Don't see your question topic on the sidebar on the left? Read on!

I have questions about pre-major requirements and being a Pre-Global Studies major!

Check out the major requirments and course planning page (link on the left sidebar area.)

I'm a senior getting ready to graduate soon; what do I need to do?

• There's a great video to watch on our YouTube channel; it will go through topics like:

  • Checking your Major and GE Progress Check 2-3 quarters before you intend to graduate so you can make sure you're on track with major requirements - especially the foreign language requirement!, GE requirements, and unit requirements (especially upper division units, which you can only complete at a 4-year institution)

  • How to declare candidacy for the quarter you intend to be done on the "Graduation and Commencement" page under the Progress tab on GOLD (and what the difference is between "declaring candidacy" and the commencement/"graduation" ceremony)

  • When and how to get your diploma - it's not automatic upon graduating!

• We also recommend using this checklist to make sure you're finishing strong

I'm a senior in my last quarter (or certain students in other, similar situations) realizing I can (or need to) take fewer than 12 units in a single quarter. What's the process with that?

• You may want to look into the Academic Deficit and Fee Reduction programs with the College of Letters and Sciences advisors - these are two petitions you can file in order to:
  
  • Get approved (academically) to take fewer than 12 units
  • And, optionally, get a reduction on your tuition fees for taking a less-than-full-time schedule
  • INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: There's an extra piece of paperwork you'll need to do before you follow the steps outlined in the linked document above - discuss with an advisor in OISS to see if it makes sense in your personal situation to do this, knowing you have extra visa considerations.

I'm experiencing a really hard time academically or personally (or both) right now - what resources can I access to get help?

• It's so great that you're reaching out for assistance! Here are some resources to get you started:

  • CLAS: this is UCSB's tutoring center. There are a ton of resources available to students here, even while campus is closed. Global Studies majors might find it particularly useful to use their writing tutoring services (they help you improve and feel more confident about your writing assignments) as well as their study skills workshops (particularly during online learning - it is NOT easy for students who are not used to taking courses online!)

  • One of the best things you can do to help your experience in a course (that too many students do not take advantage of) is arranging to meet with your professors or TAs for help. If you do this when the struggles are smaller, it might prevent the struggles from getting much bigger (and even if they do, your instructor knows you more as a person and might be more willing to work out a plan with you versus if you are waiting until the very, very last minute to reach out, when your instructor may not have as much freedom or as many options to help you).

    • Are you feeling uncomfortable about reaching out to an instructor or unsure of how to do it in a practical sense? Here is an advice column with some great tips for that.

  • If it's getting to the end of the quarter, you might want to know what your options are if you're starting to think there's no way you'll finish all of your coursework in time for the end of the quarter (or let's say something urgent has happened and you completely missed a final or a final assignment.) What next? 

    • This video walks you through your four main options (informal extensions worked out with your instructor, incomplete grade petitions, late drop petitions, and full withdrawal from the university).

    • See this document for an overview of the policies and procedures you might want to look into following depending on your specific situation.

    • Check out this Shortcut Sheet for a flowchart to easily identify your options and select a course of action.

    • The description box on the video has links to the original slides file so you can access links to each of the petitions mentioned, or you can find most of them either on the College of Letters and Science petitions page or the petitions page for the Office of the Registrar, depending on where you turn them in.

• Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about these options or about your progress in this course; our current advising hours and contact information can be found here.

• CAPS is our on-campus mental and emotional health center - their website has a range of services available (from more informal online resources and group therapy sessions all the way up to one-on-one counseling and therapy sessions.) To get started, you fill out a referral, and then someone contacts you about the services that make the most sense for you. However, if you or someone you know is experiencing a more immediate mental (or physical) health crisis, CAPS also has a 24/7 crisis hotline that can connect you with immediate resources - find access to that here.​​ There is also a teletherapy option with live, on-demand video sessions, and you do not need a referral from CAPS.

• See our main Undergraduate page for a section on general campus and student resources that might be useful to you at some point in your time at UCSB!

How do I get on the undergraduate email list for Global Studies majors? (And how do I get off it after graduating?)

• You are automatically added to the email list when you declare the major using your UCSB email address; if you are not getting regular emails from us, please check your spam folder(s) and then contact us at global-advising@ucsb.edu if you're still not seeing the emails.
   
• For directions on how to unsubscribe from the email list, take a look at the directions here.

I want to drop the Global Studies major; what do I need to do? (And how do I get off the email list?)

• To drop a major, all you need to do is complete a change of major petition. On the lines where you're changing "From" and "To," you'll put that you're changing "From" your current major (Global Studies, or Global Studies and your second major, if you have one), then for "To", you'll put just the one major you want to keep OR change to (catalog year is usually the year you started in the major, but you can check your degree audit on GOLD if you're not sure about this.). If you're completely changing to a different major, contact that department's undergraduate advisor for their signature and any information you might need to know about joining their major.
   
• Then, you only need to add your own signature to the petition (no Global Studies department signature needed), and submit it to the Office of the Registrar at GraduationMatters@sa.ucsb.edu (or take it to the Office of the Registrar drop box, if campus is open for business).
   
• We'll leave you on the email list for now, but if you decide you don't want to be on there any longer, take a look at the directions here.