Welcome to UC Santa Cruz and the Academic Excellence (ACE) Program

Are you thinking about majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math (known as STEM)? Would you like to meet other UCSC students doing the same? Then ACE is the Place for you!

We bring STEM students together in small discussion sections that accompany the large math and science lectures. We help you understand the lecture and text book through concept specific worksheets that you and your classmates work on as a team.

Did you know that students who spend three hours per course-unit each week studying outside of their math or science lecture have a much better understanding of their course material and therefore earn higher grades? Since UCSC’s courses are 5-units, that means you should study 15 hours per week outside of lecture. When you participate in an ACE secondary discussion section, not only will you meet others who need to study just as much as you do, but also one third of your outside-of-lecture-study time will be guided and focused.

Learning to manage your time is crucial and ACE can teach you how. As a member of the ACE Program, you will join a community of motivated students who are on the way to achieving their career goals.

Nancy Cox-Konopelski, Program Director

Thanks to our Supporters

ACE is funded and administered by the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences with fiscal support from Division of Student Affairs as well as NIH and NSF grants awarded to the Jack Baskin School of Engineering and the MCD Biology Department.