CS Scholars Program
The CS Scholars Program at UC Berkeley is a community in which students can learn and grow together. The EECS Center for Student Affairs (CSA) recognizes the unique challenges that students from under-resourced and low opportunity communities face at the university and in computer science therefore our goal is to provide a supportive network in which students can thrive.
Applications and Deadlines
The Spring 2025 application is now open
Apply now!
Be sure to use your @berkeley.edu email address when you apply.
CS Scholars is a first-year student support program intended to serve those from under-represented communities with little or no exposure to Computer Science. A learning community, CS Scholars integrates several components of support to meet the academic, social, and developmental needs of students intending to study Computer Science. Those components include:
- Cohort-style course discussions
- CS Scholars only seminars for personal and professional development
- Solidarity and community-building activities
- Dedicated CS Scholars Advising
The application deadline is Friday, November 22, 2024, at noon PT.
Program Impact
Collaborative problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders, the CS Scholars Program at Cal is making waves. The CS Scholars Program has:
- Served more than 800 students over 21 cohorts
- Featured guest speakers from noteworthy industry, research, and education organizations
- Facilitated field visits to local CS-based sites
- Supported student travel to professional conferences
- Partnered with companies like EA, Microsoft, and Google to place student interns
Our Students
CS Scholars purposes to provide equitable access to computer science education and support to a diverse student body. Our goal is to close the gaps in preparation and provide opportunities for success.
Success
In the face of adversity, our scholars represent some of the most outstanding talent. We aim to attract and retain the brightest and diverse students with tools to help them succeed.
Testimonials
“I have graduated my undergrad and am currently in the 5th year MS program at Berkeley! The CS Scholars program really helped me navigate my undergraduate CS courses and helped me develop the skill set needed to pursue research. Thank you so much!” – Iniyaal K.
“CS Scholars has been definitely instrumental to my success at Berkeley. I hope the program succeeds and continues to change lives! I don’t want to get too emotional but I’m very grateful! If there’s ever any events in the future, I would love to come out and speak about my experiences.” – Kevin C.
“CS Scholars has been a great opportunity for me to network with faculty and other students passionate about the CS Major. I have made connections on a more personal level with many of my fellow cohort members, which has allowed me to more effectively discuss my ideas, collaborate, study and grow in the CS field.” – Meg H.
Who we serve:
| 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 59.30% | 59.00% | 62.40% | 57.10% | 50.60% | 70.40% | 56.10% | 52.00% | 58.10% | 49.20% | 51.02% |
| Men | 40.70% | 41.00% | 37.60% | 42.90% | 49.40% | 29.60% | 43.90% | 47.50% | 40.70% | 49.20% | 43.88% |
| URMs | 9.30% | 21.80% | 8.90% | 31.20% | 31.30% | 17.30% | 21.95% | 30.00% | 38.40% | 28.50% | 40.84% |
Donate
Support CS Scholars
Your donation to CS Scholars supports our members by providing funding for academic opportunities such as tutoring and advising, community-building opportunities such as peer mentoring, and professional development, and funding for students to travel to attend national research conferences.
How to Donate
- Make out a check:
- to the “UC Berkeley Foundation”
- put “CS Scholars” in the memo field
- and mail it to: ATTN: CS Scholars
EECS External Relations
231 Cory Hall MC #1770
Berkeley, CA 94720
Thank you, CS Scholars Supporters!
Celebrating Diversity in Computer Science!
Diving into Blue Waters
Wen-Rui Liao came from an area of the world that did not offer the computer science background he needed to face the challenge of CS 61A alone. This made him eligible to become a member of the CS Scholars program. He was recently selected to receive undergraduate research funding from the Blue Waters Institute and encourages others to look around and take the initiative to do something new and challenging.
Meet Our Staff
Faculty Advisor: Armando Fox
Director of Student Support: Audrey Sillers
Program Director: Charlene Duncan
CS Scholars prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.