BA · 2025-2026
Marine Science
College of Creative Studies — Marine Science
Official sources · CCS
College of Creative Studies requirements
CCS uses its own General Education system (not LASAR or GEAR). IGETC completion fulfills CCS GE requirements. Courses must be approved by faculty advisor or pre-approved program list.
180 quarter units · 8 CCS GE courses · Ethnicity required · 6-quarter CCS residency
Application requirements
CCS admission is separate from the UC application. Apply via the CCS online application in addition to UCSB.
- Letter of intentRequired — separate from UC application essay
- Letters of recommendationNot accepted for this major
- TranscriptsUnofficial scans from all institutions
- Supplemental materialsEncouraged — research, projects, or work samples
- • Letter of intent is the most important part of the application — separate from the UC application essay.
- • Letters of recommendation are NOT accepted for Marine Science.
- • Upload unofficial transcripts from all high schools and colleges attended.
- • Supplemental materials (research examples, projects) encouraged but not required.
Official major sheet — 2025-2026
Parsed from department major sheet. Verify on GOLD progress check.
Preparation for the major
52-58 units- MATH 3A · 4 units
- MATH 3B · 4 units
- MATH 4A · 4 units
- MATH 4B · 4 units
- MCDB 1A · 4 units
- CHEM 1A · 5 unitsWith 1AL lab
- CHEM 1B · 5 unitsWith 1BL lab
- CHEM 1C · 3 units
- PHYS 6A · 4 units (or PHYS 6AL)
- PHYS 6B · 4 units (or PHYS 6BL)
- PHYS 6C · 3 units
- PSTAT 5LS · 5 units
- ENGR 3 · 4 units
- EARTH 2 · 4 units
- Biology CS 10 · 3 units (or Biology CS 12)
- Biology CS 20 · 5 units
- Biology CS 30 · 5 units
Transfer students should have completed intro biology, general chemistry with labs, intro physics with labs, calculus, linear algebra, and statistics.
Courses may be replaced with research experience or other coursework with faculty advisor approval.
Required of all majors
12 units- Marine CS 100A — Ways of knowing in marine science · 4 units
- Marine CS 100B — Modern practices in marine science · 4 units
- Marine CS 109 — The Sea off Southern California · 4 units
- Marine CS 160 — Research seminar in marine science · 1 unitsTaken multiple quarters
Core courses (choose 2)
Choose 2 from:
- Marine CS 101 — Chemical Oceanography · 4 units
- Marine CS 102 — Biological Oceanography · 3 units
- Marine CS 103 — Introduction to Physical Oceanography · 4 units
- Marine CS 104 — Geological Oceanography · 4 units
- Marine CS 105 — Marine Conservation and Ecology · 4 units
Upper-division emphasis
48 units requiredRemainder of 48+ UD units selected with faculty mentor across campus departments.
8 CCS GE courses (2 related to major) plus Ethnicity and university requirements also apply.
- • Example schedule from CCS Marine Science major sheet. UD emphasis courses vary by student specialization.
Major regulations
- Minimum grade
- C- or better in major courses
180 total units for graduation.
Quarterly faculty advisor approval required for course schedule.
Mid-residency review per CCS policy.
4-year plan — 180 units
180 quarter units · 8 CCS GE courses (unrelated to major) · Ethnicity required. From official major sheet — verify on GOLD.
Year 1
Fall · 16u sheet
Winter · 18u sheet
Spring · 16u sheet
Year 2
Fall · 16u sheet
Winter · 16u sheet
Spring · 16u sheet
Year 3
Fall · 16u sheet
Winter · 16u sheet
Spring · 13u sheet
Year 4
Fall · 15u sheet
Winter · 12u sheet
Spring · 13u sheet
Data sources
Course lists are snapshots from official UCSB pages—not a live scrape. Verify prerequisites in the UCSB General Catalog.
College-wide CCS rules (8 GE courses unrelated to major, Ethnicity, 180 units, quarterly faculty advising) apply in addition to major requirements. See Student Handbook and UCSB Catalog — CCS degrees.