Information for Undergraduate Women in Engineering
Pathways for EECS Majors Who Are Women
The EECS department has established a strong program to encourage and support undergraduate women students. We focus on five core activities to achieve this goal:
- Attract women to electrical engineering and computer sciences at Berkeley.
- Provide orientation and academic support to women students in EECS.
- Foster a sense of community for incoming freshman and transfer women.
- Promote women’s participation in undergraduate research.
- Encourage women to apply to graduate programs in EECS.
CS Kickstart
CS Kickstart is a one-week free summer program for incoming freshmen women who are interested in EECS. CS Kickstart participants will…
- Bond with other freshmen women who have similar interests
- Explore Java programming through daily labs and projects
- Meet EECS professors and graduate students
- Visit CS companies in the area (last year, participants visited Twitter Headquarters in San Francisco!)
- And much, much more!
No programming experience is necessary, and all food, housing, and activities for the week are absolutely FREE!
CS Scholars
We invite you to apply to the CS Scholars program! CS Scholars offers a “home” within Cal for undeclared Letters and Science students interested in the computer science major. In this program, students will receive comprehensive, tailored support based on their individual needs, including a cohort-based discussion section for CS 61A and CS 61B, advising, study groups and a community of fellow students interested in computer science. CS Scholars is a diverse community of Berkeley students (in terms of their ethnic, academic, cultural and economic backgrounds) committed to the success of one another.
Student Organizations
AWE
The Association of Women in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (AWE) is a student organization at UC Berkeley that supports fellow undergraduate women interested in CS or EE to succeed in aspects. AWE hosts various academic, social, and outreach events throughout the academic year.
SWE
The Society of Women Engineers encompasses women engineers in all departments of Berkeley Engineering and is an official chapter of the national SWE organization. The UC Berkeley student chapter has been established for approximately 30 years and supports students through professional development, social events and outreach to young women interested in engineering and science.
Weekly lunches hosted by AWE & WICSE
The EECS graduate women’s organization, Women in Computer Science and AWE both have weekly lunches each Friday. All EECS undergraduate women are invited to have lunch with their peers, learn about graduate school, and meet professional women in EECS.
AWE Mentorship Program
The AWE Mentorship Program provides a framework for EE&CS women to develop and sustain mentoring relationships by matching incoming students with upper division women. As new students, mentees connect with their mentors at the beginning of the school year, receiving personalized academic and social help when needed. Throughout the academic year, mentees receive advice, encouragement, information, and insight from experienced peers. Mentors, in turn, gain satisfaction and knowledge from guiding fellow students while fostering a sense of community.
Throughout the semester, mentor and mentee pairs are invited to a variety of planned social events, from board games to picnics. This fosters a supportive community for mentees and mentors to meet each other, share their experiences in EE&CS, and relax amid the semester.
For more information on the program, please contact: aweberkeley@gmail.com or visit the AWE website: http://awe.berkeley.edu/