Southern Santa Barbara County is a significant portion of CSU Channel Islands' (CSUCI) service area. It is the University’s intention to implement programs that meet industry needs within the areas that it serves. As such, CSUCI offers undergraduate degree completion and graduate degree programs to students living in the Santa Barbara area. Currently, programs are offered at CSUCI’s Goleta Campus, located next door to Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.
Undergraduate Degrees
Santa Rosa Island Research Station (SRIRS)
In November 2012 the National Park Service (NPS) issued a permit to California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) to operate a field research station on Santa Rosa Island. The station will operate from existing facilities provided by the NPS.
Santa Rosa Island is the second largest island in California and, in 1976, it was designated as a World Biosphere Reserve in recognition of its importance as a place for conservation of biological and cultural diversity. The island’s varied landforms and diverse array of plant and animal species make it a wealth of opportunity for research and student education. In addition, the Island is home to Santa Barbara County’s oldest wooden structure and a historic ranch district.
The Santa Rosa Island Research Station is intended to serve as a platform from which a range of research and educational activities can be carried out. Many of these activities will fall within disciplines that customarily include field study such as archeology, biology (including botany, ecology, entomology, ichthyology, marine biology, microbiology, ornithology, etc.), chemistry and geology.
The Santa Rosa Island Research Station and CSUCI’s partnership with the NPS is significant because CSUCI will play a key role in coordinating all research activities conducted on the island by other universities, organizations, and others. In addition, the National Park Service is interested in using CSUCI faculty and student research as a resource to inform decisions about managing the island and surrounding ocean areas. These decisions will likely impact efforts to restore the island ecosystem and shape policies that impact the island and its surroundings (such as commercial fishing).