• Check for registration blocks
• Order transcripts and verifications
• View quarterly deadlines
• Receive important messages from UCSB

Registration Cart

After the quarterly schedule of classes is published, students can add courses to their "cart" in GOLD.

Saving a course to your cart does not enroll you in the course. You can register for these courses from your cart when your pass time opens.

The Registration Cart allows students to flag courses they're interested in and have those courses saved and displayed at the bottom of their Course Schedule screen in GOLD.

Course Waitlists

Students must be registered in at least 12 units before they can waitlist a course.

More information about course waitlists is available on this website.

Time Conflicts

GOLD will allow students to register for courses even if the weekly class meeting times conflict.

Students are responsible for resolving any time conflicts. GOLD will not drop a student from courses with time conflicts, although the academic departments offering the courses may drop students for non-attendance.

Adding after the 5th day of instruction

Instructor approval is required to add a class after the 5th day of instruction. 

If granted, the instructor will give the student a 4-character course approval code. Course approval codes may be used on GOLD until the published add deadline.

Course Prerequisites

Course prerequisites are found in GOLD in "course info" located next to the course title.

Prerequisites are checked when a student attempts to register for courses and again before the first day of the quarter.

Students who do not meet the prerequisites will be dropped from the course.

Repeating a Course

Course repeat information appears in the UCSB General Catalog.

When registering for a course in GOLD that is repeatable for additional units, students will be asked to indicate whether they would like to take the course for:

1. a better grade, or
2. more units.

Students who register in a course for a better grade, but are not eligible based on the repeat policy, will be dropped from the course.

Undergraduate Registration in a Graduate Course

This option is typically available for seniors with exceptional qualifications and superior grade-point averages. Eligible undergraduates may request to take courses numbered 200-299 and 500-level courses described as Group Studies or Special Topics. Undergraduates are not permitted to enroll in any other 500-level courses.

Important Information for Financial Aid Recipients

Financial aid is initially awarded based upon the assumption of full-time enrollment, and financial aid recipients who do not stay enrolled in the minimum study load of 12 units per quarter may have their financial aid reduced. On the 15th day of classes each quarter, an enrollment snapshot is taken by the Office of the Registrar. This is referred to as the “Census” date. All students receiving federal or state grants, such as Pell Grant, Cal Grant, or Middle-Class Scholarship, will have those grants reduced if they are enrolled in less than 12 units at Census. UCSB Scholarship recipients must be enrolled at least half-time (6 units) to remain eligible for their full UCSB Scholarship amount awarded. Please see the Census Date Policy for more detailed information.

Financial aid may also be reduced if a student receives a reduced fee program, such as a Partial Fee Reduction, as a result of a deficit load. All grant recipients who are considering dropping below full time should first consult directly with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships prior to requesting a deficit load with their college and reduced fee program with the Office of the Registrar.
 

Address Verification

Once per year, students must update and confirm their living and mailing addresses in GOLD.