How to Apply to Economics at UC Santa Barbara: The College of Letters and Science Does Not Consider Your Major Choice, and You Reach the Full Major After Pre-Major Courses and a 2.85 GPA, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), economics is taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Letters and Science. The department says it is home to more than 2,000 undergraduates and offers two Bachelor of Arts (BA) majors: Economics and Economics & Accounting. You apply to the university and the College through the University of California’s UC application, and UCSB admits for fall only. Here is what the websites say for fall 2027 entry, for U.S. applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Which economics programs exist

• Economics BA: the department says students gain a thorough understanding of economic theory, problem solving and analytical skills. The sites list a BA only, with no BS.
• Economics & Accounting BA: adds accounting and financial management courses and, the department says, prepares students for the CPA exam.
• STEM designation, minors, honors: the department pages consulted do not mention a STEM designation, a minor or an honors program. This is not published there; check the undergraduate program page or the advising office (ugrad@econ.ucsb.edu).
• Research and study abroad: the department encourages students to take part in economic research, join student organizations, use academic advising and career services, and study economics abroad.
• This site has separate guides for business and computer science, so they are not covered here.

2. How admission works: start as a pre-major, then petition for the full major

• Your major choice is not considered: UCSB’s first-year page says the College of Letters and Science does not consider choice of major and requires no supplemental application except for dance and music performance.
• Being admitted is not the same as being in the economics major: the department calls new students pre-Economics or pre-Economics & Accounting majors. To become a full major you finish the pre-major courses, meet the grade requirements, and file a Change of Major petition through the Student Success Hub. Petitions are due before the end of week 10 in regular quarters (week 6 for summer session B), and the department holds an information session each quarter.
• Entry requirements for Economics:
  • ECON 1 (microeconomics), ECON 2 (macroeconomics) and ECON 10A (intermediate microeconomics) with a UC GPA of at least 2.85;
  • no grade below C in any pre-major course;
  • plus ECON 5 (statistics for economics) and calculus (MATH 2A-B, 3A-B or 34A-B) with a C or higher; these grades are not part of the 2.85 but count toward the overall major GPA. The major sheet says “ECON 5 or PSTAT 120A” while the department web page says only ECON 5, so the two differ slightly.
• Entry requirements for Economics & Accounting: a 2.85 UC GPA in ECON 1, 2, 3A-B (financial accounting) and 10A; the other conditions are the same.
• Only UC courses count: only courses taken at a UC campus count toward the 2.85. Equivalents of ECON 1 and 2 taken elsewhere earn credit but you must still reach 2.85 with the remaining courses. ECON 10A must be taken at UCSB, and the major sheet also says ECON 5 must be taken at UCSB. Students who complete all other pre-major courses elsewhere must earn a B or better in ECON 10A.
• ECON 5 can only help: if the ECON 5 grade lifts you to 2.85, the department counts it; if it does not help, it is not counted, so it cannot pull the pre-major GPA down. Only the first attempt of ECON 5 can be used.
• ECON 10A retake exam: a student below 2.85 who earned a C or better on the first attempt of ECON 10A (a Pass does not count) and has taken it only once may take up to two retake opportunities; the exam grade replaces the 10A grade for the 2.85 calculation (the original grade stays on GOLD). Students who took equivalents of ECON 1, 2, 3A or 3B through UC Online are not eligible.
• No P/NP: no pre-major course, major course or outside course applied to the major may be taken Pass/No Pass; the department warns that passing a course under P/NP means you cannot repeat it for a letter grade. A course with a C- or lower can be repeated once under UCSB policy.
• Upper-division economics needs full-major status: prerequisites are enforced and no exceptions are granted.
• The department also says economics classes are “very impacted” and recommends backup courses. The pages consulted do not say the major is guaranteed or how many students enter it.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school math: UC’s A-G rules require three years of college-preparatory math (algebra, geometry, advanced algebra) with a fourth year recommended. This applies to all majors; the economics pages do not add a separate high school math requirement, and that is not published there.
• Pre-major and preparation courses: ECON 1 and 2 (10 units), ECON 10A (5 units); ECON 5 or PSTAT 120A (5 units); calculus MATH 2A-B, 3A-B or 34A-B (8 to 10 units). The department says calculus must be done before ECON 5, and calculus, micro and macro before ECON 10A.
• Upper division, Economics BA (40 upper-division units): ECON 100B (intermediate micro), 101 (intermediate macro) and 140A (econometrics), 4 units each; six upper-division electives; and one more elective chosen from the elective list or from ECON 118, 136A-B-C, 137A-B, 138A-B or 185. At most 4 units of ECON 199 count.
• Economics & Accounting (49 upper-division units): ECON 100B, 101, 134A, 140A, 118, 136A-B-C, 137A, one elective and two more electives from the department’s list.
• GPA: at least a 2.0 UC average in all upper-division major courses and in all major courses (preparation and upper division).
• When courses run (2026-27 schedule, subject to change): ECON 1 in fall and winter, ECON 2 in winter and spring, ECON 5 and 10A in fall, winter and spring.
• Exam credit: the department page links to “AP, IB and A-Level credit” but that page was not read, so which exams replace which economics courses is not published in what was consulted; check with the Registrar or the department. The transfer page states that AP macroeconomics and microeconomics may not be used to satisfy transfer major preparation.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027)

