To graduate from UCSB, you must earn a 2.0 or higher University of California (UC) grade-point average (GPA) in three areas:
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All courses attempted on a letter-graded basis.
- All courses required for and applicable to your major(s), including:
• both lower- and upper-division courses.
• both courses offered by your major department and courses offered by other departments but applicable to your major. -
All courses required for and applicable to your upper-division major. If you are pursuing a minor, you must also earn a 2.0 or higher UC GPA in courses applicable to the upper-division minor.
Frequently Asked Questions about the GPA Requirement
- According to this requirement, do I need to earn a C or higher
in every class I take? Will I have to repeat a course if I get less than
a C?
Not at all. Since this is a grade-point average requirement, you can balance a low grade in one course with a high grade in another. However, note the following circumstances in which you must earn at least a C grade:
- You must earn at least a C in Writing 1 to fulfill the Subject A requirement.
- Some majors require a certain minimum grade in specified courses. Check the requirements in your own major.
- The prerequisites to some courses specify not only other courses but also a minimum grade of C in those prerequisite courses. Be sure to check the General Catalog for prerequisites to courses that you plan to take in the future.
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It sounds as though I can get by with C grades in everything, then. Is that right?
Not exactly. Some majors have pre-major GPA requirements that are higher than 2.0. If you hope to pursue one of those majors, you must meet the published standard. Also keep in mind that your grades may affect access to some opportunities after graduation, such as graduate and professional school, some internships, and some jobs. -
If I get a low grade in a course at UCSB, can I fix the problem by going to summer school at my local community college?
Sorry, but that is not an option, because this requirement is a University of California GPA. Grades from other institutions do not apply. -
If I take extra courses in my major, can I choose the best grades for my GPA?
Unfortunately, you cannot make that choice. The regulation explicitly states that all UC courses required for or applicable to your major and upper-division major must be used in the calculation.
