Study Abroad
Every year, many of our students take advantage of the opportunity to study in universities worldwide through UCEAP. Be sure to visit the UCSB EAP website and UCSB EAP Advisors for a complete list of partner institutions.
Please review the PBS EAP Equivalency Log for a list of previously taken classes by our students from universities worldwide and their respective equivalencies (if applicable). Students have enjoyed taking these classes while earning credit toward their major.
When to Study Abroad
For Psychological & Brain Sciences (PBS) majors, the best time to study abroad is typically Junior year. By this time most students have declared full major status and are therefore eligible for most upper division courses abroad. PBS students can study abroad for just one quarter or as long as one full year and still be on time to complete their degree.
For Biopsychology majors, careful planning is required to study abroad. These students should plan to take Biopsychology lectures when available, or use the time abroad to work on GEs and electives. In addition, every Biopsychology student needs 8 upper division PSY elective units; these elective units can be easily fulfilled abroad.
For transfer students, Senior year is typically the best time to go abroad based on the EAP Application deadlines that can be found on the UCSB EAP website. Transfer students pursuing PBS degrees usually have time to participate in EAP if they have completed most of their pre-major requirements before beginning UCSB. Transfer students pursuing Biopsychology typically do not have time during the academic school year to go abroad, but could consider participating in Summer Programs.
Pre-Departure
Once accepted to UC EAP, part of the Pre-Departure paperwork is to bring in the completed EAP Academic Planning Form to a PBS Undergraduate Advisor in the Main Office (Psychology East, 1814) or email it to advising@psych.ucsb.edu for approval. Information on pre-departure paperwork and the necessary forms can be found on the UCSB EAP website. Cross reference the PBS EAP Equivalency Log to find pre-approved courses for major credit. Students should also visit the UCEAP Office/contact their advisors to confirm enrollment regulations for the destination university.
Petitioning for EAP Credit
Once a student has taken an EAP course, they must follow this process to be awarded credit towards their major:
1) Transfer the course to the UCSB Office of the Registrar/Admissions (not the PBS department).
2) Confirm grade is posted on GOLD and is appearing on UCSB transcript.
3) Request major credit to be awarded by the PBS Undergraduate Advisors IF the course is listed as pre-approved in our database. If not, students can submit a course evaluation petition by emailing it to advising@psych.ucsb.edu (details on how to do this in the following sections).
If a course is pre-approved, the course will not automatically update as a PBS equivalent course on students’ major progress check. Even if the course says “EAP PSY” on GOLD, it requires departmental action for major credit to be granted. Below is a PDF with detailed instructions and examples on what to do for courses that have either been pre-approved or not pre-approved yet.
If a course is not pre-approved, a copy of the English course syllabus (not a catalog description) must be attached in an email for PBS Faculty evaluation. Course evaluations are facilitated by the Undergraduate Advising Team through email at advising@psych.ucsb.edu. Below is a PDF that details what needs to be included in an evaluation email. Students with pending evaluations will be notified as soon as the Faculty replies with their result. Expect the evaluation process to take one to two weeks.
Best practice is to submit a syllabus before taking a course abroad to ensure the credit will apply to the major. A student can take courses prior to PBS Faculty evaluation, but there is no guarantee the course will be awarded credit for the PBS majors. Contact the off campus instructor (or department) to request a copy of the syllabus. At public institutions, syllabi are considered public records and often can be found online.
If a direct match is found on the PBS EAP Equivalency Log, then the PBS Faculty has pre-approved that course for the listed credit. Classes can be awarded credit to a major requirement “Area” or to a specific PSY # course (this will be detailed on the PBS EAP online log). Unit values and transfer eligibility will be awarded by the Registrar (not PBS). Please refer to the PDF titled “How to Request Major Credit” for the next steps.
