Washington MESA Transfer Prep Program

STEM Degree and Career Support

The MESA Transfer Prep Program cultivates a transformative environment for students, helping them prepare for and advance in STEM careers.

This program aims to increase the number of community college students from historically underrepresented communities who transfer to four-year universities and go on to earn STEM degrees. To achieve this, we partner with two- and four-year colleges to provide an environment of support through workshops, dedicated MESA study centers, and career and professional development.

Washington MESA Mission

We empower students by providing them with a community that supports their pathways to higher education in STEM.

Washington MESA Vision

Diverse student populations in Washington state have the educational support and tools to create innovative solutions as they become the next leaders in STEM.

MESA Transfer Prep Program Components

The Transfer Prep Program includes:

• Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs): Certain “gatekeeper” courses are notorious for keeping historically underrepresented students from pursuing STEM degrees. AEWs provide support tailored to those courses.
• On-site directors: Each institution that is part of Washington MESA has an on-site director who serves as a local and accessible contact for students and parents.
• STEM orientation course: Students who complete this course gain a deep understanding of the industries that make up STEM and how to plain their own academic path to support their career development.
• Tailored advising: MESA-trained advisors help students navigate the transfer process and pursue STEM degrees.
• Study center: Each Washington MESA program center has a dedicated study center for participating students, giving them a place to gather, learn, and build community.
• Career and professional development: Through connections with industry mentors, university visits, internships, workshops, research opportunities, and connections, students are well positioned with the skills and experience to enter STEM careers.

Proven Results 

• At participating community colleges, MESA students were more likely to persist, transfer to a university, and earn a STEM-related bachelor’s degree than other under-represented students pursuing STEM studies at those colleges.
• Compared to the rest of the community college system, MESA colleges produce a greater share of Associate of Science-Transfer degrees (AS-T) with more diverse graduates.

Increased degree production

Preliminary research results of MESA show 52 percent of students entering the MESA program between 2011 and 2013 went on to earn a two-year degree by 2016. Nearly half earned a STEM degree.

Graduates became more diverse

• MESA colleges produced more AS-T degrees between 2010 and 2015 by graduating a greater share of under-represented students who might otherwise have chosen a non-STEM path.
• The colleges increased the share of STEM degrees by 5 percent for Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Alaska Native/Native Americans and Pacific Islanders compared to the rest of the college system.
• MESA graduates are also more likely to be first-generation college students (47 percent compared to 43 percent), and they are more likely to be women (30 percent compared to 26 percent).
• In the first MESA graduating class of 2011-12, 100 percent of the students who earned bachelor’s degrees majored in STEM fields.

See the  Washington MESA one-pager for more background and research.