College Credit and AP Exams

Credit earned through college courses at other institutions can satisfy major prerequisites, general education (GE) requirements, electives or major requirements at UCSB. Therefore, if you have taken courses at another college or university, it is important to bring a copy of your transcripts (official or unofficial) to your Orientation session. The transcript should show your name, the name of the institution, the course titles, and your grades. Advisors at Orientation do not have access to transcripts submitted to Admissions, and cannot provide accurate advising without knowledge of their students previous college credit.

Official copies of all transcripts must be submitted to the UCSB Office of Admissions by July 1.

Please note: It is not necessary to have your high school transcripts available during Orientation.

California Community College Credit

Credit transfer information for California community colleges can be found through Assist.org, an official articulation resource funded by the University of California. Assist.org indicates whether a California community college course is equivalent to a class taught at UCSB, or satisfies a major prerequisite, general education (GE) requirement or major requirement at UCSB.

Four-Year or Out Of State College Credit

Four-year institutions or colleges outside of California do not have a direct articulation agreement with UCSB. To learn whether your four-year or out-of-state college credit is accepted at UCSB, contact your major advisor, College of Letters and Science academic advisor, or College of Engineering academic advisor. 

Some advising hours may be altered during the summer. Aside from credit related to the Math Placement Exam, it is not essential that advisors approve of four-year or out of state college credit before students attend Orientation.

Students can earn college credit through Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams, or A-Levels. Official test scores must be submitted by July 15.

View AP Scores    View IB Scores    View A-Level Scores

Pending/Unofficial AP Exam Scores

Official results from Advanced Placement (AP) exams are usually reported to UCSB in early July. However, at any of the Orientation sessions, students with pending AP scores will be able to register for a full set of courses appropriate for their first quarter at UCSB.

For most subjects, pending AP scores will not affect course registration. Math courses are the only exception.

The AP Calculus AB or BC test score is important for students in majors that require math in the first quarter. Students with unofficial AP Calculus AB or BC test scores should have them available during Orientation! Students can refer to the College Board website to find their unofficial AP scores.