Alternatives to Orientation
You are strongly encouraged to attend Orientation. Orientation is not mandatory, but it gives you an important head start in preparing for your college career. If you are unable to attend, the following information will be helpful to you in preparing for your first quarter at UCSB.
Academic Advising - Freshmen
College of Letters & Science and College of Engineering:
Orientation Programs will present a one-day online advising program in late August for freshmen who are unable to attend an Orientation session during summer. The program will include academic advising and participants will register for classes on their own during their designated Pass 2 time. Freshmen who did not attend Orientation will receive an email in early August with information on how to register for Advising Day.
College of Creative Studies:
Call the college at 805-893-2364 for advising information.
Academic Advising - Transfer Students
Contact the undergraduate advisor in your major if you need further assistance after completing the Transfer Student Module. The transfer module contains contact information for each major department.Course Registration
Students will register for courses on GOLD - Gaucho On-Line Data, the UCSB online course registration system. New students who did not attend an orientation session will register online for fall classes during their Pass 2 registration time in late August or early September. Please view GOLD for your assigned Pass 2 registration time. See this page for information on How to Use GOLD - https://duels.ucsb.edu/advising/gold.
The UCSB General Catalog is available online at http://my.sa.ucsb.edu/catalog. It contains major requirements, course descriptions, and prerequisites. Twelve units per quarter is the minimum to maintain full-time registered status. UCSB undergraduates typically register for an average of 15 units per quarter. Freshmen should enroll only in lower division courses which are numbered between 1 and 99 (e.g., History 4A). Transfer students can obtain advice on course selection by completing the transfer student module.
Week of Welcome
UCSB Week of Welcome celebrates the start of a new academic year through an annual tradition by welcoming new and returning students to inspire a sense of Gaucho pride. In addition to New Student Convocation, the week's festivities include a series of workshops, presentations, physical activities and events designed to introduce the resources and services available for all students at UCSB. It allows students to take part in intriguing, informative, and exciting activities and programs in order to become a part of the campus community while getting a glimpse of the campus culture, making friends, and sharing in the UCSB welcome experience! Students should log into Shoreline for a comprehensive overview of events and activities.
Campus Tours and Visits
Guided campus walking tours and presentations are available through the Visitor Center. Tours leave from the Visitor Center in the Student Affairs Administrative Services Building. For further information see campus visits.
Campus Information
Information can be found by searching on the UCSB website at www.ucsb.edu. Most campus offices are open Monday through Friday, variable hours. The phone number for general campus information is 805-893-8000.