College of Engineering, Engineering I, Room 1016; Telephone
(805) 893-3207
Undergraduate Office, Engineering I, Room 1030; Telephone
(805) 893-2809
Engineering Student Support Center, Building 698; Telephone
(805) 893-8333
MESA Programs, Building 698; Telephone (805) 893-4026
Dean: Venkatesh Narayanamurti
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Robert G. Rinker
Assistant to the Dean for Undergraduate Studies: Jacqueline
A. Hynes
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for the College of Engineering.
The College of Engineering at UCSB is noted for its excellence in teaching, research, and service to the community. The college has an enrollment of approximately 900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students with a full-time, permanent faculty of 106. This results in an unusually good student to faculty ratio and a strong sense of community in the college.
Our laboratory facilities, both departmental and in our research centers, are state-of-the-art, and most are available to undergraduate as well as graduate students. UCSB has an unusually high proportion of undergraduates who are actively involved in faculty-directed research and independent study projects.
The college offers the bachelor of science degree and graduate degree programs in four disciplines: chemical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. A graduate degree program is also available in materials. The undergraduate programs in chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The computer science undergraduate programs are accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Commission of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board.
The curriculum for the bachelor of science degree is designed to be completed in four years. Completion of the four-year program provides students with the background to begin professional careers or to enter graduate programs in engineering or computer science, or professional schools of business, medicine, or law. Our curricula are specifically planned to retain both of these options and to assure that our graduates are equally well prepared to enter industry and graduate study. The college and the university offer a wide variety of career counseling and job placement services.
The Undergraduate Office in Engineering I, Room 1030, provides general counseling for all undergraduates in the college. Faculty advisors for the individual majors are provided by the respective departments. The College of Engineering Announcement, which contains detailed information about the various programs and schedules, is published yearly and may be obtained by writing to the College of Engineering, Engineering I, Room 1030, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5130.
| English | 4 years |
| U.S. History | 1 year |
| Algebra | 2 years |
| Plane Geometry | 1 year |
| Trigonometry | 1/2 year |
| Physics or Chemistry
(preferably both) |
1 year |
| Foreign Language | 2 years |
A high-school student who is admitted to UCSB and is deficient in one or more of these prerequisites may be required to complete equivalent courses at UCSB. Students lacking these prerequisite high-school courses may be delayed in entering the upper division and in graduating.
Any student who is admissible to the university may be accepted by the College of Engineering provided that the college does not have more qualified applicants than openings, in which case preference will be given to advanced-standing students who are ready to enter the upper division and to freshmen. The supplemental screening for admission to the College of Engineering is based on further consideration of prior coursework, grades, test scores, and other factors.
Students entering the College of Engineering either as freshmen or as transfer students must be enrolled in a particular curriculum within the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, or the Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering.
Continuing students shall have completed substantially all of the lower-division requirements for the major they are pursuing. Students who have not done so should go to the undergraduate office to determine eligibility for upper-division work.
Transfer students shall have (1) satisfied the general requirements for admission to the university at the junior level for transfer students, and (2) substantially completed a lower-division engineering or computer science program of not fewer than 90 quarter-units or 60 semester-units. The program must include the subject requirements listed in the table "Subject Requirements for Entrance to the Upper Division."
(The university accepts a maximum of 105 quarter-units or 70 semester-units of credit for college courses completed at a two-year community college.)
Students in the College of Engineering must complete the General Education requirements in order to qualify for graduation. These requirements may be met with courses satisfactorily completed on this campus or with equivalent courses completed at another accredited college or university. Once a student has matriculated at UCSB, the writing requirement may be met only with designated UCSB courses. Lists of courses satisfying the various General Education area requirements are available in the Undergraduate Office of the College of Engineering.
The General Education requirements for the College of Engineering include:
| Engineering 2A-B-C or Writing 2 or 2LK and 50 or 50LK (Area A) | 8 units |
| Social Sciences (Area D) and Civilization and Thought (Area E) | 8-15 units |
| Arts (Area F) and Literature (Area G) | 8-15 units |
In the process of fulfilling the General Education area requirements, students must include the following:
1. At least four courses designated as general education and writing requirement classes. (These courses are identified in the handout General Education Requirements, available in the College of Engineering Undergraduate Office.)
2. At least two upper-division general education courses, from two separate departments, in each of which the student has already successfully completed one lower-division general education course.
3. One course that focuses on the history and cultural, intellectual, and social experience of racial minorities and/or other ethnic groups in the United States. Courses that meet this requirement are included in the General Education Requirements list available in the College of Engineering.
No more than two courses taken from the same department may be applied to the General Education requirement. Students should consult with the Office of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering for additional information about General Education requirements.
Courses taken at any of the UC campuses, except those through UC Extension, are included in the computation of the grade-point average.
Courses appropriate for satisfying major requirements must be used in the computation of the grade-point average even if they are in excess of the minimum requirements of the major program. Courses graded Incomplete, except those taken on a passed/not passed basis, will be included as F grades in final computations. Certain courses designated as remedial are offered for work-load credit only and do not figure in calculation of the grade-point average.
The following courses may be counted toward the unit minimums: courses repeated to raise C-, D, or F grades; courses passed by examination; courses graded IP (In Progress); courses passed during summer session at UCSB or at another accredited college or university and transferred to UCSB.
Students must obtain the approval of the dean of engineering to deviate from these requirements. Approval normally will be granted only in the case of medical disability, severe personal problems, or accident.
Students enrolled in dual-degree programs or in individualized programs of study must submit their proposed programs of study to the dean of engineering for approval. The individual programs must contain comparable standards of minimal academic progress.
Graduating students of the College of Engineering who have achieved distinguished scholarship while at the university may qualify for Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors at graduation.
Tau Beta Pi. Tau Beta Pi is the nation's oldest and largest engineering honor society. Its purpose is to honor academic achievement in engineering. Election to membership is by invitation only. To be eligible for consideration, students must be in the top one-eighth of their junior class or the top one-fifth of the senior class. Graduate students and faculty also belong to this honor society. In addition to regular meetings on campus, the organization participates in regional and national activities and sponsors local events, such as tutoring and leadership training, to serve the campus and community.
The College of Engineering also has chapters of Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society, and Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical engineering honor society.
Students planning to enter the pre-computer science program must complete at least 16 units of pre-major coursework at UCSB, including 8 units in computer science, with at least a 3.0 grade-point average for all pre-major courses completed with the University of California. Students who have completed the entire computer science pre-major with at least a 2.75 University of California grade-point average will be admitted to full major standing upon petition whether or not they have been officially declared pre-majors. Petitions for changing to the pre-computer science or computer science majors may be filed any time upon meeting the above requirements.
Before petitioning for a change of major to chemical, electrical, or mechanical engineering, the following courses or their equivalents must be completed: Mathematics 3A-B; Chemistry 1A-AL, 1B-BL; Engineering 1A-B or 2A-B or Computer Science 5FO; Physics 1.
Petitions for changing to an engineering major will be accepted only during the first four weeks of the spring quarter. Only a limited number of petitions will be approved, and selection for entry into the major will be based on UC grade-point averages and applicable courses completed.
Students who have completed more than 105 units will not be considered for a change of major into engineering or computer science unless they can demonstrate that they will be able to complete all the degree requirements for the proposed program without exceeding 195 total units.
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Association for Computing Machinery
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Los Ingenieros (Mexican-American Engineering Society/Society
of Hispanic Professional Engineers)
National Society of Black Engineers
Society of Automotive Engineers
Society of Women Engineers