Exchange Program

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the intimacy of a small liberal arts college setting and a distinctive undergraduate experience characterized by our residential college system, with the facilities and resources of a world-class research university. 

UC Santa Cruz offers rigorous academics from award-winning faculty who teach students how to think, not what to think. Our unique, cross-disciplinary approach has resulted in paradigm-changing discovery since our founding in 1965. Known as a major research center for marine and coastal sciences, astronomy and astrophysics, and genomics, to name a few, UC Santa Cruz is recognized among the most influential research universities in the world.

Learn more about UC Santa Cruz. 

Learn about the beloved UC Santa Cruz mascot, the Banana Slug.

Main Campus

• With sweeping, panoramic views of the Monterey Bay and Pacific Ocean and footpaths and bridges through forests of giant redwood trees, UC Santa Cruz is one of the world’s most spectacular and naturally stunning university campuses. The main campus is located only minutes from beaches and surfing, the lively boardwalk, and the arts and culture of downtown Santa Cruz, California.
• This is where the vast majority of student classes take place.

Coastal Science Campus

• The nearby 100-acre Coastal Science Campus, located on the edge of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, is home to UC Santa Cruz research and education facilities and state and federal research labs.

Silicon Valley Campus

• Just 45 minutes away is the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Campus, located in Santa Clara. This campus is home to a multi-disciplinary teaching and research facility in the heart of the world’s technology headquarters.

It’s a good idea for students to plan expenses carefully for study in the U.S. and consider the following:

• Tuition and fees
• Living expenses
• Visa application fee
• Health insurance (A requirement of the UC system and U.S. Government)
• Personal spending, including travel to and around the U.S.

Exchange Students

Exchange students must apply through their home university for an official nomination to study full-time at UC Santa Cruz, for 1 to 3 quarters. Exchange students from universities that have a valid exchange agreement with UC Santa Cruz are eligible to receive a waiver of tuition and fees only. All other costs, including student service and orientation fees, health insurance, housing and meals, and living expenses are the responsibility of the student. See the table below for a summary of costs.

Estimated cost per quarter

 * Based on 2024-25 rates, subject to change.
** Based on average costs. Individual costs may vary.

The following are minimum eligibility requirements established by UC Santa Cruz. Partner universities may elect to enforce additional requirements on their students as part of their nomination process.

• Currently enrolled and successfully completed at least one (1) academic year of coursework in a recognized degree-granting program at home institution.
• Minimum of 2.5 GPA on a 4-point scale (or equivalent)
• English language proficiency (if applicable):
  • TOEFL: iBT 80 / pBT 550 minimum overall score -or-
  • IELTS (Academic): Overall band score of 6.5 or higher -or-
  • Additional tests recognized by the UC Santa Cruz Office of Admissions may also be considered for demonstrating English proficiency. A full list can be seen here.

Application timeline by quarter.

Agreement: Must apply through students’ home institution exchange/mobility office under an established student exchange agreement with UC Santa Cruz.

Nomination: Must be formally nominated first before submitting the online application.

Tuition/Fees: Students continue to pay any applicable tuition and/or fees to home institution and are granted a waiver of tuition and certain fees at UC Santa Cruz.

Document Submission: Online Application ONLY (Documents should be uploaded by the applicant’s home institution.)

Required Documents: All documents should be submitted as originals or verified as official copies (in English, or accompanied by official translation).

Required Documents: All documents should be submitted as originals or verified as official copies (in English, or accompanied by official translation).

For Application Review:

• Application Form (online submission):
  • Study Plan
  • Statement of Purpose
• Official University Transcript (in English, or with official translation)
• Official English test score report (if applicable)

To Request Your “Certificate of Eligibility”, i.e., DS-2019/I-20:

• Submit your DS-2019/I-20 Request through iGlobal. You will receive instructions after you have been notified that your application for exchange study has been accepted.
• Copy of applicant’s valid passport biographical/photo page
• Proof of funding / financial sponsorship information

UC Santa Cruz operates on a quarter system. A full academic year consists of three quarters: fall, winter, and spring. Each quarter consists of approximately ten weeks of instruction and one week of final exams. The summer quarter is an optional term.

