Journalism study at Santa Barbara City College provides the theory, practical skills, and experiences that inform students' personal lives, intellectual pursuits, and professional endeavors in the mass media. The Associate of Arts Degree, in particular, provides students with the foundational knowledge to successfully transition into a baccalaureate degree in journalism or any liberal arts major.

The Global Leadership AA degree is composed of required courses in global studies and communication and a wide array of transferable social sciences and arts/humanities elective courses. Students are prepared to continue their academic studies in a variety of fields, not limited to global studies and communication, such as history, political science, economics, business, sociology, and environmental studies. The program will also prepare students for employment in one of the many occupational fields affected by globalization and changing communication. More specifically, it will prepare students for positions in the public and private sectors, ranging from education, government, journalism, and media, to non-governmental organizations, of which the Santa Barbara community has many. The Associate Global Leadership degree (AA Global Leadership) supports Santa Barbara City College’s core principles of promoting global responsibility as articulated in the SBCC mission statement.

History is the disciplined study of the human past. Santa Barbara City College offers a varied and integrated curriculum in history. The History Department provides the opportunity to pursue creative, critical, and analytical historical thought rigorously. Central to the liberal arts, history supplies a solid foundation for business, legal studies, and education, as well as graduate study.

Dance is a vigorous and specialized area in the performing arts, and is unique in its ability to convey emotional and cultural values. Dance is physically demanding and requires a thorough understanding of aesthetic values. This program is primarily designed for the student who intends to transfer to University of California at Santa Barbara, or to other universities that offer baccalaureate preparation in Dance. Additionally, the program provides an excellent foundation in dance for students interested in other performing arts fields or entry level into the workforce, such as study owner/employee.

The Theatre Arts Department at Santa Barbara City College offers a variety of programs of study and experience suited to the needs of serious theatre students, as well as those students who wish to include theatre arts as part of their liberal arts education. With curricula in Acting/Directing, Design/Lighting, Costuming, and Technical Production, the program provides an intensive two-year course of study that prepares Theatre Arts majors for transfer to a four-year college or university ready to do advanced, upper-division work.

The Marketing Program at Santa Barbara City College emphasizes the concepts of planning and developing products and services. In addition, the student will acquire critical information involving packaging, distribution, pricing, advertising, personal selling, and computer graphics applications in the creation of successful marketing strategies. This program may also prepare a student for transfer to a four-year institution.

Physical education is a study of the processes through which individuals obtain optimal health, physical skill, and fitness. The physical educator, whether in a laboratory, school, medical, or business setting, is ultimately concerned with improving the individual's health and well-being. Santa Barbara City College offers three areas of emphasis within the field of Physical Education: Exercise Science, Athletic Training, and Dance.

The Department of American Ethnic Studies provides a major in Native American Studies. The Native American program is designed to provide an introduction to the Native American experience in North America by means of comprehensive exposure to coursework dealing with the major aspects of Indian life, including history, values, politics, literature, and art.

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 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 Mexican-American people, the second largest minority group in the United States, trace their origins to the Hispanic-Indian heritage of Mexico and to more than three hundred years of participation in the historical development of the American Southwest and the United States. The Chicano Studies Program at Santa Barbara City College investigates the life of these people throughout the nation. The history, culture, contributions and contemporary problems facing Chicanos are explored in literature, language, history, and sociology classes.

The International Business program at Santa Barbara City College provides an introduction to the central aspects of international business, exclusive of any particular geographic emphasis. Topics include the economic and cultural environments in which we operate; how international activities alter the strategies for success in management tasks of planning, marketing, finance, management, law, and personnel; and the principles associated with the international exchange of goods, services, and investments. This program provides hands-on experience investigating market potential. It also prepares a student for transfer to a four-year institution. Students interested in transferring to four-year institutions should meet with a faculty advisor or counselor for transfer information.

The Associate of Arts in Theatre Arts offers a variety of programs of study and experience suited to the needs of serious theatre students as well as those who wish to include theatre as a part of their liberal arts education. With curricula in Acting, Design/Lighting, Costuming, and Technical Production, the program provides an intensive two-year course of study that prepares Theatre Arts majors for transfer to a four-year college or university ready to do advanced upper-division work. Students have the opportunity of working in all phases of production and performance and are encouraged to take on increasing levels of responsibility as stage managers or directors.

The Film Production major, leading to an AA degree, integrates theoretical and practical instruction in the field of motion picture production. The objective of the program is to enable students to develop expertise in the understanding and use of the moving image for artistic, social and professional applications. Students in the production track are expected to demonstrate technical proficiency and a creative voice in film, video and/or digital media as an integral part of the requirements for the major. The goal of the program is to encourage creative production of motion pictures and to provide students with essential and up-to-date technical knowledge and practical skills that enable them to establish careers as professionals in the fields of film, video, television and digital media. The Film and Television Production Program seeks to inspire and empower students to study and work in an industry that they are passionate about, furnishing them with the skills and knowledge to create meaningful careers in the film and television industry. Santa Barbara City College provides a supportive learning environment for students to succeed via our curriculum in Film and Television and hands-on production classes. Students are taught industry-level productions skills, media literacy, and critical thinking skills that prepare them for college transfer or entry into the industry. Students will have an opportunity to earn a Film, Television and Electronic Media (AS-T) for Transfer Degree or a Film Production Associate in Arts (AA) degree.

The Associate of Arts in Theatre Arts: General offers a variety of programs of study and experiences suited to the needs of serious theatre students as well as those who wish to include theater as a part of their liberal arts education. With curricula in Acting, Design/Lighting, Costuming, and Technical Production, the program provides an intensive two-year course of study that prepares Theatre Arts majors for transfer to a four-year college or university - ready to do advanced upper-division work or to enter one of the many related professions. Students have the opportunity of working in all phases of production and performance and are encouraged to take on increasing levels of responsibility in the role of stage manager. director or other leadership positions.