Academic Majors and Programs

Majors

The college offers the Bachelor of Science degree in five disciplines:

Chemical engineering
Computer engineering
Computer science
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering

The curriculum for the Bachelor of Science degree is designed to be completed in four years. A quarter-by-quarter schedule of courses for each major can be found in the annual College of Engineering Announcement publication. Completion of the major provides students with the background to begin professional careers, enter graduate programs in engineering or computer science, or attend professional schools, such as business, medicine, or law.

Double Majors

College of Engineering students with interest and talent in two separate major fields may propose completion of a double major with a program in the College of Letters and Science. (It is not possible to double major in two programs in the College of Engineering due to the large overlap of requirements). Students should consult with an advisor in the College of Engineering about the policies and procedures involved in pursing a double major; they should apply for double majors by the end of their sophomore year. No more than 8 units may be applied simultaneously to the upper-division requirements of the two majors.

Academic Minors

Students in the College of Engineering may pursue an academic minor in the College of Letters & Science in addition to their major. Completing a minor offers students a cohesive supplement to their major, reflecting well-rounded interests and course of study. To ensure appropriate advising and planning, students who are considering a minor should consult the sponsoring department as soon as possible. They must request that the department confirm completion of the minor no later than the second week of the quarter in which they announce candidacy to graduate.

Upon completion of the degree, the minor will be listed on the diploma and posted on the official transcript, provided the following conditions also are met:

The sponsoring department reports the student's completion of the minor prior to the posting of the degree.
The student has completed at least 18 upper division quarter units pertinent to the minor. Most minors require more than 18 upper division units.
Courses for the minor are all completed for a letter grade.
The UC gradepoint average in all applicable upper-division courses is 2.0 or higher.
No more than 5 upper division units overlap between this minor and the upper division portion of each of the student's major(s) or other minor(s). If the overlap is greater with the student's major(s), the completion of the minor will not be formally recognized.
The student has completed at least 12 of the upper division units for the minor while in residence at UCSB. (EAP courses do not apply to residence.) Courses applied to the major residence requirement may not also be applied to the minor residence requirement.

No reference will be made to the minor on any progress checks or degree clearance forms.

BS/MS Programs

The College offers five different combined BS/MS programs to provide an opportunity for outstanding undergraduates to earn two degrees in five years, including:

B.S./M.S. in Computer Science
B.S. in Electrical Engineering / M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering
B.S. in Computer Engineering / M.S. in Computer Science or Electrical & Computer Engineering
B.S. in Chemical, Electrical, or Mechanical engineering / M.S. in Materials
B.S. in Engineering or Computer Science / M.A. in Economics with an emphasis in Business Economics

Students work closely with an advisor during their fourth year to plan elective course work for completing their B.S. degree and beginning the M.S. degree. These programs give students additional breadth and depth for multiple specializations in the engineering field. The added expertise the student gains can be advantageous in today's employment marketplace.

Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate

The College offers a Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate (TEC) which prepares undergraduates for entrepreneurial business careers. To earn the certificate, students complete 15 units in designated courses over a two-year period. TEC students must be a member of a student organization whose mission involves technology, business or entrepreneurship and are required to attend events sponsored by the Technology Management Program (TMP). For more information about the certificate and TMP, visit the TMP website.

UCSB Engineering