• Dates: the UC application opens August 1; submit October 1 to November 30, 2026; decisions come in mid-March; the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1; official transcripts by July 1; official AP, IB, TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo scores by July 15. The dates page lists this one round only.
• Review: 13 holistic review factors; UCSB says it does not compare you with other applicants.
• SAT/ACT: UCSB does not use SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships; they may be used for course placement after enrollment.
• Application fee, essay prompts and recommendation letters are not covered in the UCSB pages consulted and are not published there; check the UC application and the UCSB admissions site.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants

• First-year minimums: C or better in A-G subjects and an A-G GPA of at least 3.0 (3.4 for non-California residents), calculated from grades 10 and 11. Meeting the minimums does not assure admission.
• Admission works as above and the College does not consider your major. Beyond the GPA difference, the pages consulted do not describe any in-state preference.
• Costs: the 2026-27 budget for a new student in residence halls: tuition and student services fee $15,588, campus-based fees $2,085, books and supplies $1,515, rent $13,203, food $10,782, transportation $789, health care $4,008, personal $2,652, phone $324, for a California resident total of $50,946; non-residents add $39,270 supplemental tuition, and the page shows a non-resident total of $90,216.

International applicants

• Academics: you need a certificate that lets you attend university in your own country, and UCSB says grades and exam scores must be “excellent” to be competitive. Report grades exactly as they appear on your record rather than converting them; you do not send transcripts when applying, and admitted students who accept send official grade 9 to 12 records, the diploma and official exam results. IB applicants need at least six exams, three at higher level, a 5 average, nothing below 4 and a diploma of 30 or more; British-system applicants need at least five GCSE/IGCSE exams (3.4 GPA) and three A-Levels (3.0 unweighted GPA, nothing below C).
• English: required if your first language is not English and your instruction was not in English or you have fewer than three years of English instruction. The listed ways to show it: TOEFL iBT 4.5 (tests taken January 2026 or later) or 80 (earlier); IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 115; ACT English 24; SAT Writing and Language 31 (the digital SAT Reading and Writing score is not approved); AP English Language or Literature 3 or higher; the relevant IB English A scores; or a UC-transferable English composition course with a C or better. Take tests by the December date before enrollment; TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo are valid two years; IELTS One Skill Retake and TOEFL MyBest are not accepted.
• Proof of funds: after admission and the SIR, give the Office of International Students and Scholars proof of funding for the first year. The I-20 process can begin after the SIR, and UCSB encourages starting as early as April.
• Aid: UCSB says financial aid and scholarships for international students are very limited and international students must secure private funding.

