The UCLA Mentoring Underrepresented Scholars in Engineering (MUSE) project addresses a National Science Board critical need of increasing engineering and computing degrees for the technical workforce and strengthening America's global competiveness. The project design derives from seminal research in active learning communities and its application to low-income engineering students from underrepresented groups. The project provides the resources to recruit, retain, mentor and graduate low-income underrepresented freshmen, community college transfers, and continuing students in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. For each year of the grant, MUSE scholarships are awarded to 5 incoming freshmen, 5 new community college transfer students, and 10 continuing students. Key project objectives are for the MUSE Scholars to succeed in gatekeeper courses and to exceed the School's overall retention to graduation percentage. To achieve these outcomes, MUSE provides support structures to increase Scholar's persistence and performance in gatekeeper engineering and computing courses. Additionally, the project provides closely monitored faculty and industry mentoring programs and professional development for Scholars to enter the workforce or advanced study. The MUSE project is adding to the understanding of retention in engineering by both broadening the participation and increasing graduation percentage of-low income engineering students from underrepresented groups.
