BA Interdisciplinary Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara

Programme overview

The major in interdisciplinary studies offers students an opportunity to develop an individualized program of study that provides a means to achieve a sharply focused academic goal that cannot be met by any existing major, a double major, or a major and a minor. The interdisciplinary studies major requires that students do preparatory course work in three Letters and Science departments that serve as the major’s concentrations and complete a total of fifty-six upper-division units in the three concentrations.

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

What you will study

Major requirements are organised as Preparation For The Major; Upper-Division Major: Upper-Division Requirements (56 units). To apply for entrance into the Interdisciplinary Studies major, students propose a program of study in three separate departments and obtain the approval of the chairs of these departments., The proposal includes a written statement that explains the academic rationale for the major, defines the learning outcomes of the major in terms of what knowledge and skills the students will acquire, identifies the courses in which the student will enroll as part of the major, and maps these courses to the learning outcomes.

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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