*See Summer Session for more details

For additional calendars, visit https://registrar.ucsc.edu/calendar/future.html. 

Searching Courses

Exchange students have the opportunity to enroll in their courses before arrival on the UC Santa Cruz campus. Students are encouraged to work with their home university advisors beforehand to explore course options at UC Santa Cruz and develop a study plan that allows for flexibility in case first choices are not available. 

• Visit the General Catalog to see all courses offered at UC Santa Cruz, along with brief course descriptions, and an indication of which quarter(s) each course will be taught.
  Note: courses are subject to change.
• Visit the Class Schedule tool to search for courses and see the actual course schedule for each quarter.

Course Numbering

Undergraduate courses are classified as lower division or upper division. Lower-division courses (numbered 1–99) are designed for first-year and sophomore students but may be taken by more advanced students. Upper-division courses (numbered 100–199) are designed for junior and senior students but are open to first-year and sophomore students who have sufficient background and the consent of the course instructor. 

Graduate courses (numbered 200–299) are either restricted to graduate students or open only to students who can show the instructor that they have completed sufficient upper-division coursework (or the equivalent) basic to the subject matter of the course.

Course Format 

Most courses at UC Santa Cruz are taught as lectures or, when the class is small enough for considerable discussion, as seminars. A large number of courses require enrollment in a secondary discussion section scheduled at a different time from the primary course. In some cases, there is laboratory or fieldwork associated with a course. 

Course Credit 

Unless otherwise specified in the course description, each course earns 5 quarter credits. All physical education courses are noncredit. Other non-credit courses include certain graduate seminars. Laboratory courses, music courses involving individual lessons or ensemble participation, as well as some special-interest seminars and individual studies courses carry less than 5 credits and are designated accordingly. 

The normal UC Santa Cruz undergraduate program of study is three 5-credit courses per quarter or equivalent. 

Course Restrictions

Departments may sometimes limit or restrict enrollment of Exchange students in courses that are in high demand. Therefore, access to specific courses cannot be guaranteed; Students are encouraged to maintain flexibility in their Study Plan with several alternative course selections, in case first choices are unavailable. Departments screen students’ transcripts carefully for prerequisite courses. Applicants interested in courses in these academic fields must be an enrolled major in the same field at their home institution in order to pursue enrollment in these areas:

• Arts
• Biology / Biological Sciences
• Economics / Business Economics
• Engineering / Computer Science
• Film & Digital Media Studies
• Psychology

Graduate Level Courses

Students currently enrolled in a graduate-level degree program (MSc, MA) at their home institution may request enrollment in graduate courses (numbered 200 and above) only with permission of the course faculty/instructor and the appropriate Dean. Students should be prepared to select alternative courses.

UC Santa Cruz is home to 10 distinctive residential colleges:

• Cowell College
• Stevenson College
• Crown College
• Merrill College
• Porter College
• Kresge College
• Oakes College
• Rachel Carson College
• College Nine
• College Ten

These residential settings provide academically and socially supportive environments to help new students transition to campus life and get the most out of their Santa Cruz experience.

Choosing Your College Affiliation

All undergraduate exchange students, whether they ultimately choose to live on or off-campus, have the opportunity to affiliate with one of the 10 residential colleges at UC Santa Cruz. During the application process, you will be asked to indicate several of your top preferences for affiliation. Learn more about the college options at housing.ucsc.edu/colleges.

On-Campus

Exchange students can apply to live in on-campus housing and there are a variety of housing options to choose from. Learn more at housing.ucsc.edu.

Note: not all room and accommodation style options are available each year, and space availability varies by quarter.

Off-Campus

If you choose to find accommodation off-campus, the UC Santa Cruz Office of Community Rentals can provide resources and information to support you in this process. Learn more at communityrentals.ucsc.edu. 

All new incoming Exchange students must comply with the UC Immunization Policy which requires students to provide evidence of vaccinations, including COVID-19 and Flu vaccination requirements, and screening for TB risk prior to attending classes.

Learn more about immunization requirements at healthcenter.ucsc.edu.