Forged out of three decades of organized, direct action led by the Black Action Movement (BAM), the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP) is a learning community and academic unit serving 3,000 undergraduate students annually, many of whom identify with populations that have been historically underrepresented in U.S. higher education. CSP students are identified through the highly selective U-M admissions process and are the top students in their home communities. First-time first-year and transfer students are admitted to CSP in the spring, summer, fall, and winter terms. Students who are not admitted to CSP may choose to become a CSP affiliate at any point in their undergraduate career.
The Comprehensive Studies Program was created in 1983 by combining two successful LSA programs—the Opportunity Awards Program, which focused on academic advising in support of the recruitment and retention of Black students, and the Coalition for the Use of Learning Skills, which offered academic support in math and writing to LSA underrepresented, minoritized students. Today, CSP provides comprehensive academic support to U-M students through LSA courses, holistic academic advising, academic and co-curricular programming, and student support services that utilize high-impact, inclusive practices to encourage student agency and engagement.
While retaining a core focus on math and writing, CSP has grown to serve students across a wider, multidisciplinary curriculum, including Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, History, History of Art, Physics, Spanish, and Statistics.
Although CSP is housed in LSA and 75% of its 3,000 students are pursuing an LSA degree, CSP serves students from all of U-M’s undergraduate-serving schools and colleges.
