For success in business, a liberal education is invaluable. Particularly important are communication (written, oral and behavioral), quantitative (mathematics and statistics), and computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and database management). This program has been designed to equip the student with the specific techniques of business financial management—anticipation of cash needs, acquisition of financial resources, and allocation of cash in the company. Financial statement analysis, financing business activity, capital budgeting and working capital management are emphasized.

The Film and Media Studies major, leading to an AA degree, focuses on historical and critical studies in the field of film and related media. The program is designed to introduce students to film literature and criticism and to provide them with a basic knowledge of motion picture history, including the work of major American and international directors. Electives enhance this course of study by exposing students to the principles, technology and techniques of motion picture production. The goal of the program is to encourage a critical attitude toward moving image media through theoretical studies, critical analysis and historical and cross-cultural examination.

The Environmental Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program designed to develop an understanding of living and non-living earth processes and how they affect and are affected by the human population. Courses in biology, earth sciences and history provide a foundation in the functioning of living systems including population growth, ecology, and toxicology; geologic processes including energy resources, geologic hazards, and pollution; and human attitudes towards nature including historical perspective and context for our current situation. Through these courses students will gain a better understanding of how humans are intimately connected with the environment and how human activities impact and are impacted by the environment.

The United States, California, and the Santa Barbara area have a great variety of peoples of different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds. All of these together make up the American Mosaic. The American Ethnic Studies Department examines the heritage, contributions and problems of these communities. Emphasis is placed on the Black, Mexican-American and Native American cultures. It is the department's belief that through an examination of the heritage of others, one can appreciate ones own heritage.

The objective of the English Department is to provide each student with the opportunity to develop his or her own reading, writing, research and critical thinking abilities for successful transfer to universities and for functioning in society and the job market. The Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in English provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate Degree at any of the CSU campuses. The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program.

In today's information society, reading comprehension and writing skills are essential for everyone. The English program offers a rich and varied education in these vital areas of literacy - serving the individual student, the academic community and the society at large. In order to develop an understanding of our cultural tradition and to stimulate students' imaginations, the department offers literature courses ranging from surveys of British, American and world literature to introductory courses in poetry, Shakespeare and contemporary fiction to special topics on a particular author or theme.

Engineering is the profession in which the physical, biological, and social sciences are applied to solve practical problems for the benefit of society. As an engineering student, you will learn to observe and describe problems that deal with human needs and to seek useful solutions to these problems. Your skills upon graduation will be useful to you not only as an engineer, but also as a professional in management, sales, operations, manufacturing and other fields.

Liberal Studies at Santa Barbara City College is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with a foundation of knowledge in the areas of English composition, critical thinking, oral communication, physical and life sciences, arts and humanities, and social sciences. Through this program, students acquire a breadth of knowledge across multiple disciplines, explore how knowledge across disciplines can be connected, analyze and evaluate ideas using the tools of critical thinking, and demonstrate effective communication skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

The Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in Psychology provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate Degree at any of the CSU campuses. The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU-impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program.

Psychology represents an extremely broad discipline, ranging from the study of the behavior of the simplest of organisms to the behavior of humans and groups of humans in complicated situations. There is probably no other field that has as many direct and practical applications to human activities.

Have the demonstrations against the World Trade Organization puzzled you? What has changed in the electric power industry? Did a Federal Reserve change in the discount rate catch your attention? How well do you feel you understand the economic events reported in the news? The Economics Program at Santa Barbara City College will provide you with a solid foundation from which you can build analytical skills. These skills will improve your decision making processes in many aspects of your life: as a consumer, an employee, an employer, a voter, etc. Courses in economics will offer the transfer student both theoretical and empirical foundations which will prepare you for further study in many fields, including environmental studies, global and international studies, sociology and history, as well as economics.

Economics is the study of people and the choices they make regarding the production, distribution and allocation of resources. Does this dynamic world hold a special fascination for you? Do you seek a working knowledge of the principles of modern finance, as applied to the public and private sectors of our economy? If you can answer affirmatively in each instance, SBCC's two year Economics program can be your biggest stepping stone to a four year degree and a rewarding professional career. The program at Santa Barbara City College is designed to instill a general understanding of the economic realities of our world, with an emphasis on the mechanics of the American economy and its comparison to other economic systems. You will study business organization and finance, national income, business cycles, competition and monopoly, distribution of income and the problems of labor. For the Economics major, two semesters of the Principles of Economics and two semesters of Accounting can represent the needed base from which to launch a solid transfer program at a four-year college or university.

The Associate in Arts for Transfer degree in Political Science provides students with the foundational knowledge necessary to make a successful transition into a Baccalaureate Degree at any of the CSU campuses. The Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) is a special degree offered at California Community Colleges. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T degree are guaranteed admission to a campus within the California State University (CSU) system in a similar major, although not necessarily to a specific campus. Students who complete an AA-T or AS-T are given priority consideration when applying to a particular program that is similar to the student’s community college major and will be given a special GPA advantage when applying to CSU-impacted campuses or majors. Students who are planning to pursue an AA-T or AS-T are strongly advised to meet with a counselor for additional information about this transfer program.

The study of politics in our contemporary world is the study of how people govern themselves. We examine the process by which scarce resources are allocated to an expanding population with ever-increasing demands. We look at American politics as an experience in "self-government" and realize that our system is quite different, for example, from the political system developed by the People's Republic of China -- and also different from other Western democracies. We examine these differences and attempt to understand something about the degree to which one system works better than another.

Physics is the foundation discipline that must be incorporated into the education of anyone preparing for a career in engineering, or science. It is equally true for the non-scientist having the responsibility to make meaningful decisions in society — the citizen in politics, the business person, or the social scientist who deals with problems of a society strongly linked to technology based on the application of physical principles. A truly educated person preparing for life in the 21st century can hardly afford not to be aware of the statements of contemporary physics.