Initiated in 1994, with support from the National Science Foundation, the California State University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LSAMP) Program is a comprehensive statewide project dedicated to increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups (URM) graduating from campuses of the California State University with baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

The CSU-LSAMP Alliance consists of 19 campuses of the California State University (CSU), each of which is partnered with at least one California Community College (CCC). In Phase I (1994-1998) and Phase II (1998-2003), San Francisco State University served as the Alliance's lead institution. California State University, Sacramento is serving as lead institution for the Phase III project period (2003-2008)

In the first year of Phase III, CSU-LSAMP engaged 3,395 URM-STEM students in activities that sustained or further improved individual student retention and progression rates achieved during Phase I and Phase II.  Since many of the strategies initiated in Phase I and Phase II for lower division students have already been institutionalized, CSU-LSAMP has introduced activities in Phase III that are designed to enhance graduate school preparedness of upper division students with the goal of improving aggregate student progression to STEM graduate programs. To broaden participation of LSAMP students in graduate study, CSU-LSAMP has also established Bridge to the Doctorate supplemental activities at San Francisco State University and California State University Los Angeles, two of the Alliance's member institutions.