Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)

• Students must be pursuing one of these following majors: 
• Accounting 
• Biology 
• Business Administration 
• Clinical Laboratory 
• Communication Disorders 
• Computer Information 
• Counseling 
• Criminal Justice 
• Cybersecurity 
• Education - Math 
• Finance 
• General Business Administration 
• Health Science 
• Health Science - Physician Assistant 
• Health Science - Occupational Therapy 
• Health Science - Physical Therapy 
• Marriage and Family Therapy 
• Mental Health Counseling 
• Occupational Therapy 
• Psychology 
• Psychology Education 
• Social Work 
• Veterinary Medicine 

Students must be interested in pursuing one of the following professions: 

Acupuncture 

Architecture 

Athletic Training 

Audiology 

Certified Shorthand Reporting 

Chiropractic 

Dentistry 

• Dentists 

• Dental Anesthesia/Sedation 

• Dental Hygienists 

• Certified Dental Assistants 

Dietetics-Nutrition 

Engineering 

Interior Design 

Land Surveying 

Landscape Architecture 

Massage Therapy 

Medical Physics 

Education 

• Secondary Education 

• Law Teacher 

• Science Teacher 

• Mathematics Teacher 

Medicine 

• Physicians 

• Physicians, 3-year limited license 

• Physician Assistants 

• Specialist Assistant 

• Mental Health Practitioners 

• Creative Arts Therapy 

• Marriage and Family Therapy 

• Mental Health Counseling 

• Psychoanalysis 

• Midwifery 

Nursing 

• Registered Professional Nurses 

• Nurse Practitioners 

• Licensed Practical Nurses 

Occupational Therapy 

• Occupational Therapists 

• Occupational Therapy Assistants 

Ophthalmic Dispensing 

Optometry 

Pharmacy 

• Pharmacists 

• Pharmacy Establishments 

Physical Therapy 

• Physical Therapists 

Podiatry 

Psychology 

• Physical Therapist Assistants 

Public Accountancy 

• Certified Public Accountants 

• Public Accountants 

Respiratory Therapy 

• Respiratory Therapists 

• Respiratory Therapy Technicians 

Social Work 

Speech-Language Pathology 

Veterinary Medicine 

• Veterinarian  

• Veterinary Technician 

To be eligible for CSTEP you must be: 

• Pursuing a licensed profession, health-related profession, a career in Science, Technological, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) or CSTEP targeted professions 

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident 

• New York State residency 

• African-American, Latino/Hispanic American, Alaskan Native, Native American or economically disadvantaged ad defined by New York State income guidelines 

• Have a minimum GPA of 2.5 

Note: No more than 20 percent of students enrolled in the HEOP are eligible to participate in CSTEP. 

CSTEP is always accepting applications. Applications are reviewed to determine eligibility. Eligible students are required to have a personal interview in order to be accepted into the program. Once the application is submitted and the personal interview has taken place you will receive a notice of the decision within seven business days from the date of your personal interview.   

Students can apply by filling out our online application. You can reach out to us at CSTEP@mercy.edu, if you have any issues with the application.

In order to maintain membership in CSTEP we have established some guideline to help ensure that students participating in CSTEP get the maximum benefit from the program. Students must maintain the following: 

• Maintain good academic standing (a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required) 

• Meet with CSTEP staff twice each semester to monitor educational progress 

• Attend semester meeting to stay informed about beneficial CSTEP services and activities 

• Attend at least two CSTEP workshops, events or activities each semester 

• Participate in an internship or research experience 

The CSTEP Program at Mercy College provides several program services to active participants.  Here are some of the ways that CSTEP can help you: 

• Pre-Freshman/Transfer Summer Program - Intensive five-week program, structured to improve the skills and performances of students in college-level courses leading to CSTEP targeted professions 

• Graduate/Professional School Trip - Each summer CSTEP invites students to take part in their annual graduate/professional school tour 

• Academic and Career Advising - CSTEP provides students with intensive academic and career counseling services to better assist with choosing classes and setting career goals 

• Tuition Remission for Summer Course - Active participants in CSTEP will have the opportunity to apply for a free course in the summer 

• Funding Opportunities to Attend State and National Professional Conferences - Students will have the opportunity to attend conferences that will give students exposure to a variety of academic, research and career-related workshops 

• Educational Workshops - Students will have the opportunity to participate in an array of activities to further cultivate their interest in the STEM fields 

• Assist in Graduate/Professional School Application Process - CSTEP offers student one-on-one graduate/professional counseling through the application process 

• Internship and Research Opportunities - This provides an opportunity for students to gain career and research experience in their chosen field of study 

• Textbook and Laptop/Tablet Loan Program - On a first come-first served basis, students can borrow textbooks from the CSTEP Lending Library for the semester.  CSTEP participants will also have access to on-site laptop/tablet loan 

• CSTEP Kaplan Scholarship - The CSTEP Kaplan Scholarship is available for eligible students applying to graduate/professional school. This scholarship helps CSTEP students prepare for standardized exams required for graduate school admission. Assistance will apply to the following preparatory courses offered through Kaplan including: GRE/DAT/MCAT/LSAT/PCAT/etc.  

CSTEP assists students with finding experiential learning opportunities including, volunteering, internships and research programs in their chosen field of study. Additionally, CSTEP offers two research programs – Stipend Research Program and the Summer Research Program, for students of all majors who are interested in conducting research on campus.

Students in the Stipend Research Program are paired with a Mercy professor to conduct research throughout the academic year. Both the professor and the student receive stipends for their research at the end of each academic year. The CSTEP Summer Research program is a six-week program for 10 historically underrepresented undergraduate college students interested in pursuing careers in STEM-related fields. The program provides students with training in the fundamentals of research, mentorship, and career preparation.

See below for the research projects from the cohort of the 2021 Summer Research Program:

2021 CSTEP Summer Research Program Projects