Incoming PhD Student Campus Resources

Guide Sections:

Introduction & Timeline
Registration
New Student Orientation
Financial and Residency Resources
Campus Resources

ACCESS STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS

ACCESS cards are UCSB campus identification (ID) cards that allow students access to the UCSB Recreation Center, UCSB Library Resources, free or reduced admission to campus events, free rides on the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) busses, and more.  Additionally, Bren students need these ID cards to access study rooms at Bren Hall outside of normal business hours. For this reason, all Bren students are required to purchase a card. 

How to Obtain an Access Card
Bren students usually get their cards during the first few days of orientation. Typically, Student ID cards are available at the Information Desk on the main floor of the UCSB University Center. Request an Access ID following the instructions provided on the Access website and then pick up your card the following business day anytime between 10am-4pm M-F at the UCen Post Office (access through the lower level facing the lagoon). A $30 charge will appear on your BARC account. More information on ACCESS Cards can be found here: https://www.accessid.ucsb.edu/

Ride the bus for free!
UCSB students may ride the MTD buses anywhere between Goleta and Carpinteria at no cost by tapping their valid student ID (ACCESS Card) on the top of the farebox when boarding the bus. Click here for more information. 

COMPUTING AT BREN HALL

All computers available to students at Bren Hall are PCs. Students often use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in their courses. Wireless internet is available throughout Bren Hall for personal connectivity and there are several laptop stations where students can bring their own machines to do their work. The Bren School offers beginning- and intermediate-level Excel workshops during the first few weeks of fall quarter. The Bren community also uses Google's Gmail and Calendar for their e-mail and calendaring needs. An introduction to our computer systems and how to access them in-house and remotely, will be reviewed during orientation. Before orientation please review this helpful information put together by the Bren IT team.

UNIVERSITY EMAIL AND LISTSERVS

The UCSB U-Mail Student E-Mail Service provides e-mail and other affiliated electronic services for UCSB's student population. Activate your U-Mail account by visiting https://secure.identity.ucsb.edu/manager/. Your U-Mail address will be used to configure a bren.ucsb.edu address, please set up your U-Mail account before orientation.

The Bren Random listserv is used by Bren faculty, staff, and students to advertise various events, items for sale, and housing opportunities. Sign up for random@lists.bren.ucsb.edu by following these instructions.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance is mandatory for all registered UCSB students and is a condition of enrollment. All full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students are automatically enrolled in, and charged for, the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP). 

UC SHIP is an affordable, comprehensive, medical insurance plan tailored to the health care needs of UCSB students. The medical plan features year-round, worldwide coverage using the Anthem Blue Cross network, and includes prepaid access to care at the UCSB Student Health Center for illness or injury. You will automatically be enrolled in UC SHIP effective shortly before the start of fall quarter for the 2024-2025 academic year. Click here for a full list of coverage dates. 

If you have health insurance coverage you prefer, you may apply online for an insurance waiver confirming you have acceptable health insurance coverage that you would like to use instead of UC SHIP.  Students may waive enrollment in UC SHIP if they meet certain criteria. Please see this UCSB Student Health page for more information: http://studenthealth.sa.ucsb.edu/insurance/waiving-unwaiving-health-insurance

If you need your health insurance coverage to start up to 14 days prior to the start of school, you may request an early start at no extra charge. Please send an email with your UCSB student ID (perm) number, UCSB email, street address, date of birth, and gender to kristine@bren.ucsb.edu by August 4, 2024, to submit a request. 

All students can access student health, regardless of their health insurance (UC SHIP or an outside plan). There are also some services available for free to all students including the advice nurse, social workers and alcohol and drug counselors. 

ADDITIONAL BREN SCHOOL RESOURCES

Brengrass
Brengrass is the Bren School's unofficial official band! Composed mostly of Bren School MESM and PhD students, Brengrass covers all of your favorite hits and has evolved over the last decade from a jam band to an official musical outfit that books shows at local events and performs at major Bren School events, including commencement and the annual donor appreciation event. If you play an instrument or enjoy singing with friends, then you're invited to join Brengrass this Fall! Learn more about Brengrass by talking with current students and visiting its Facebook page.
 

ADDITIONAL UCSB CAMPUS RESOURCES

Associated Students
The Associated Students at UCSB offers additional information on campus safety, health services, sports & recreation information, suggestions on places to eat, as well as information about campus diversity and ways to get involved on campus.

