Our world increasingly relies upon the resources and knowledge gained from the ocean and marine environment, our last frontier. This reality requires the Marine Diving Technologies Program to continue to provide the highest quality divers and marine technicians worldwide. The program is open to all interested students for both diving and non-diving classes. The program serves the needs of entry-level students, employees in the workforce and students seeking personal enrichment. Students can attend part time or full-time in both diving and non-diving marine-related classes. Graduates can pursue multiple marine career paths in marine and underwater technology, working above and below the water with many types of sophisticated marine data collection instruments, diving and life-supporting equipment.

Santa Barbara City College’s Marine Diving Technologies Program is recognized worldwide for its vocational excellence. It is the only community college degree program in the nation which is accredited by the Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE), the International Diving Schools Association (IDSA) and the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). Santa Barbara City College pioneered formalized diver and technician education with the A.S. Degree curriculum in 1968. It was the recipient of the Exemplary Program Award in 1998 from the State of California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Students who enroll in the Marine Diving Technologies Program have options to obtain an Associate in Science Degree or Certificate in marine technology. Industry-based certifications meeting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) “Commercial Diver Training ñ Minimum Standard ANSI/ ACDE-01-1998” and the International Diving Schools Association (IDSA) standards are also available for the field of commercial diving. The training is designed to meet the needs of the marine construction, research and tourism industries. These multi-billion dollar marine technology industries are dynamic and require personnel who have a broad training base involving technical skills above and below the water.

The Associate in Science Degree curriculum includes instruction in all phases of commercial diving, hyperbarics, bell/saturation diving, emergency medicine, boating and marine science, to name but a few. Teamwork and safety are the prime emphases of the training.

There are virtually unlimited opportunities and challenges for the individual who desires an exciting and rewarding future researching the world’s needs for resources,

Students who enroll in the Marine Diving Technologies Program have options to obtain an Associate in Science Degree or Certificate in marine technology. Industry-based certifications meeting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) “Commercial Diver Training—Minimum Standard ANSI/ACDE-01-2015”. The Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) Surface Supplied Diving Certification International Endorsement and the International Diving Schools Association (IDSA) standards are also available for the field of commercial diving. The training is designed to meet the needs of the marine construction, research and tourism industries. These multi-billion dollar marine technology industries are dynamic and require personnel who have a broad training base involving technical skills above and below the water.

The Marine Science curriculum trains students interested in the fields of mariculture, boating and recreation, skin and Scuba diving, physical and biological oceanography, scientific research and marine science education. Satisfactory completion of the two-semester curriculum earns the student a Biological Sciences Departmental Marine Science Certificate. See the Biological Sciences section of this Catalog.

In addition to the credit programs, the Department also offers:

1. Commercial Diver Training, ANSI Certification
2. Commercial Diving, ADC Certification

SBCC offers a Transfer Agreement Guarantee (TAG). A TAG is a contractual agreement between the student, SBCC, and specific four-year colleges or universities. This includes six University of California ( *UC) institutions, six California State Institutions (CSU), seven California private institutions, nine out-of-state institutions, as well as Honors Transfer Agreements with ten institutions and 8 CSUs without campus impaction. Students must enroll in the TAG program and work with a TAG advisor. Please click here to learn more on the TAG program website.