BA Communication at University of California, Santa Barbara

Programme overview

As a student in Communication, you’ll gain knowledge of social science scholarship in communication in an accessible, supportive, and respectful atmosphere while simultaneously being encouraged to apply theory and research to pressing social problems. Admission to the undergraduate major requires completion of four pre-major classes (introduction to communication, theory, methods, and statistics) with a GPA requirement. We provide our students extraordinary opportunities to go beyond the ordinary.

Faculty: College of Letters and Science | Department: Department of Communication | Study mode: full-time | Location: Santa Barbara, CA, United States

What you will study

Major requirements are organised as Pre-Major Requirements: COMM 1, COMM 87, COMM 88, COMM 89; Upper-Division Major. Students will be admitted to full Communication major status only after they complete Communication 1, 87, 88, and 89 with no grade below a C- and with a UC grade-point average in these four courses of at least a 3.00.

Career pathways

Graduate and professional pathways include Marketing, sales, and public relations; Law; Entertainment; Interpersonal, Media Effects, or Organizational Communication; Law; Business. Top employers include Google, Meta, Marketing firms.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to UCSB is to the university and a college (College of Letters and Science, College of Engineering, College of Creative Studies), not to the individual major; applicants must meet the University of California subject requirements for first-year or transfer applicants and apply through the UC Application. Selective-major and second-choice-major rules are described by UCSB Undergraduate Admissions.

Entry term: fall. First-year and transfer applicants apply for fall 2027 through the UC Application.

First-year and transfer applications for fall 2027: UC Application filing period October 1 - November 30, 2026 (opens August 1). Application fee: $80 per campus for U.S. residents, $95 per campus for international students. Transfer applicants also submit the UCSB TAG Application September 1-30. First-year decisions mid-March; transfer decisions mid-April; Statement of Intent to Register May 1 (first-year) and June 1 (transfer).

SAT and ACT scores are not used in admission selection or scholarships; submission is optional and may be used for course placement. Students applying to College of Creative Studies majors submit a supplemental application; Dance and Music B.M. applicants complete an audition.

Graduate applicants apply through the UCSB online graduate application; the deadline is set by each department. Application fee: $135 for US citizens and permanent residents, $155 for all others, payable by credit card, check or money order. GRE required only by some programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.sa.ucsb.edu/

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