The UCLA Samueli Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity (CEED) seeks to create a community of collaborative and sustainable partnerships that offer academic and professional development support to disadvantaged and underrepresented engineering and computer science undergraduate and graduate students. CEED also supports precollege students in local middle and high schools who are interested in science, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and technology by offering opportunities to learn through hands-on projects.
MESA College Prep Program. Through CEED, UCLA Samueli partners with middle and high school principals to implement the MESA College Prep services program, which focus on outreach and student development in engineering, mathematics, science, and computer science. At individual school sites, four mathematics and science teachers serve as College Prep advisers and coordinate the activities and instruction for 1000 students. Advisers work as a team to deliver services that include SAT preparation. College Prep prepares students for local and regional engineering and science competitions and provides mathematics and science tutoring, computer science workshops, college admission workshops, field trips, and exposure to high-tech careers. The goal of the MESA College Prep Program is to increase the numbers of urban and educationally underserved students who are competitively eligible for UC admission, particularly in engineering and computer science.
The UCLA MESA Center currently serves students in 22 middle and high schools in the Los Angeles, Inglewood, and Centinela Valley unified school districts.
CEED students participate in a professional development workshop.
CEED currently supports some 352 underrepresented and educationally disadvantaged engineering students. Components of the undergraduate program include
CEED Summer Bridge. A two-week intensive residential summer program, CEED Summer Bridge provides advanced preparation and exposure for fall quarter classes in mathematics, chemistry, and computer science.
Freshman Course. Designed to give CEED freshmen exposure to the engineering profession, “Engineering 87—Introduction to Engineering Disciplines” also teaches the principles of effective study and team/community-building skills, time management, and research experiences.
Academic Excellence Workshops (AEW). Providing an intensive mathematics/science approach to achieving mastery through collaborative learning and facilitated study groups, workshops meet twice a week for two hours and are facilitated by a PhD student.
Bridge Review for Enhancing Engineering Students (BREES). Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). A 14-day intensive summer program designed to provide CEED students with the skills and knowledge to gain sufficient mastery, understanding, and problem solving skills in the core engineering courses. Current CEED students and incoming CEED transfer students take part in lectures and collaborative, problem-solving workshops facilitated by UCLA graduate students.
Academic Advising and Counseling. A CEED counselor assists in the selection of course combinations, professors, and course loads and meets regularly with students to assess progress and discuss individual concerns.
Structured Study Nights. Weekly tutoring sessions are provided for introductory mathematics, science, computer, and core engineering courses.
Career Development. Presentations by corporate representatives and field trips to major company locations are offered. Other services include summer and full-time job placement and assistance.
Cluster Systems. Common class sections that team students, Cluster Systems facilitate group study and successful academic excellence workshops.
Student Study Center. A study area open 24 hours a day, the Student Study Center also houses a computer room and is used for tutoring, presentations, and engineering student organizations.
UCLA Samueli also participates in the NACME and GEM scholarships. The CEED Industry Advisory Board and alumni provide significant contributions to program services and scholarships. Information may be obtained from the CEED director.
UCLA Samueli CEED supports student chapters of three engineering organizations: the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists (SOLES), the UCLA chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). These organizations are vital elements of the program.
AISES encourages American Indians to pursue careers as scientists and engineers while preserving their cultural heritage. The goal of AISES is to promote unity and cooperation and to provide a basis for the advancement of American Indians while providing financial assistance and educational opportunities. AISES devotes most of its energy to its outreach program where members conduct monthly science aca-demies with elementary and precollege students from Indian reservations. Serving as mentors and role models for younger students enables UCLA AISES students to further develop professionalism and responsibility while maintaining a high level of academics and increasing cultural awareness.
Chartered in 1980 to respond to the shortage of blacks in science and engineering fields and to promote academic excellence among black students in these disciplines, UCLA NSBE offers academic assistance, tutoring, and study groups while sponsoring ongoing activities such as guest speakers, company tours, and participation in UCLA events such as Career Day and Engineers Week. NSBE also assists students with employment. Through the various activities sponsored by NSBE, students develop leadership and interpersonal skills while enjoying the college experience. UCLA NSBE was recently named small chapter of the year by the national organization.
Recognized as the national chapter of the year five times over the past ten years by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), SOLES promotes engineering as a viable career option for Latino students. SOLES is committed to the advancement of Latinos in engineering and science through endeavors to stimulate intellectual pursuit through group studying, tutoring, and peer counseling for all members. This spirit is carried into the community with active recruitment of high school students into the field of engineering.
SOLES also strives to familiarize the UCLA community with the richness and diversity of the Latino culture and the scientific accomplishments of Latinos. SOLES organizes cultural events such as Latinos in Science, Cinco de Mayo, and co-sponsors the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Day with AISES and NSBE. By participating in campus events such as Career Day and Engineers Week, the organization’s growing membership strives to fulfill the needs of the individual and the community.
Women make up about 36 percent of the UCLA Samueli undergraduate enrollment and 24 percent of the graduate enrollment. Today’s opportunities for women in engineering are excellent, as both employers and educators try to change the image of engineering as a males-only field. Women engineers are in great demand in all fields of engineering.
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), recognizing that women in engineering are still a minority, has established a UCLA student chapter that sponsors field trips and engineering-related speakers (often professional women) to introduce the various options available to women engineers. The UCLA chapter of SWE, in conjunction with other Los Angeles schools, also publishes an annual résumé book to help women students find jobs; and presents a career day for women high school students.
Professionally related societies and activities at UCLA provide valuable experience in leadership, service, recreation, and personal satisfaction. The faculty of the school encourages students to participate in such societies and activities where they can learn more about the engineering profession in a more informal setting than the classroom. For more information, see student clubs and organizations.
Each year, outstanding students are recognized for their academic achievement and exemplary record of contributions to the school. Recipients are acknowledged in the UCLA Samueli annual commencement program as well as by campuswide announcement.
The Russell R. O’Neill Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to an upper-division student in good academic standing who has made outstanding contributions through service to the undergraduate student body, student organizations, the school, and to the advancement of the undergraduate engineering program, through service and participation in extracurricular activities.
The Harry M. Showman Engineering Prize is awarded to a UCLA engineering student or students who most effectively communicate the achievements, research results, or social significance of any aspect of engineering to a student audience, the engineering professions, or the general public.
The Engineering Achievement Award for Student Welfare is given to undergraduate and graduate engineering students who have made outstanding contributions to student welfare through participation in extracurricular activities and who have given outstanding service to the campus community.
Additional awards may be given to those degree candidates who have achieved academic excellence. Criteria may include such items as grade-point average, creativity, research, and community service.
Exceptionally promising juniors or seniors may be nominated as Departmental Scholars to pursue engineering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs simultaneously. Minimum qualifications include the completion of 24 courses (96 quarter units) at UCLA, or the equivalent at a similar institution; a minimum 3.7 grade-point average (GPA) in the major field upper-division courses and a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA; and the requirements in preparation for the major. To obtain both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Departmental Scholars fulfill the requirements for each program. Students may not use any one course to fulfill requirements for both degrees.
For eligibility criteria and application deadlines, see the Departmental Scholar Program web page.
There is an Exceptional Student Admissions Program (ESAP) for outstanding UCLA Samueli undergraduates who wish to enter the school graduate program upon completion of the B.S. degree. ESAP is an alternative to the Departmental Scholar Program. In contrast to that program, an ESAP-admitted student would be an enrolled graduate student and eligible for consideration of graduate fellowships and teaching assistant positions if available.
For eligibility criteria and graduate application deadlines, see the Exceptional Student Admissions Program web page.