Academic quarter
Fall, Winter, and Spring are "academic quarters." Registration records and pass times for academic quarters will be automatically generated for all degree-seeking students unless they cancel or withdraw. Summer quarter enrollment is optional and registration records will only be generated if the student chooses to enroll.
Academic year
The academic year begins with Fall quarter and ends with Summer quarter.
Cancellation
Ending enrollment before the first day of classes for a quarter.
Census date
Date established each quarter when an official enrollment count is recorded. Typically, the 15th day of instruction.
Commencement
The annual ceremony celebrating student graduation. Students should be aware that attending commencement does not mean that they have graduated. Students must meet all degree requirements and declare candidacy to graduate to officially earn their degree.
Degree program
A degree program is an approved set of course, examination, and other requirements within a discipline or across disciplines, that leads to a degree, commonly referred to as a “major” at the undergraduate level. The names of degree programs are posted on transcripts and diplomas.
Degree-seeking student
A student who has been formally admitted to a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree program at UCSB.
A student is considered "matriculated" once they have completed all steps to enrollment in their admission quarter.
A non-degree-seeking student is a student who takes courses at UCSB but has not been admitted into a degree program. Examples of non-degree-seeking students are: Summer-only students, visiting students, and reciprocity students.
Emphasis
An emphasis is a focused area of study that may be offered as a track within a department's degree program, or as an optional interdisciplinary addition to an existing graduate degree program in one or more departments. An emphasis is noted on transcripts but does not appear on diplomas.
Enrollment
Quarterly process of (1) registering for classes, (2) payment of fees in a quarter, and (3) clearing all blocks. A student is considered "enrolled" when they have registered in at least one course, paid all financial obligations for that quarter, and have no blocks.
General Catalog
Also called "the Catalog," it is a publication that informs students of their rights and responsibilities in their quest to reach an educational goal. It includes policies and procedures of an institution and how an institution interacts with a learner academically. Covers admission requirements and courses needed to reach an educational goal, and other topics including residency and academic integrity. To ensure all incoming learners are treated equally, catalog information is updated by catalog year.
Grade-point average (GPA)
A student's grade-point average (GPA) is calculated by: assigning a numerical value to each grade, multiplying the grade value by the number of units for each course (grade points), adding up all the grade points, and dividing the total grade points by the total number of units taken.
All courses undertaken at the University of California (UC) except those graded passed/not passed or satisfactory/unsatisfactory are included in the student's GPA.
Grading option
Courses at UCSB are offered one of three ways:
- Letter grade only: Everyone registered for the course must take it for a letter grade.
- Optional: Everyone registered for the course has the option of taking it for a letter grade or for P/NP. Students choose their grading option at the time of registration and may edit it until the published deadline for grading option changes.
- Pass/No Pass (undergraduate courses) or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (graduate courses): Everyone registered for the course only has the option of taking it P/NP or S/U.
Graduate student
A student pursuing a master's or doctorate degree.
Lapse
Lapse of status is the automatically enforced withdrawal of a matriculated student from the university. A student's status may be lapsed (1) for failure to comply with the conditions for admission, (2) for failure to register and enroll in courses by the deadline stated in the Academic Calendar, (3) for failure to settle financial obligations when due or to make satisfactory arrangements with the Billing, Accounts Receivable, and Collections Office (BARC) if payment cannot be made, and (4) for failure to respond to official university notices (including failure to remove blocks).
Late
When an action takes place after the deadline but before the end of the quarter.
Lower-division course
Any course numbered 1 through 99 is considered a lower-division course. These courses are open to all UCSB students; especially appropriate for freshman and sophomore students; may not be taken for upper-division or graduate credit.
Major
A degree program is an approved set of course, examination, and other requirements within a discipline or across disciplines, that leads to a degree, commonly referred to as a “major” at the undergraduate level. The names of degree programs are posted on transcripts and diplomas.
Major Progress Check
A major progress check is an individualized report that shows how completed courses and exams apply towards satisfying University, College (including general education), and major requirements for undergraduate degrees. It lists all coursework taken at UCSB (including UC EAP) and any courses taken at other institutions for which credit was awarded. Major progress checks contain information on specific major requirements (including major GPA requirements and major academic residency requirements). Undergraduate students may run their major progress check any time in GOLD, under "Progress."
Matriculated student
A student who has been formally admitted to a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree program at UCSB.
A student is considered "matriculated" once they have completed all steps to enrollment in their admission quarter.
A non-matriculated student is a student who takes courses at UCSB but has not been admitted into a degree program. Examples of non-matriculated students are: Summer-only students, visiting students, and reciprocity students.
Minor
A minor is a set of courses that taken together provide a systematic understanding of a subject or some specified part of it, but provide less depth and breadth than a degree (major) program. Minors are posted on transcripts and on diplomas.
Pass time
Continuing students have three opportunities to register for courses in each regular academic quarter—Registration Pass 1, 2, and 3. This is a specific day and time period when a student may register for courses in GOLD. These times are assigned according to the number of units that the student has completed. Individual student registration pass-times may be found in GOLD.
Perm number
A student's Perm number, or permanent ID number, is an ID number assigned to any UCSB applicant or student. A person is assigned only one Perm number. A perm number may contain only numbers, or a combination of letters and numbers.
Pre-instructional activities
The Week of Welcome is filled with events that take place during the first week of the fall quarter each year. Events during Week of Welcome include New Student Convocation and Rec Fest. Many workshops provide students with information about involvement opportunities, administrative and academic services, and first-year concerns.
Pre-Major
Some undergraduate academic departments at UCSB set specific course and GPA requirements in order to be granted "full major" status. This is separate from major preparation requirements for admission to UCSB.
If you are admitted to a pre-major, you will need to complete specific UCSB courses with the appropriate grades and GPA to be granted "full major" status. Please contact your major department for more information.
Students may not graduate while in pre-major status. Please contact your major department to move to the full major.
Prerequisite
A course prerequisite is a course that must be taken, or condition that must be met before the student can register for another course. Prerequisites for courses at UCSB are listed in GOLD and the UCSB General Catalog. Students must meet prerequisites to register for a course, and instructors may only make exceptions in rare cases.
Registration
Quarterly process of adding at least one class to a student schedule.
Retroactive
When an action takes place after the quarter is over.
Study load
The number of units a student is enrolled in each quarter.
Syllabus
A syllabus is an overall outline of the course that you and your students follow to ensure timeliness, fairness, and clarity of expectations. In its most basic format it includes contact information, course learning outcomes, assessment descriptions, class policies, a breakdown of grading criteria, and a calendar with topics and assignment deadlines.
The UCSB Office of the Registrar does not maintain archives of course syllabi. Please contact the department offering the course or the instructor to obtain a copy of a syllabus.
Undergraduate student
A student pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Upper-division course
Any course numbered 100 through 199 is considered an upper-division course. These courses are ordinarily open to students who have satisfied the prerequisites specified in catalog descriptions of these courses. Generally, upper-division courses are not recommended for freshman students. No graduate course credit is allowed for upper-division courses even if additional work is completed, but a limited number of upper-division courses may be applied in fulfillment of graduate degree requirements.
Withdrawal
Ending enrollment after the quarter has started.