At UC Santa Barbara, the summer months sparkle with unique academic opportunities, a close-knit community, and a sense of boundless possibility inspired by sweeping ocean views.
Of the thousands of students that participate in Summer Sessions, most are matriculated UC Santa Barbara students. The summer months can provide an unparalleled opportunity to register for courses that are impacted during the academic year, explore a special interest area, add another major or minor, prepare to study abroad, revisit a difficult subject area, and more! Class sizes are often smaller during the summer, so students can benefit from an intimate learning environment. Newly admitted Gauchos also use summer to familiarize themselves with the campus prior to the start of Fall Quarter.
Who Are You?
For more information on summer opportunities that pertain to you, click below.
If you are a UC Santa Barbara student and you are registered for courses during Spring Quarter, then you are considered a continuing student (this includes EAP students returning from one or more quarters abroad). As a continuing UCSB student, you can register for summer courses through GOLD by following the steps below.
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Log in to GOLD.
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Select “Registration”.
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Choose Summer Quarter (i.e. “Summer 2024"). You will be able to open your Summer Quarter starting Monday, March 25, 2024 and can begin perusing course offerings on GOLD.
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Note your pass time. Upon opening your quarter you will receive a specific pass time that corresponds with your registration date.
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Register for summer courses starting April 8, 2024.
If you are a UC Santa Barbara student who has not been registered in courses for one or more quarters, you are defined as a returning student. Follow the steps below to register for summer courses.
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Fill out and submit the enrollment application. Please note that you will need to sign up for an account in order to complete a summer enrollment application (enrollment is open from March 4 – August 19, 2024).
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Wait for an approval email from the Office of Summer Sessions (students should expect to receive this email within 3 business days).
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Review these Registration Steps to ensure you’ve completed them all.
International Students: If you are an international student, please note that the Summer Sessions application and acceptance process will occur prior to you requesting an I-20 and Visa through the Office of International Students & Scholars. Upon acceptance into Summer Sessions, be sure to log into UCSBGlobal with your NetID and password to request your I-20. It is recommended that you initiate the request through UCSBGlobal at least 30 days before your summer session or program begins, to allow for adequate processing time.
If you have declared degree candidacy for Spring Quarter, you will not be able to register for summer courses as a UC Santa Barbara student. If you intend to take courses over the summer to finish your degree, change your candidacy to Summer Quarter in GOLD. This will allow you to register for courses, and it will not preclude you from participating in the spring commencement ceremonies.
Once you have changed your candidacy to Summer Quarter, you can register for summer courses through GOLD by following the steps below.
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Log in to GOLD.
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Select “Registration”.
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Choose Summer Quarter (i.e. “Summer 2024"). You will be able to open your Summer Quarter starting Monday, March 25, 2024 and can begin perusing course offerings on GOLD.
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Note your pass time. Upon opening your quarter you will receive a specific pass time that corresponds with your registration date.
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Register for summer courses starting April 8, 2024.
Please note that once the Summer Quarter begins, students can no longer create a Summer Quarter in GOLD. Contact info@summer.ucsb.edu for assistance creating your quarter.
As a newly admitted UC Santa Barbara freshman, you don’t have to wait until Fall Quarter to start your educational journey -- there are many options available to you in the summer! The Summer Quarter is divided into seven sessions of varying length, and offers more than 700 courses representing all disciplines. No matter where you are from, all students pay the same tuition and fees as California residents during the Summer term.
As a newly admitted first-year student, you have two paths to choose from.
Take advantage of our Freshman Summer Start Program (FSSP), an experience thoughtfully designed to set you up for success at UC Santa Barbara.
If FSSP isn’t right for you, you can still get an academic head start by following the steps below to register for courses during Session A – G.
Submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
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When prompted, identify yourself as an “Incoming UC Santa Barbara Student”.
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Select “I am an incoming freshman student”.
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Select “No” when asked if you are enrolling in FSSP.
Once your enrollment application has been accepted, further guidance about registration will be provided.
As a newly admitted UC Santa Barbara transfer student, you don’t have to wait until Fall Quarter to start your educational journey—there are many options available to you in the summer! The Summer Quarter is divided into seven sessions of varying length, and offers more than 700 courses representing all disciplines. No matter where you are from, all students pay the same tuition and fees as California residents during the Summer term.
As a newly admitted transfer student, you have three paths to choose from.
Take advantage of Transfer Edge, a six-week program thoughtfully designed to set you up for success at UC Santa Barbara.
If you are interested in Transfer Edge and would also like to take additional courses during other sessions, please follow the steps below.
Submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
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When prompted, identify yourself as an “Incoming UC Santa Barbara Student”.
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Select “I am an incoming transfer student”.
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Select “Yes” when asked if you are enrolling in Transfer Edge.
Once your enrollment application is accepted, your Summer Quarter will be created and you will have the ability to register for courses across Sessions A – G according to your pass time. Further guidance about registration will be provided upon acceptance.
Take courses without participating in Transfer Edge by following the steps below.
Submit your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
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When prompted, identify yourself as an “Incoming UC Santa Barbara Student”.
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Select “I am an incoming transfer student”.
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Select “No” when asked if you are enrolling in Transfer Edge.
Once your enrollment application is accepted, your Summer Quarter will be created and you will have the ability to register for courses across Sessions A – G according to your pass time. Further guidance about registration will be provided upon acceptance.
As a newly admitted UC Santa Barbara graduate student, you don’t have to wait until Fall Quarter to commence the next step in your higher education journey -- there are many options available to you in the summer! The Summer Quarter is divided into seven sessions of varying length, and offers a multitude of courses from all disciplines. No matter where you are from, all students pay the same tuition and fees as California residents during the Summer term. To enroll, please complete the steps listed below.
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Fill out and submit the enrollment application. Please note that you will need to sign up for an account in order to complete a summer enrollment application.
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Wait for an approval email from the Office of Summer Sessions (students should expect to receive this email within 3 business days).
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Review these Registration Steps to ensure you’ve completed them all.