BA Political Science at University of California, Santa Barbara

Programme overview

As a student in Political Science, you’ll benefit from a balanced degree program emphasizing the integration of theory and practice rather than any single approach or methodology. Our program encourages you to define and analyze fundamental political concepts such as equality, freedom, justice, and civic obligation from a range of perspectives.

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

What you will study

Major requirements are organised as Pre-Major; Preparation For The Major: ECON 1, ECON 2, ECON 9; Upper-Division Major. To qualify for admission into full major status, students must complete three courses from Political Science 1, 6, 7, and 12, as well as Political Science 15 with a UC grade-point average of 2.6 or above.

Career pathways

Graduate and professional pathways include Professional and business services; Government (federal, state, local); American Politics; International Relations; Data Science. Top employers include Private sector business, Government agencies at the city, state, and federal levels., Non-profit/public interest organizations.

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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