UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering hosts a dynamic array of project opportunities that enhance personal, academic, and professional development of our engineering students and provide unique opportunities to develop partnerships with industry, alumni, donors, and other external entities. You can explore Projects and Partnerships by scrolling down through this page.
Projects
All students are required to participate in Capstone Projects to fulfill requirements for their accredited BS degree. However, many students also take on extracurricular engineering project activities. These diverse hands-on mandatory and optional projects contribute to rich and impactful university experiences that enhance career opportunities.
Capstone Class Projects
Capstone projects are often called “senior design projects” and are typically the final requirement for an undergraduate engineering degree. Under the guidance of faculty, staff, or industry partners, engineering students work in small teams to design, develop, and implement comprehensive solutions to open-ended engineering problems.
These projects span 2-3 quarters (depending on the department) and require rigorous planning, research, and execution. Capstone projects integrate engineering fundamentals and technical skills together with project management, teamwork, and communication skills. This experience serves as a bridge between academic study and professional practice, preparing students to transition smoothly into their engineering careers.
Capstone project requirements and details vary from department to department. Students should reach out to their academic counselors about requirements.
Extracurricular Projects
The OEL is also here to promote and support extracurricular student projects. There are several sources for such projects: Student Clubs Projects, External Competition Projects, Internal Interdisciplinary Projects, Entrepreneurial Projects, and ODIT Experiential Learning Program. These are loose categories with projects often overlapping within these categories. Below are some descriptions of resources for each. Sometimes, by following department procedures with the right faculty mentor, these projects can have sub-projects that become capstone projects. Click on the bars below to learn more about each category of projects.
Students can also explore extracurricular projects by enrolling in courses that offer hands-on-experience in project design. Students can look through their department’s catalogue of courses to find courses that require design projects where students can create and develop their ideas and join project teams that participate in project competitions.
Student Club Projects
Student Club Projects
There are a variety of student clubs at UCI. These range from organizations affiliated with professional societies to groups formed by shared interests. Joining a student club opens up new opportunities and connections for engineering students. Benefits include contributing to projects, enrolling in competitions, access to resources, industry and alumni connections, and being a part of a supportive community where your interests and passions are shared and understood. These benefits can help in the journey of becoming a successful engineer through career development and practice in both technical and essential skills.
Engineering student clubs often create and engage in engineering projects by designing and building their own projects and participating in competitions. Students on these project teams use their classroom knowledge to solve real-world problems, develop teamwork skills, and build their resumes with hands-on experiences. You can find a list of student clubs down below.
External Competition Projects
External Competition Projects
We encourage engineering students to seek and participate in external competitions and projects hosted by organizations found outside of UCI. As mentioned before, students can join project teams by enrolling in design project courses or joining a student club. Participating in external projects grants the opportunities such as engaging with industry, practicing real-world application, resume and portfolio building, and partaking in innovative and creative challenges. The Office for Experiential Learning will be posting external project opportunities on the News & Events page of our website. You can find a list of extracurricular project teams down below.
Internal Interdisciplinary Projects
Internal Interdisciplinary Projects
Interdisciplinary projects bring together students from different majors to collaborate on a shared project. These projects require a mix of skills and knowledge from each student’s field of study. As an engineer, you will have to collaborate with professionals from various fields throughout your career to reach project goals or overcome multifaceted challenges. As an engineering student, these interdisciplinary projects are valuable in preparing you for real-world professional settings and projects. Working with students in other majors will broaden and diversify your critical thinking, communication skills, creativity, and adaptability through collaborative innovation. The Office for Experiential Learning will be posting interdisciplinary project opportunities on the News & Events page of our website.
Entrepreneurial Projects
UCI ANTrepreneur Center
UCI ANTrepreneur Center serves as a hub where student entrepreneurs, or “ANTrepreneurs,” can develop the skills necessary to start, operate, or grow their own businesses. The ANTrepreneur Center serves as a place to bring ideas, meet other students who want to launch their own startups, find funding, connect with mentors, and learn from experts on how to navigate starting and growing a business.
UCI Beall Applied Innovation
UCI Beall Applied Innovation unites entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and industries behind the movement that is building Orange County into a globally-recognized startup ecosystem.
ODIT Experiential Learning Program
ODIT Experiential Learning Program
The Office for Data and Information Technology (ODIT) is partnering with Career Pathways, the ANTrepreneur Center, research teams, and the local business community to provide students with real world experiences to complement their degree studies at UC Irvine. The Experiential Learning Program (ELP) creates a bridge between classroom learning and career readiness by providing a space to build new competencies and hone their skills.
We encourage engineering students to check out the ODIT ELP website for additional resources.
Funding Opportunities
The Office for Experiential Learning has created the Experiential Learning Project Fund, a new funding opportunity for project teams and student organizations. Click here for more information!
Partnerships
Professional Society Connections
Engineering professional societies serve as networks that unite students, professionals, and experts within specific fields of engineering. These societies offer a magnitude of resources and opportunities aimed at fostering personal and professional growth including networking opportunities, professional development workshops, scholarships and awards, and educational resources. UCI encourages students in engaging with engineering professional societies to enhance educational experience, gain valuable career insights, and build a strong foundation for their professional career. Local chapters for professional societies are encouraged to publicize their events so that our students can join.
Students can find student chapters of various engineering professional societies on the list of Student Clubs.
Industry Partnerships
Please visit our For Industry tab for more information on partnership opportunities.