About

UC Santa Barbara’s Summer Sessions allow high-school students to enroll directly in undergraduate courses and experience academics at a major public research university. Participants may attend residentially, commute locally, or take select courses online, depending on course availability. Students choose from a broad catalog of offerings across STEM, environmental science, social sciences, and the arts, completing college-level coursework for credit alongside UCSB undergraduates. Residential participants live on campus in Santa Cruz Hall near the Pacific coastline and have access to campus resources through a partnership with Summer Discovery, while commuter and online formats expand access for regional students. Enrollment requires meeting a minimum 3.0 GPA and securing counselor approval through a registration process. For students seeking advanced research, UCSB also offers highly selective, application-based programs like the Research Mentorship Program (RMP) and Summer Research Academies (SRA).