Petitions (Forms)

You must be a student in the College of Letters and Science to submit these forms. (College of Engineering Students or College of Creative Studies students should contact advisors in their colleges even when the request pertains to a course offered by Letters and Science.)

Email academic_advising@Ltsc.ucsb.edu if you experience login issues when visiting the petitions links below. Include your name and PERM for faster assistance.

Petitions & Forms Menu

Credit, Degree, and/or General Education Requirements Petitions Courses: Add/Drop/Grading Change Petitions

Allow 2 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office. Please note that once a student's degree is finalized (the student has graduated) no courses may be added or dropped and no grading changes can be made.

Course Load Change Petitions Allow 2 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office. Change of Major & College Forms Allow 6-8 Weeks for major changes to be reflected on GOLD

Other Petitions and Forms

Please go to the Registrar's "Forms" webpage for university-wide forms: Undergraduate Withdrawal (from an entire term), Readmission/Reinstatement, and more.

General Education Requirements

Purpose: To request a transfer course, UC EAP course, or a UC Cross-Campus Enrollment course be applied to General Education requirements.

Petition Instructions:

You must provide the following with your petition:

  1. Review the "UCSB General Education Program Outcomes and Transfer Guide" to ensure the course meets UCSB's GE Area requirements.
  2. A brief Written Statement (1-2 paragraphs) justifying your request and providing relevant details.
  3. Supporting Documents such as a syllabus, course description, assignments, and exams that could aid the College’s evaluation of the course. A copy of the paper(s) must be included when petitioning for Area A credit.

When is a GE petition not necessary?

Petition Processing & Notification: Allow 3-4 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office.

Special Subject Writing Requirement Instructions

Purpose: Students in the College of Letters and Science may request Special Subject Writing Requirement credit for up to two UC or UCEAP courses that are not currently applied to the Writing Requirement. Courses from other institutions may not be petitioned.

Petition Instructions:

You must provide the following with your petition:

Note: Beginning Fall 2023, courses under 3 units will not be considered for the GE Writing Requirement, this includes general labs (i.e. Chem 1AL, 1BL, 1CL). It has been determined that there is insufficient writing instruction for these courses to be applied to the requirement.

Petition Processing & Notification: Allow 3-4 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office.

Credit and Enrollment Clarification

Purpose: For Concurrent Enrollment, Second Repeat, Legal Repeat, and more

Petition Instructions:

1. Use this form in order to:

2. Complete ALL sections of the form legibly with all of the requested information.

3. Submit Request Here. Be sure to upload the downloaded form with all required signatures to your request.

Petition Processing and Notification: 1-2 weeks

Add a Course--Late

Purpose: To add a course during the quarter the course is offered after the “Add” deadline (the 15th day of instruction) during a regular quarter.

Submit Request Here Petition Instructions:
  1. Contact Instructor for approval. The instructor's approval is always required to add a course late. In some situations, the department's approval is also required. Please look on GOLD under “Course Information” > “Restrictions” to see if the course requires department approval.
  2. Complete Petition using link above. If the class you are petitioning has multiple sections, make sure to include the 5 digit “enrollment number” (found on GOLD) of the section you have approval to enroll in.
  3. Upload an email from the instructor and/or department advisor that indicates you are approved to add the course late.

NOTE: If you are requesting to add an Independent Study Course (numbered 98/99/198/199/199RA), please check if you need to submit an Independent Study Exception in place of a Late Add Petition. If the exception petition is approved, the class will be added to your schedule.

Petition Processing and Notification: Allow 1-2 weeks to process. If the exception petition is approved, the class will be added to your schedule and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Add a Course--Retroactive

Purpose: To add a course to a quarter after the final day of instruction.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Contact Instructor for approval. The instructor's approval is always required to add a course retroactively. In some situations, the department's approval is also required. Please look on GOLD under “Course Information” > “Restrictions” to see if the course requires department approval.
  2. Complete Petition using link above. Be sure to include “enrollment number”. If the class you are petitioning for has multiple sections, make sure to include the 5 digit enrollment number (found on GOLD) of the section you have approval to enroll in.
  3. Include a "Written Statement". Be sure to address the following:

4. Upload an email from the instructor and/or department advisor that indicates you are approved to add the course retroactively.

5. If the petition is approved, follow up with the instructor to request that the grade is recorded in eGrades.

Petition Processing and Notification: Allow 1-2 weeks for the college to review the petition after submitting. If the exception petition is approved, the class will be added to your schedule and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Drop a Course--Late (with a W)

Purpose: To drop (or Withdraw) from one or more, but not all, UCSB (*not UCEAP or UC Online) courses in a quarter after the “Drop” deadline on GOLD and before the last day of instruction of the quarter.

Note: To drop all courses in a quarter before the quarter's last day of instruction, students must complete the "Undergraduate Withdrawal" form available in the “Forms” section of the Office of the Registrar’s website.

Petitioning a Late Drop for Academic reasons: Up to three “Late Drop” requests can be approved while enrolled at UCSB primarily for academic reasons provided the requests meet the following criteria:

Petition Instructions for Academic Reasons:

  1. Complete the Late Drop petition.
  2. Include a “Written Statement” describing the reason for dropping the course AND an explanation for why the course was not dropped prior to the deadline.
  3. Provide any relevant documentation.

Petitioning for a Late Drop for Hardship reasons: Late drops for hardship reasons will be considered if a student experienced an unanticipated personal or family hardship that affected their performance in a course.

Petition Instructions for Hardship Reasons:

  1. Complete the Late Drop petition.
  2. Include a “Written Statement” describing:

3. Provide any relevant documentation. Please provide documentation to help verify the hardship. For example, a doctor or therapist note, receipts, wage statements, an obituary notice, legal papers, etc. If documentation is unavailable, requests will still be considered.

Decision notification for Late Drops: 1-2 weeks. If the drop is approved, the course remains on the transcript with a "W" (Withdrawn) listed as the grade. If your request is approved, your record will reflect the change, and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

*Please contact the Internatinal Academic Specialist for the country or area of your program for information about how to petition to drop a UC EAP course. Go to the UC Online Education website for information about how to drop a UCOE course.

Drop a Course–Retroactive (with a W)

Purpose: To drop (or Withdraw) from one or all UCSB (*not UC EAP or UC Online) courses in a quarter after the last day of instruction. See the Registrar’s Registration Calendar for quarter/session deadlines.

Note: Retroactive drops have a higher standard for approval than late drops and are granted for Hardship reasons only. (See Petitioning for a Late Drop for Hardship reasons instructions above). Requests to retroactively drop a course primarily for Academic reasons will not be granted.

Submit Request Here

Decision notification for Retroactive Drops: 2-3 weeks. If the drop is approved, the course remains on the transcript with a "W" (Withdrawn) listed as the grade. If your request is approved, your record will reflect the change, and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

Grading Option Change

Purpose: To change the grading option for a UCSB (*not UCEAP or UC Online) course after the last day of instruction for a quarter. (Check deadline on GOLD)

The UCSB Academic Senate has given the Dean very limited authority to approve retroactive grading option changes. Only a course allowing optional grading can be considered (check “Course Info” in GOLD for grading options). Generally, a grading option change petition can be approved for a course that allows optional grading only under the following circumstances:

A. A student can document a technical problem in GOLD that prevented them from making the change before the last day of instruction in the term the course was offered; or

B. The change is from Letter Grade to Passed/Not Passed for a course in which the student received a C- or lower, and the student can document a significant unanticipated hardship that prevented them from being successful in the course; or

C. A student has completed all other degree requirements and the change in the grading option for the course will allow the student to graduate.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Complete the “Grading Option Change” Petition
  2. Provide a “Written Statement” describing your reasons for requesting the grading option change and how they align with at least one of the circumstances detailed in A, B, or C above.
  3. Provide any relevant documentation verifying that your situation falls within the circumstances above.

Note for Students in their First Three Quarters. Beginning in Fall 2023, students may change the grading option in GOLD after the grading option deadline for one or more courses in which they earn a C- or lower (thus giving a student a NP for the course) with the following conditions:

For Grading Options Changes that do not meet the conditions for first year students above a Grading Option Change Petition is required.

Decision notification for Grade Option Changes: Allow 2-3 weeks for request to be processed. If your request is approved, your record will reflect the change, and a $3 transaction charge will be billed to your BARC account.

*Please contact the Internatinal Academic Specialist for the country or area of your program for information about how to petition for a grading option change for a UC EAP course. Go to the UC Online Education website for information about how to drop a UCOE course.

Enrolling in Independent Study Courses

Purpose: To enroll in an Independent Student course (numbered 98/99/198/199/199RA).

Petition Instructions:

  1. See the course department(s) to obtain approval. Obtain and complete a proposal for each independent study course desired.
  2. Secure a recommendation from a faculty sponsor(s) and the chair of the course department(s).
  3. Submit completed request and proposal(s) to the course department(s).
  4. After the request is reviewed, the department will provide information on how to add the course.

Note: A “Late Add” petition with instructor and department approval is required to add the course after the “Late Add” deadline.

Enrollment Restrictions for Independent Study Courses:

Independent Study Exception Form

Purpose: To enroll in an Independent Study course (numbered 98/99/198/199/199RA) outside normal restrictions. This form should be used for:

Note: No more than 30 independent study units will be accepted towards the bachelor's degree, and no exceptions can be made for this policy.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Secure a recommendation from a faculty sponsor(s) and the chair of the course department(s).
  2. Obtain and complete a proposal for each independent study course proposed.
  3. Complete the “Independent Study Exception” Petition including a short “Written Statement” justifying the request.
  4. Send the form including the Written Statement to academic_advising@Ltsc.ucsb.edu for the Dean's signature and the College's approval.

Petition Processing & Notification: Allow 1-2 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office. If approved, the course(s) will be automatically added to your schedule. A “Late-Add” petition is not needed if adding the course after the “add” deadline.

Deficit Load

Purpose: To enroll in fewer than 12 units for a regular quarter. International Students on an F-1 Visa should submit the OISS Reduced Course Load (RCL) form through UCSBGlobal in place of this form. The RCL will be signed by the College advisor and OISS.

Petition Instructions:

Partial Fee Reduction Information: Students enrolled in 10 or fewer units may qualify for a tuition fee reduction. An approval of a deficit load petition does not automatically result in a reduction of fees. To qualify student should complete the Request for Partial Fee Reduction by the 15th day of instruction of the quarter being requested. For more information and questions about the fee reduction email registration@sa.ucsb.edu or go to the Registrar’s Website.

Petition Processing & Notification: Allow 1-2 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office before making changes to schedule on GOLD. It is the student’s responsibility to drop any courses on GOLD by the published deadline.

Permanent Deficit Load

Purpose: To enroll in fewer than 12 units for the remainder of one's undergraduate studies. This request, if approved, will eliminate the need to petition for a deficit program at the beginning of each quarter.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Complete the “Course Load Change” Petition before the start of the term in which you are seeking a permanent deficit course load.
  2. Provide a “Written Statement” with a detailed explanation for any of the personal, academic, medical, employment, or other reasons for the request.
  3. Provide any relevant documentation. For example, verification of employment, Doctor’s notes, etc.

Partial Fee Reduction Information: An approval of a PERMANENT deficit load will automatically result in a reduction of fees if a student enrolls in 10 or fewer units. An additional form is not needed. For information and questions about the fee reduction email registration@sa.ucsb.edu or go to Registrar’s Website.

Excess Load

Purpose: To enroll in more than the published maximum units for a quarter. A student should complete this petition to enroll in:

Petition Instructions:

  1. Complete the “Course Load Change” Petition before the start of the term in which you are seeking an Excess Course Load.
  2. Provide a “Written Statement” with a detailed explanation for your reasons for undertaking an excess program.
  3. List all courses you propose to complete for the Effective Quarter specified in the field provided. The courses listed should total the units requested.

NOTE: Requests for more than 30 units for a regular quarter (fall, winter, spring) are very rarely approved by the dean. To be considered, students should have a strong academic record and provide an extraordinary and compelling justification in the written statement.

Petition Processing & Notification: Allow 1-2 Weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office before making changes to schedule on GOLD. Petitions submitted prior to the requested quarter will be held and processed when grades for the current quarter are reported.

​ Change of Major Instructions

Purpose: "The Undergraduate Letters & Science Major Change Form" is used by Letters and Science students to: 1) change majors or 2) add/drop a Double Major in the College of Letters and Science.

Petition Instructions:

If you know the major you want to declare:

  1. Contact the department advisor for the intended major to discuss the department's "Change of Major" process. The department advisor will gather the required signatures fro the form on your behalf. Please do not contact the chair or the Dean. You can find the department advisor by going to the department's website (check under "Staff" or "Undergraduate Advising" for the advisor's drop-in hours or email contact information).
  2. Obtain a copy of the major requirements sheet. You can usually find these on the major department's website or the UCSB Catalog.
  3. Complete the “Change of Major” form and send the completed form along with a copy of the major requirements sheet to your new major's department advisor for approval to join the major.

In most cases, the department's approval is all you need. However, the approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Education is also needed if:

***You do NOT need to personally contact the dean for this approval. Your major and/or College advisors will coordinate this on your behalf.

Petition Processing & Notification: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College of Letters & Science approval. Once approved, it will take an additional 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Change of College/Dual College Form

Purpose: "The Undergraduate Change of College/Dual College Form" is used for: 1) A Letters and Science students planning to pursue a new major or add a double major within College of Creative Studies or the College of Engineering or 2) a College of Creative Studies or the College of Engineering student planning to pursue a major within College of Letters and Science

Petition Instructions:

  1. Contact the intended major's department advisor to understand their “Change of Major” process.
  2. Complete the “The Undergraduate Change of College/Dual College Form” form which includes the “Memo of Understanding for Dual College Majors” and “Proposed Study Plan for Dual College Majors”.
  3. Submit form to intended major department’s advisor for approval.

The department advisor will handle the gather of the remaining signatures needed. Approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Education is required. You do NOT need to personally contact the dean for this approval. Your major and/or College advisors will coordinate to get this on your behalf.

Petition Decision & Processing time: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College approval. Once approved, it will take an additional 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Double Major Forms & Instructions

Purpose: Two forms are used for Letters and Science students who want to pursue more than one major within the College of Letters and Science.

Note: If you propose to complete one major in the College of Letters and Science and another in a different college (Engineering or Creative Studies) please see "Change of College/Dual College Form" instructions above.

Petitions Instructions:

  1. Complete the "The Undergraduate Letters & Science Major Change Form". (see instructions above)
  2. Complete the “Memo of Understanding for Double Majors”. Using the worksheet included in the memo, you must provide an estimate of the term in which you will graduate and the number of units you will have earned.
  3. Submit the BOTH forms to your proposed major department's advisor for approval. If approved, the department will send the form to the College for final approval.

Note: If you are completing the double major forms and updating our current major at the same time (For example, going from Pre to Full Major) you will need to submit the “Change of Major” form and “Memo of Understanding” to your current major's department advisor for approval. If approved, your major department will send the form to the second major department sign-off and submit to the College for final approval.

To drop a Double Major: Complete “Change of Major” form to reflect which major you wish to keep and send directly to the Registrar at GraduationMatters@sa.ucsb.edu.

Petition Decision & Processing time: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College approval. Once approved, it will take an additional 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Proposed Schedule for Graduation (PSG)

Purpose: A planning tool for students who want permission to complete more than 200 units prior to earning their degree.Students are expected to graduate without undertaking more than 200 units. Those who exceed 200 units are expected to make the fastest reasonable progress in fulfilling degree requirements.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Download the PSG Form
  2. Complete for form which will ask you to:

3. On the second page, provide a quarter-by-quarter plan to fulfill your remaining requirements for graduation.

4. Have the departmental advisor in your major(s) and minor (if you are pursuing one) sign the form.

5. After you have completed the form, with the required signatures, submit the form through the link above, selecting the "Graduation" option.

Petition Decision & Processing time: Allow 2-3 weeks for petitions to be processed by Dean’s Office. You will be notified of decisions by email.

Academic Self-Reflection

Purpose: This downloadable form is required for students under “Academic Review” or “Dean's Review” (formerly known as "Academic Probation") seeking reinstatement to the College of Letters and Science.

Instructions:

  1. Download the Academic Self-Reflection.
  2. Send completed form to ltsc-reinstate@ucsb.edu.

Note: Students on Academic Review or Dean's Review requesting reinstatement after a break in enrollment need to submit the Academic Self-Reflection and the "Readmission/Reinstatement" form via DocuSign, available on the "Forms" section of the Registrar's Website.

For more information regarding Academic Review or Dean’s Review, see Academic Challenges.

Credit by Examination

Purpose: To request credit for a course by taking an examination

To be considered for Credit by Examination, you must:

Petition Instruction:

  1. Download the Petition for Credit By Examination.
  2. On the petition, you must indicate how you have prepared for the exam and indicate the preferred grading option (Letter Grade or P/NP).
  3. Submit the petition to the academic_advising@ltsc.ucsb.edu.

Petition Decision & Processing: If approved, a grade will be assigned based on the instructor's report from the exam. Note: Exam-based coursework doesn't count towards academic residence requirements.

More information on obtaining credit by examination is available through the General Catalog.

Graduate Course

Purpose: For undergraduate students with a strong academic record to request permission to enroll in a graduate-level course. To be considered, a student must:

Petition Instructions:

  1. Download the Petition to Enroll in a Graduate Course.
  2. Submit the completed form to the Office of the Registrar at Registration@sa.ucsb.edu.

Note: Graduate courses completed by undergraduate students will not apply toward graduate degrees, unless taken while enrolled in a combined BS/MS program

More information can be found on the "Forms" page of the Registrar's website.

IGETC

Purpose: To request an evaluation of a transfer student’s Partial IGETC, Full IGETC or UC Letter of Reciprocity status or to finalize a partial IGETC that has already been evaluated.

*Fall 2024 incoming students, if you have a full IGETC certification, please do not submit a petition. Instead, submit your IGETC certification to the UCSB Admissions office for further processing. *

Petition Instructions:

  1. Begin the Electronic Petition using the link above.
  2. On the petition, indicate if you are requesting a Full IGETC, Partial IGETC or a UC Letter of Reciprocity
  3. Indicate where you are in the process.
  4. Include a copy of your unofficial transcripts or IGETC/UC Reciprocity documentation if applicable. An unofficial IGETC certification can be submitted for evaluation purposes.

Reminder: Official transcripts for all courses taken as a part of the IGETC must be sent to The Office of Admissions.

Petition Processing: Allow 1-2 Weeks for a transfer advisor to evaluate your status in the IGETC process and contact you to request additional information or to confirm that your IGETC has been processed.

Incomplete Grade Request

Purpose: To request an "Incomplete" (I) grade for a course. This form is processed by the Office of the Regstrar.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Read the Incomplete Grade information on the Office of the Registrar’s website carefully.
  2. Contact the instructor on record to arrange the “Incomplete”.
  3. Submit the form by the last working day of the quarter in which the course was initiated. Retroactive requests may be considered at the instructor's discretion.
  4. Complete the course requirements as outlined by the Instructor.

Note: Incomplete grades must be made up in the first regular quarter immediately following the quarter for which the Incomplete was reported. For example, Incomplete grades from Spring quarter and Summer Session must be made up the following Fall quarter, because summer session does not count as a regular quarter. Failure to complete the course requirements by this deadline will result in a recorded grade of F or NP, depending on the grading option you have chosen. However, if the deadline is unrealistic for your needs, you may request an extension from your instructor.

5. If an extension past the deadline to complete the work is needed, contact the Department of the course for approval.