To broaden students’ international horizons, enhance their cross-cultural communication skills, and encourage our students to pursue further studies abroad for a second campus experience, our university is launching the Credit Exchange Program with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). In the 2023-2024 academic year, our university has already sent students to participate in this program, which received positive feedback. Now, we are announcing the selection process for the UCSB 2024-2025 Academic Year Credit Exchange Program as follows:
I. Introduction to the University
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), part of the University of California system, is a top-tier research-intensive public university renowned for its scientific research and academic prestige. Surrounded by the sea on two sides and boasting a stunning beach adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, UCSB is one of the Public Ivies, renowned for its academic achievements and picturesque campus environment. It attracts countless outstanding scholars from around the world for advanced studies and research, making it a crucial hub for academic development in the United States and globally.
Located on a peninsula 120 miles north of Los Angeles and 10 miles north of the coastal town of Santa Barbara, UCSB is surrounded by the sea and the Pacific Ocean, offering breathtaking beaches and stunning scenery. This multicultural and artistic town boasts a range of water sports such as swimming, surfing, fishing, whale watching, and sailing.
School Reputation:
Ranked 12th among US Public Universities by US News 2024
Ranked 35th among US Universities by US News 2024
Ranked 67th among World Universities by US News 2024
II. Program Overview
The 2024-2025 Credit Exchange Program is a semester-based exchange program at UCSB. International students can choose to study at UCSB for 1 to 2 semesters (Fall: September 19, 2024 - December 13, 2024; Winter: January 6, 2025 - March 21, 2025; Spring: March 27, 2025 - June 16, 2025), taking 12 credits (3-4 courses per semester). UCSB recruits and selects 150 students per semester on a competitive basis. Students participating in this program will enroll as non-degree students, earning credits and receiving transcripts recognized by the University of California.
Applicable Majors: Economics, Finance, Statistics, Accounting, International Trade, Management Science and Engineering, Business Administration, Computer Science and Technology, Foreign Language for Economics and Trade, Journalism and Art, Applied Mathematics, Resource and Environment, etc.
III. Program Highlights
1. Opportunities to Study at a World-Renowned University
UCSB offers a diverse range of courses for the semester credit exchange program, covering Humanities & Arts, Economics, Engineering, Mass Communication, English, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Political Science, Sociology, Linguistics, Literature, and many other majors.
2. Valuable Learning Experience at a Prestigious Institution
Students in the credit exchange program will attend classes alongside UCSB students, participate in classroom discussions and interactions, experience different cultures, and engage in intellectual exchanges with top professors and students from a leading US university. This invaluable experience will have a profound impact on students’ lives.
3. Enhanced Competitiveness for Further Studies and Employment
Outstanding students may receive recommendation letters from UCSB professors, significantly boosting their competitiveness for further studies at prestigious universities abroad, scholarships, domestic graduate school admissions, and employment at renowned companies.
4. Significant Tuition Reduction - Enjoying Out-of-State Tuition Rates
The semester exchange program aims to promote international talent exchange between universities. Students can study at UCSB for one semester to one academic year, paying the out-of-state tuition rate, which is $7668 per semester ($14,500 for two semesters; $21,000 for three semesters /academic year). This represents a tuition reduction of over 50 percent (about $43,000 per academic year).
5. Superb Academic Strength and Collaborations with Top Domestic Universities
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) boasts remarkable academic strength, attracting numerous prestigious universities worldwide to establish cooperative partnerships with it. In mainland China, it collaborates with universities such as Southwestern University of Finance and Economics and University of International Business and Economics. By participating in this program, students from Shanxi University of Finance and Economics can not only engage in academic exchanges with American students and outstanding international students from other countries but also foster connections with students from renowned domestic universities, thereby expanding their social circles and building a network of accomplished alumni, laying a solid foundation for future information sharing, research project initiation, and innovation and entrepreneurship.
IV. Grade Recognition and Credit Transfer
The courses planned by our university students enrolled in the program at UCSB must be approved by their respective departments and the Academic Affairs Office before selection. Students who successfully complete their courses will receive an official transcript from UCSB, and the credits earned can be equivalently offset against those of similar or related courses at Shanxi University of Finance and Economics. (Credit transfer and grade recognition are subject to the Regulations on Credit Recognition for International Exchange and Study of Undergraduate and Graduate Students at Shanxi University of Finance and Economics.)
V. Program Fees
Tuition Fees: $7,668 per semester for 12 credits
Students must cover their own expenses for round-trip international flights from their departure point to the United States, insurance premiums, textbook fees, document fees, accommodation and meals during their stay in the US, personal spending money, visa fees, medical expenses, SEVIS fees, and other third-party charges.
