UC Santa Barbara Economics

Undergraduate Advising

Advising

The Undergraduate Office, 2121 North Hall, is open from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The departmental undergraduate academic advisors are available for walk-in advising any time the office is open. You may direct your questions about courses, requirements, schedules, substitutions, and petitions to the undergraduate advisors or the peer advisors.

Students should address questions about general education and university requirements to the College of Letters and Science advising office, 1117 Cheadle Hall, (805) 893-2038.

Feel free to email us your question at the email below.

Make sure to provide all of the following in your email:

* Full name
* Perm
* Major
* Full explanation of your question.

ugrad@econ.ucsb.edu

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Registration Process

All students should register for classes through the University's GOLD System. The quarterly Schedule of Classes provides details regarding registration procedures.

Students must complete all the pre-requisites and obtain full-major status prior to enrolling in any upper division Economics courses. Students who have completed the pre-requisities but are not in the full major may attempt to gain access to upper division classes through the waiting lists which are available online.

Waiting lists are available online on the wait list registration page one week before classes start until the end of the first week of instruction. The results of the waiting lists and approval codes are given out during lecture one week after instruction begins. Students are encouraged to attend class until the instructor announces the results of the waitlists, or issues other instructions.

Signup for the current quarter's waitlist!

Please check the quarterly Schedule of Classes for deadlines and/or changes in the registration process.

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Follow Us on Facebook

The Department of Economics is looking to increase student outreach, and reach our prospective students and parents. Our Facebook page is being utilized as a new tool to convey information and specific deadlines pertinent to the students of UCSB. We believe that this is one of our best assets in keeping our students well informed with matters within the department and the university. It is our hope that the page will be frequently accessed as a mode of consistent communication between students, colleagues, and departments as a whole.

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Join Our Listserv

The Undergraduate Office maintains a listserv that is used to disseminate information to Economics major students. To subscribe to the Economics majors listserv simply join the Economics major mail list.

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Peer Advisors

The department sponsors a peer advising program throughout the academic year. Outstanding upper-division students are employed and trained to offer assistance in many areas. Peer advisors are students who value community service and demonstrate an enthusiasm for the Department of Economics and the majors available within it. Requests for resumes are sent via the listserv.

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Transfer Students

Transfer students wishing to substitute courses from other schools for major requirements should bring a copy of their official transcripts showing transferable work. Studens should also send a copy of their official transcript to the UCSB Registrar's Office, Attn. Kevin Scott.

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Change of Major Procedures

No course required for the major may be taken on a P/NP basis.

Students who declare a pre-major are responsible for satisfying degree requirements in effect at the time of their declaration. Pre-major status does not, however, guarantee admission to full-major status.

Provided the New Student Profile has been completed by the Admissions Office, new transfer students admitted to UCSB directly into the pre-major may file petitions to change from the pre-major to the economics or economics/mathematics majors as soon as all pre-major requirements have been satisfied.

Change of major petitions must be submitted to the Economics Undergraduate Office, 2121 North Hall. Questions about these procedures may be addressed to the same office.

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How To Declare a Major

The procedure for changing or declaring your major is the same: simply visit your new major department’s office, and the staff will assist you in completing a Change of Major Petition in order for you to make your choice official.

If you are in junior standing (completed 90 or more units) and hope to change your major, first verify that you can complete your new major within the 200 unit limitations. An academic advisor in the College Advising Office can help you examine your options and help you stay on track for graduation.

Situations Requiring Additional Petitions:
You also may be asked to complete an additional petition if

  1. You have completed 135 or more units and are attempting to change your major. In this case, you may be asked to complete a Proposed Schedule for Graduation .
  2. You are entering the College of Engineering (the additional petition can be obtained in the Engineering Dept. office).
  3. You are proposing a double major. In this case, you must also complete a Memo of Understanding .

Special major admission requirements:

Some majors require auditions, placement exams, or specific courses, as well as a minimum grade point average to determine whether students are qualified to pursue that major. To learn more about special admission requirements, visit the General Catalog and take a look at the “major sheet” for your desired department.

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Are You In The Right Major?

The best way to determine whether or not a major is right for you is to be aware of your thoughts, feelings, and general performance in relation to your major classes.

You may be in the right major if:

  1. You cannot wait to attend classes in your major
  2. The material you study is fun and  interesting
  3. You have trouble picking which major classes to take because you want to take everything that is being offered
  4. You frequently find yourself thinking about ideas brought up in lecture
  5. You talk about topics in your major in regular conversation with friends
  6. You pursue opportunities outside of class (research, field trips, additional assignments) in your major field of study
  7. You do well in your major classes

You may be in the wrong major if:

  1. You dislike your major, but you think it’s too late to change
  2. Your major makes your family happy, but your true interests lie elsewhere
  3. You have lost sight of why you chose your major in the first place
  4. You think your current major is the only path to the job you want
  5. The books required for your major do not appeal to you
  6. You dread attending your major classes
  7. Your major GPA is lower than it should be

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Business Careers for Non-Majors

Learn how to pursue a career in business even if you don't major in Economics

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