Center for Training, Research, and Educational Excellence (CTREE)

Welcome to CTREE

The mission of the Center for Training, Research, and Educational Excellence (CTREE) is to enhance the educational and research experiences of students in higher education. Success is achieved by actively engaging students in research and scholarly activities that support them throughout their educational pathway and into their career. We aim to expand academic and non-academic workforce.

With over 11 million dollars in funding, the center serves as the home for several student development programs and focuses on student and faculty career development and institutional curriculum enhancement.

The following programs are currently run by CTREE:

CTREE Programs

Program Name	Audience
LSAMP	Freshman, Sophomore, Junior & Senior STEM Majors in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science & Math.
U-RISE	Students with at least 60 units majoring in Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science & Math.
CA-NARCH	Interested in American Indian/Alaska Native Health. Be a STEM major at CSUSM, SDSU, UC San Diego, or Palomar College.
TRDRP-SVFSIP	Students with at least 60 units interested in health research and advocacy.
McNair Scholars Program	Students with at least 60 units. Supports both STEM and non-STEM majors in pursuing graduate studies and earning a PhD.
CSUSM Bridges to the PhD	Master’s students in Biology, Chemistry, Kinesiology & Psychology who plan to obtain a PhD after their master’s degree.
CSUSM Bridges to the Baccalaureate	The program is designed for students who attend Palomar College or MiraCosta College, and many BRIDGES Scholars transfer to CSU San Marcos to continue the research they began as Bridges Scholars.
BEARS-ESTEEMED Program	This program is designed for first-year undergraduates interested in bioengineering and biomedical research

Learn more about each programs benefits and eligibility criteria visit their individual webpages.

Priority Application Deadline: March 14, 2025-SEE BELOW FOR UPDATE

Complete applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots have been filled.  Please apply even if the deadline has past as new opportunities may arise that you are eligible for.  

For Letters of Recommendation:  Please provide names and contact information for potential letter writers.  We will reach out to them to request a letter if one is needed.

04/17/2025-WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY WHILE WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE FUTURE OF OUR PROGRAMS.  WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING APPLICATIONS AND WILL BE CONTACTING YOU FOR INTERVIEWS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

Apply to the URISE, McNair, LSAMP programs

CTREE scholars get the following benefits:

• Personalized, one-on-one academic and career advising.
• Research opportunities with CSUSM faculty.
• Full preparation for and help with the graduate school application process.
• Access to GRE preparation materials.
• Opportunities to travel to conferences to present your research.
• Access to information about paid summer research opportunities.
• Opportunities to network with other undergraduates who are interested in obtaining a Ph.D. degree.