UCSB Recreation Center (Rec Cen)
The UCSB Recreation Center (Rec Cen) hosts swimming pools, gymnasia, weight rooms, racquetball/squash courts and locker room facilities. Rec Cen facilities are available for use by UCSB students using their ACCESS card once their registration fees have been paid through their BARC account in September. For information regarding membership, center hours, intra-murals, and group fitness activities, please visit the Recreation Department website.

In addition, check out UCSB Adventure Programs for organized outdoor adventure trips offered at a reduced rate to UCSB students! 

UCSB Graduate Division
The UCSB Graduate Division  (Grad Div) is the administrative unit for graduate studies at UCSB providing oversight for 47 graduate programs. Grad Div works to ensure a positive and productive educational experience for all graduate students and is committed to academic excellence, diversity, and intellectual innovation in graduate education. Grad Div also produces GradPost, an online newspaper with the latest information on graduate student issues such as events, careers, workshops, funding opportunities, classified ads, and much more.

The UCSB Graduate Division Fall Orientation for incoming graduate students will be on TBD. For more information, please review the Graduate Division’s Admitted Students page, the GradPosts New Students page and the  UCSB Graduate Policies and Procedures web pages.

Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC) 
Located on the first floor of the Student Resource Building (Room 1215), the GSRC is the primary resource for graduate students at UCSB for career and professional development support. They offer a variety of workshops and events, individual advising, and referrals to other campus resources that serve graduate students. The Graduate Division Graduate Student Resource Center can be reached at (805) 893-8994 or via e-mail at GSRC@graddiv.ucsb.edu.

Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS)
OISS provides immigration support for the UCSB community, international student advising, and cultural programs. International students are encouraged to visit the OISS website for information about what steps to take as a newly-admitted UCSB student. The International Student Association (ISA) on campus may also be of interest to incoming international students.

Disabled Students Program (DSP)
UCSB strives to provide equal support and academic services for all student populations. The Disabled Students Program (DSP) staff work in an advisory capacity with a variety of campus departments to ensure that equal access is provided to all students. Students are responsible for applying to the Disabled Students Program themselves. The DSP office is located in 2120 Student Resource Building (SRB).

Graduate Students Association (GSA)
The GSA is an elected representative government for graduate and professional students at UCSB. The GSA works to ensure that graduate student concerns are addressed in on- and off-campus policy decisions. The GSA also provides graduate students with information concerning decisions that are relevant to graduate student life and organizes graduate social events. The Bren School has four representatives in the GSA, elections for the new representatives take place during the school year.

Feel free to drop by the GSA Lounge which is open to all graduate students. They are located in the University Center Room 2502 MC 6052.

Counseling Services
UCSB offers counseling services to graduate students through the UCSB Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). The goal of personal counseling is to provide you with assistance in resolving the personal and relationship concerns which could impede your academic progress. 24/7 phone consultations are available at 805-893-4411. 

Ryan Sims offers Graduate Division’s Graduate Academic Counseling and is also a great resource to support students with their academic goals, time management skills and mental health concerns.

Student Wellbeing
Student well-being is integral to academic success, student development, and life satisfaction. UCSB Student Affairs’s Student Wellbeing website provides links to a range of services related to well-being such as: assistance with basic needs (food, housing, finances); counseling and physical health resources, daily wellness centers and programs; social connection, and personal safety. 

Basic Needs Resources
The UCSB Basic Needs Resources website provides a centralized source of information regarding healthy and sustainable food options at UCSB and in the local community. It also has helpful links for financial resources, mental health, and technological support. 

MultiCultural Center
The MultiCultural Center (MCC), located in the UCen, serves as a bridge between underrepresented groups on campus and the broader UCSB community. The MCC offers a broad spectrum of events from lectures, panel talks, films, dance, poetry readings, and other events, all open to the general public. 

Sexual & Gender Diversity Center
The Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity (RCSGD) works with students, staff, and faculty to ensure that LGBTQ identities, experiences, and concerns are represented and addressed at UCSB. The center, located on the 3rd floor of the Student Resources Building, aims to create a vibrant and engaging environment through social and educational programming, volunteer and leadership opportunities, a comfortable and welcoming social and study space and a space to provide support and advocacy. The RCSGD hopes that all LGBTQ students can thrive at UCSB, feeling safe, affirmed and valued on campus. 

Arts & Lectures
Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures program is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Arts & Lectures annually presents more than a hundred events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues.