University of California Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a public university that goes by several different names, including UC Santa Barbara and UCSB. Its origins go back to a small school called the Anna Black School, which offered home economics classes for women. Less than two decades after opening, this school became a normal school that focused on education classes and granting teaching diplomas. Over time, the campus became the Santa Barbara City College, which offered affordable classes to local students. It eventually adopted its current name, became part of the University of California School System and developed a strong reputation as one of the Public Ivy Schools, which refers to public schools that offer the same opportunities as Ivy League schools do.

UCSB has more rankings than almost any other campus in its school system. Washington Monthly, ARWU and U.S. News and World Report included it on lists of the nation's top schools, and Forbes ranked it at 103 on its own list. Times, QS and ARWU also placed the campus on lists of the top global colleges. The university also has a strong reputation because of the research facilities that it operates on campus. Those facilities allow students to study various topics in-depth. The College Salary Report issued by Payscale found that graduates of UCSB programs earn more than students who graduated from other schools do.

University of California Santa Barbara Accreditation Details

The accreditation held by the University of California, Santa Barbara falls into two categories. Institutional accreditation, also known as regional accreditation, refers to the general accreditation that it has. This comes from the Western Association of Colleges and Schools and ensures that students gain the necessary skills and education for graduating. UCSB also has program accreditation, which refers to specific accreditation given to the university for some of its degree programs. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) granted the university accreditation for its chemical engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science programs. Its dance program has accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Students entering the psychology programs offered by the school will find that the university has accreditation from the American Psychological Association. This accreditation covers all programs in counseling, school counseling and clinical counseling. It also applies to the Psychology PhD program and the doctoral internship required of all psychology students.

University of California Santa Barbara Application Requirements

The PhD program available through the University of California, Santa Barbara starts every year, but students must complete and submit all required steps of the application prior to December of the year before they hope to enroll. All graduate and PhD programs at the school have different requirements of applicants, but the PhD program has six key requirements. Students must complete the online application, which is available on the university's website. This application asks them about their backgrounds, including any professional work they did and any colleges they attended before.

UCSB also ask that applicants submit a resume that covers their personal achievements and includes a statement of purpose that explains why they want to enter the program. They can then request that at least three people familiar with their work complete letters of recommendation for them that they submit online. Students are also responsible for submitting their transcripts, GRE scores and official transcripts before officially enrolling. Any student from a foreign country will also need to take the TOEFL or a similar test and submit their scores. If any student submits an official transcript that does not match the information he or she provided, the university has the right to rescind the student's acceptance letter. UCSB will notify all accepted and rejected students within months of making a decision.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The total cost of attending a graduate program at the University of California, Santa Barbara is around $32,000 for students who take classes full time during the three quarters offered. Factoring in the cost of miscellaneous fees and other expenses, some students may find that their tuition rate reaches more than $40,000 a year. This rate applies only to those who established residency in the state before enrolling. Those who move to California for school will see their rates rising to more than $50,000 a year. UCSB can help students establish residency during their later years to reduce their costs, and students can apply for financial aid too.

Students who submit the FAFSA to the federal government and to the campus may qualify for various packages. Students can get direct loans from the government and Grad PLUS grants that do not require repayment. UCSB can also help students apply for and receive work-study jobs on campus and assistant positions helping professors research projects or teach classes. Online students may qualify for private student loans as well. Sometimes called alternative student loans, these loans come from lenders who do not traditionally work with students. The amount an individual can borrow depends on his or her credit history and whether the student applies with a cosigner.

Psychology PhD

The Department of Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology on the University of California, Santa Barbara campus is the department responsible for the Psychology PhD program. This program emphasizes the importance of neuroscience, cognition, perception and social environment in the psychological field. The program allows students to select a concentration in social psychology, neuroscience and behavior, cognition, perception and cognitive neuroscience or developmental and evolutionary psychology. The concentration you choose dictates the type of classes you will take. All students will learn the fundamentals of teaching others, working with clients in the field and continuing their education after leaving school.

Requirements of the program include the completion of 16 units on scientific psychology courses such as children's thinking, social bases of behavior and historical and philosophical foundations of professional psychology. They will also take 52 units of research classes that teach them how to do advanced research and how to apply what they learned. After taking a seminar and an individual study course, they receive course credit for a dissertation that they do. Students will also take part in a fieldwork program after completing their course requirements. The University of California, Santa Barbara requires that all psychology PhD students spend a minimum of 1,500 hours working in the field before graduating.