Undergraduate Students and Prospective Students
We attract undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from all backgrounds and support their educational goals through mentoring, advising, fellowships, and programming.
Current Undergraduate Students
SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers)
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS PROGRAMS
- Office of Multicultural Affairs
- First Gen-Low Income (FLI@Columbia)
- SOC@Columbia - Students of Color at Columbia
- LGBTQ@Columbia
- International@Columbia
- ROOTED (Respecting Ourselves and Others Through Empathy and Dialogue)
- Columbia iQ
- Multicultural Affairs also advises 50+ cultural and identity-based student organizations. See the full list recognized by the Activities Board at Columbia and Student Governing Board.
ENGINEERING STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
- AISES: American Indian Science & Engineering Society
- CUCSSA: Columbia University Chinese Students and Scholars Association
- ESC: Engineering Student Council
- NSBE: National Society of Black Engineers
- SHPE: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
- SWE: Society of Women Engineers
- WICS: Women in Computer Science
- See all cultural and identity-based student organizations
PROGRAMS
- Global Ambassador Program (GAP)
- Sankofa Tzedek - collaboration between Multicultural Affairs and the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life
- Academic Success Programs
- CC/SEAS Tutoring Service
- Programing for First In Family students
- Bridge to the PhD Program in STEM
- WISE Conference (Women in Science and Engineering)
- Pathways for More Women in Engineering: A partnership program with Barnard College and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to encourage women and underrepresented minorities studying STEM.
- Art of Engineering
- Computer Science: Emerging Scholars Program - enrichment program for students in introductory Computer Science courses
- Computer Science: Computing in Context - undergraduate and graduate lecture for non-majors
- PDL: Professional Development and Leadership
- Barnard College/SEAS 4+1 Pathways: supporting Barnard students who wish to obtain MS degrees in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
- Summer at SEAS: Design Challenges: Reducing Inequity in a World Shaped by Covid-19
- Columbia-Amazon Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) - This eight-week program in New York City will allow undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in cutting edge research on campus at Columbia University and be mentored by faculty and STEM professionals representing multiple career paths from academia and industry.
MENTORING
SUPPORT
- Student Resources
- Center for Student Advising (CSA)
- Live Well Learn Well – Undergraduate Well-being at Columbia
- Center for Career Education - Resources for specific groups and communities
- Computer Science Career Services
- Disability Services
- Columbia University LGBTQ+ Guide - Resources to Foster an Affirming Community for LGBTQ+ Faculty, Students and Staff was informed by individual interviews with faculty and staff, as well as focus groups of graduate and undergraduate students. The project seeks to create a comprehensive one-stop living repository of campus resources, and to relay recommendations from interviewees about how we all can be better, more visible LGBTQ+ allies.
Prospective Undergraduate Students
STUDENT RECRUITMENT
- Columbia Engineering Women's Forum - At the Engineering Women’s Forum, students will hear from renowned Columbia Engineering faculty, meet student leaders, be introduced to Columbia's unique approach to engineering and learn about the exciting opportunities available to female engineers at Columbia.
- Summer Programs College Fair - Students involved in college access and community-based organizations as well as summer college preparatory programs, including Columbia’s Summer Programs for High School Students, Barnard’s Pre-College Program, Upward Bound, Talent Search and STEP programs, attend this summer college fair. Over 150 organizations and success programs are invited. In the past, college preparation and access organizations brought over 1,000 students to this fair. Students and educators will have the chance to meet with representatives from over 100 colleges. The fair is a wonderful opportunity to learn about future educational options, academic and social support at the undergraduate level and financial aid and scholarship resources.
- Multicultural Recruitment Open House - At Columbia, students are as diverse in their thinking as they are in their backgrounds. Our university is intellectually vibrant in a place where both tradition and innovation thrive. The Multicultural Open House gives you the unique opportunity to hear from current students and administrators about the distinctive Columbia experience and our lively community.
- Columbia Engineering Experience (CE2) - CE2 is Columbia's only highly selective overnight program designed for current high school seniors who are interested in a Columbia Engineering education. It is designed to serve students from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in engineering and applied science fields, including low-income students, students who will be the first generation in their family to attend college, underrepresented students of color, and students from underserved and rural communities. This program provides admitted students with an inside look at life as a Columbia student, conversations with Columbia's renowned faculty, insight into the advantage of attending college in NYC, and participation in comprehensive admissions and financial aid workshops run by members of the Columbia Admissions Committee. CE2 is designed for high-achieving seniors who have exemplary academic records, particularly in math and science, a sincere interest in pursuing an engineering education and a genuine appreciation for the educational value of diversity in all its forms.
- Perspectives on Diversity - Columbia Engineering Days on Campus and Perspectives on Diversity programs welcome admitted students to campus. Visit labs; catch a student performance showcase; hear from distinguished alumni; experience The Art of Engineering, the signature first-year design course; engage with the Multicultural Recruitment Committee and the Office of Multicultural Affairs; and meet with faculty, administrators and your future classmates.
- Alma Mater Ambassadors Program - The Alma Mater Ambassador Program was developed in the fall of 2014. Current Columbia students are trained and funded by Admissions to visit local high schools in targeted rural regions while home on break. Last year, 59 ambassadors visited over 300 high schools across 35 states.
- Undergraduate Admissions Meet Our Students
- Visits to Campus from Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
- Academic Success Programs
- QuestBridge - National College Match Program
- Computer Science CS@CU - MS Bridge Program
- Computer Science: AI4ALL: Three-week summer program providing students exposure to the field of Artificial Intelligence
- Chemical Engineering: Scientist to Engineer (S2E)
- Northwestern University Center for Inclusive Computing Grant: to support and expand recruitment, enrollment, and graduation of historically underrepresented groups majoring in computing.
- Columbia Combined Plan Program: a program with affiliated liberal arts schools, including partnerships with women's colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), enabling students to graduate with both a liberal arts and an engineering degree.
Contact
If you have questions, feedback, suggestions, or want to get involved with diversity initiatives at Columbia Engineering, send us an email at SEASdiversity@columbia.edu.
Undergraduate Student Life
Undergraduate Student Life works to foster a welcoming and inclusive community by supporting undergraduate students in the development of skills and awareness of self and others required to responsibly engage, serve and lead at Columbia, in New York City and beyond.
Multicultural Affairs
Diversity and inclusion are not only central to the student experience, they are key components to learning and development.
Under1Roof (U1R)
Required for all new students, explores how individually and collectively Columbia students can create an inclusive community.