About Project upGRADS
Project upGRADS (Utilizing & Promoting Graduate Resources & Access for Disadvantaged Students) is a 5-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Title V, pt. B, PPOHA program. This grant, which extends from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2024, supports the academic achievement of Hispanic and other disadvantaged graduate students. Project upGRADS seeks to increase the number of Hispanic and other disadvantaged students who enroll, persist and complete a graduate degree in a timely manner at CSUF, by providing effective advising and academic support, and by fostering meaningful engagement opportunities for Hispanic and other disadvantaged graduate students, while addressing the university’s institutional gaps and weaknesses, and serving to develop the campus climate for graduate education.
Project Initiatives
Student Advising
For prospective students – Meet with our advisor if you are interested in learning more about any, or all, of the following:
- How can graduate school benefit you
- Which graduate program should you apply to
- The graduate school application process
- Receiving help with my graduate application for CSUF
- Receiving information on funding and resources for graduate school at CSUF
For current graduate students - Meet with our advisor if you find yourself in the following, or similar, situations:
- I would like information on funding and resources at CSUF
- I am having an issue in my program and would like to talk to someone about it
- I find myself on academic probation and feel like I need help
Student Workshops
For prospective students – If you are an undergraduate student interested in graduate school, please join us for our Graduate School Prep Workshops.
Click on the appropriate semester to view all of the workshops offered and to register for them.
Spring 2021 - Graduate School Prep Workshops
Fall 2020 - Graduate School Prep Workshops
For current graduate students – If you are interested in enhancing your graduate program experience by, developing your professional skills, learning about careers, preparing yourself for applying for jobs, please join us and the Career Center for our Career Readiness Workshops.
Click on the appropriate semester to view all of the workshops offered and to register for them.
Spring 2021 - Career Readiness Workshops
Fall 2020 - Career Readiness Workshops
To watch recordings of past workshops, please visit our YouTube Channel
Pa’lante Fellowship Program
This program awards graduate students, from underrepresented backgrounds, a $1,000 scholarship, as well as faculty mentorship and professional development opportunities.
For complete details and to apply, Click Here.
Master's Early Transition & Access Summer Bridge Program
META is a summer bridge program to support incoming Hispanic and other under-represented graduate students. Support includes college/discipline-based workshops on graduate writing and research as well as soft-skills development (mentorship and peer support, time management, tackling imposter syndrome, etc.). Programming takes place during Saturdays in the months of July and August and is offered in a combination of in-person and virtual sessions.
2021 cohort: 80 incoming graduate students (from Education, Human and Health Development, Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural Science and Mathematics), completed the program
For questions, please contact Luis Molina at Lhmolina@fullerton.edu
CSUF Faculty/Graduate Student Mentoring Program
Attention graduate students! Are you looking for a little support? Someone who has been there before? Lived the life of graduate student but also understands the world of CSUF? Maybe someone who could discuss research, career development, stresses and demands, graduate school survival, the imposter syndrome, how to be successful and healthy in school, self-care, and simply what is happening for you in graduate school?
How about a faculty mentor?
The CSUF Faculty/Graduate Student Mentoring program is now in its 13th year of providing support for graduate students. Mentoring differs from regular “academic” advising in that students and faculty participate in mutually beneficial relationships and focus on building connected relationships. Many faculty mentors are 1st generation college students themselves and come from historically underrepresented backgrounds in higher education. In order to participate in this program, we ask that students agree to meet the mentor on a regular basis (at least three times per semester). The actual dates, times, and locations are negotiated between the mentee and the mentor.
Whereas the program welcomes mentee applications from all students, the program specifically invites 1st generation college students, Hispanic, African American, and Asian Pacific Islanders graduate students, and other traditionally underrepresented students to submit an application.
The application is here: Graduate Mentee Application
If you have any questions please email Dr. Matt Englar-Carlson mattec@fullerton.edu
*The CSUF Faculty/Graduate Student Mentoring Program is sponsored by Project upGRADS (U.S. Dept. of Education Title V, PPOHA grant), the Office of Graduate Studies, and the Faculty Development Center (FDC).
Newsletter
For highlights on accomplishments of Project upGRADS , please take a look at our newsletter.