Applicants from China

• UCSB’s international first-year page lists a minimum by country; for China: the upper middle school and senior high school graduation certificates with a B average. The page does not say whether gaokao scores are considered; that is not published there, so ask admissions@ucsb.edu.
• The University of California country page says applicants on the Chinese national curriculum list every course and mark from grade 9 through 12 exactly as on their records, and if admitted submit the upper middle school graduation certificate and official records for grades 9 to 12. Those on IGCSE/GCSE/GCE need at least five IGCSE/GCSE/GCE O-Levels and at least three academic A-Level exams. IB applicants have a separate set of instructions.
• English scores: UCSB requires them if your first language is not English and your instruction was not in English or was in English for fewer than three years (see above); the page gives no separate rule for schools in China.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Costs are above. The pages consulted do not list any extra college fee for economics majors; that is not published there.
• International scholarships: UCSB says they are very limited and points to resources from the international students office; the pages consulted do not name specific scholarships.

7. Research and internships

• The undergraduate pages consulted only encourage research participation, student organizations, advising, career services and study abroad. They do not list specific internships or research positions.
• Up to 4 units of ECON 199 (independent studies) count toward the upper-division major; ECON 199RA does not.

8. Transfer students

• Basics: by the end of spring before transfer, complete 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-transferable units and the seven-course pattern (two English composition courses, one math course beyond intermediate algebra such as college algebra, precalculus or statistics, and four courses from at least two of arts and humanities, behavioral and social sciences, biological and physical sciences), each with a C or better. The UC-transferable GPA must be at least 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for non-residents; UCSB says a selective GPA for most majors is 3.4 or above.
• Economics is a selective major: the selective majors page says all Economics BA and Economics & Accounting BA applicants must complete four preparation courses, macroeconomics, microeconomics and two calculus courses, with a GPA of 2.75 or better and no grade below C. AP macroeconomics and microeconomics may not be used. List an economics major as your first choice; if you would consider another field, choose an alternate major outside economics. Students not admitted to economics may be admitted to the alternate major and should expect to finish their degree in it.
• Two different GPAs: transfer selection uses the 2.75 on four prep courses. After enrolling, the department’s page uses a 2.85 UC GPA in ECON 1, 2 and 10A to enter the full major, and ECON 5 and 10A must be taken at UCSB. The department clears prerequisites using the admissions “New Student Profile” plus unofficial transcripts you upload, and it needs final grades.
• Credit: UCSB has articulation agreements only with California community colleges (see assist.org); admissions counselors cannot pre-evaluate coursework from other institutions. The department asks transfer students who want to substitute courses from another college to email an unofficial transcript to the undergraduate office.
• Dates: TAG application September 1 to 30; UC application October 1 to November 30; Transfer Academic Update December 15 to January 31 (further updates through March 15); decisions in mid-April; SIR by June 1.
• International transfer applicants: report all college coursework; show English with two UC-transferable English composition courses (C or better), and English courses at non-U.S. schools taught in another language do not count. UCSB recommends the Duolingo test but says applicants who skip it are not at a disadvantage.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Submit the UC application October 1 to November 30, 2026; non-California residents need an A-G GPA of at least 3.4
• After enrolling, take ECON 1, 2 and 10A, reach a 2.85 UC GPA with no grade below C, add ECON 5 and calculus with C or better, then file the Change of Major petition

International applicants (including China):

• Submit October 1 to November 30; report grades as printed; meet the English scores and test by December
• China: graduation certificates with a B average; gaokao use is not published, ask admissions
• After admission, show proof of funds; aid for international students is very limited

Transfer students:

• 60 semester units; non-resident GPA 2.8; macro, micro and two calculus courses at 2.75 or better
• List economics as your first choice; take ECON 5 and 10A at UCSB after enrolling

Sources: UC Santa Barbara and the University of California, Economics: undergraduate program; Economics: pre-major and entering the major; Economics: 2026-27 courses; Economics: exchange and visiting students; Economics major sheet (2025-2026); Economics & Accounting major sheet (2025-2026); International applicants; International first-year eligibility and selection; First-year eligibility and selection; English language proficiency; Dates and deadlines; Transfer eligibility and selection; International transfer applicants; Selective majors for transfer; 2026-27 undergraduate cost of attendance; UC A-G subject requirement; UC first-year information by country. The dates page lists October 1 to November 30, 2026 for fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27 budgets for 2026 entrants; the major sheets are the 2025-2026 editions. Check UCSB and UC for the latest details.