How and When To Register for Courses at UCSB
See the Welcome New Students page on the UCSB Office of the Registrar’s website for instructions on how to register for classes with the UCSB Gaucho On-Line Data (GOLD) system. To see important dates for upcoming quarters, including holiday closures and final exam dates, view the UCSB academic calendar for the 2024-2025 year.
All incoming graduate students can register for classes during Pass 2, which begins May 2. (Pass 1 for Fall Quarter is only open to continuing students). Consult the "Registration" tab on GOLD for the days/times of your pass periods. Register at the beginning of your designated pass times to take full advantage of your allotted time for registration. It is important for all incoming PhD students to register for class well in advance of the start of school, as we cannot pay your fees, issue stipends or pay your health insurance if you are not registered in 12 units!
All graduate students can resume registration during Pass 3, which begins September 9. Students registering for classes after Thursday, September 26, 2024 (the first day of classes) are subject to a $50 late registration fee. Payment of fees is due on the first day of classes. Please visit UCSB's Office of the Registrar website for more information regarding Fall Quarter registration pass times.
During Pass 2, you may enroll in up to 19 units. However, we recommend that you do not enroll in more than 16-18 units in any quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring). To achieve official registration status during the academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters), students must be registered, with fees paid, in a minimum of 12 units. New PhD students are required to take at least one course for a letter grade in the first quarter of enrollment to establish a Grade Point Average (GPA).
Although it is a highly-individualized program, the Bren School PhD program does require that each student complete the following interdisciplinary seminar courses prior to graduation: ESM 512: Conduct & Professional Skills for Interdisciplinary Research; ESM 513: Environmental Research Design; and ESM 514: Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research.
This Fall, new PhD students should enroll in the following courses:
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ESM 512: Research Ethics and Conduct (2 units)
This is a required course all Bren PhD students must take. Please enroll in this course for a letter grade to establish your GPA for Fall Quarter (which is a requirement for Fall quarter).
You should talk with your faculty advisor about other courses that you should enroll in for the year. You can enroll in ESM 596: Directed Reading and Research with your faculty advisor for the remainder of units you need to meet the 12 unit requirement. You can enroll in up to 12 units of this course in any given quarter.
During your second year, PhD students should plan to enroll in the following courses:
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ESM 513: Environmental Research Design (4 units)
Please enroll in this course in the Fall Quarter of your second year -
ESM514: Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research (4 units)
Please enroll in this course in the Winter Quarter of your second year
Students interested in being a Teaching Assistant for one of the Master's courses at Bren in a future year might also consider registering for those courses in their first year. Incoming PhD students should consult with their primary academic advisor for guidance on which additional course(s) to enroll in for Fall Quarter. To view the schedule of courses being offered at Bren, please visit the Current Student Resources page. PhD course descriptions and program requirements can be found in the PhD Academics section. We also recommend checking the quantitative courses list and qualitative courses list across the campus maintained by Bren PhD students. These include course descriptions along with student comments. Please ensure you are registered for class well in advance of the first day of classes. We can not pay your stipend or pay for your fees unless you are registered for class.
Payment of fees is due on the first day of classes. Students pay for courses through their BARC (Billing Accounts Receivable Collections unit) account. For more information about BARC accounts, see the BARC subsection on the Financial and Residency page.
Purchasing Books for Courses
Required textbooks are listed in the course syllabus and/or in Canvas. Students are encouraged to purchase or rent their books online from sources such as Amazon.com or Textbooks.com. Bren School professors generally do not have their books available at the UCSB Bookstore. Students are also encouraged to check course syllabi for any additional course material not listed on the Bren website. Most course syllabi are linked to the course description on the PhD Courses page. Just click on the course number (e.g., ESM 201) to view the most recent syllabus for that class.
Students may use the listserv random@lists.bren.ucsb.edu to ask other Bren students about buying or selling books. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe.
Professors may require a course reader (a compilation of related readings not found in the required textbook) that may be purchased in person at either of the following locations:
- SBPrinter.com: UCSB University Center (UCen) Room 2264. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- UCSB Associated Students (AS) Publications: UCen Room 1531, next to AS Cashiers and Ticket Office windows. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
INTRODUCTION & TIMELINE
What should you be doing now?
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
PhD core courses and registration timeline
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATIONS
Orientation events for the Bren School, including the PhD Retreat, lab safety training, Graduate Division orientation, and activities for international students
FINANCIAL & RESIDENCY RESOURCES
Cost of attendance, paying your bill, BARC, FAFSA, establishing residency, and TA/GSR positions
CAMPUS RESOURCES
ACCESS student ID cards, computing, email, health insurance, housing, transportation, campus resources, and more