UC Berkeley

Every “thing” around us is getting smarter because of the exploding field of the Internet of Things, also known as IoT. This technology brings people, processes, data and things together to make networked connections to everything. Smart thermostats, doorbells, refrigerators, cars, and more are connecting to the Internet and fueling this fast-growing industry. In this course, students will experience hands-on learning and work with many IoT projects and devices. Students will get an introduction to the various applications for IoT and the processes involved with developing products using IoT. They will learn about sensors, wireless communication, scripting, and security. Go beyond the fundamentals of engineering and work on real-world projects in this fascinating field.

Are you considering a career in architecture or design? Are you working on your college application and portfolio? Or are you simply curious about what it is like to be an architect?
The Summer Springboard architecture course for high school students introduces architectural ideas, design principles, and methods of exploring problems of the built environment in a collaborative studio setting. While working on a design project you will learn about the academic path to an architectural degree, the day-to-day work of an architect, and the career opportunities.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – Students may visit Stantec, one of the world’s top-tier design engineering firms. At Mission Bay, Stantec is helping the University of California, San Francisco transform cancer care. In Golden Gate Park, they partnered to design the California Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s greenest museums.

Are you interested in medicine, science and technology? Is your goal to create a life saving drug? This is a unique opportunity for high school students to gain real exposure and hands-on experience working in a state-of-the-art science lab utilizing advanced equipment. The goal of this program is to provide students intensive laboratory experience relevant to the biotechnology field, and to understand fundamental chemical processes common in prokaryotic and eukaryotic biology, and classical and molecular genetics with an emphasis on gene expression and genetic engineering. 

Your lab time will take place at a brand new science center equipped with the latest technology and equipment, so you’ll be among the first to have hands-on experience working with these cutting-edge instruments in a laboratory environment. 

Students will learn firsthand from business veterans about starting and running a business. Over the course of the program, they will develop a plan for a new venture and pitch their idea to real world investors. Along the way, meet with leaders from different areas of business and finance.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – Students visit the stadium of the San Francisco Giants baseball team to learn about careers in the business of sports. In addition, students will visit another major corporation in the region. In past years, students have visited Facebook, the Better Business Bureau and other institutions.

This program challenges students to think critically and creatively about today’s most pressing technology-related questions. Students will be exposed to the whole cycle of product development from database architecture and APIs to debugging. The curriculum is tailor-made to the skills of each individual student so beginner, intermediate, and advanced students are all welcome.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – Last year, students got the opportunity to visit technology companies such as Thunkable and Google Geo Education. Thunkable staff members described their scholastic and career journeys and the different responsibilities that they have with the team. Nearly all of the employees are graduate and undergraduate students at MIT and worked on the original MIT App Inventor project. Students also got a behind the scenes tour of Google, where they heard an insightful talk from the Google Earth Education Team.

Engineering is one of the top desired careers in many companies. These businesses are always in need of creative minds that can problem solve on their feet and help the company save money, solve issues, and expand their reach. If you are considering a career in Engineering, this course will help you explore what it takes to be an engineer. We will explore facets of mechanical, structural, civil, and electrical engineering in a hands-on, minds-on approach.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – Students visit Stantec, a global engineering firm where they spent time reviewing “pull schedules” that allow the orchestra of fields to come together to create a masterpiece: the new UCSF cancer center.

Our summer medical program for high school students gives you a 360 degree view of the medical and healthcare field, as well as immersive learning through hands-on projects and simulations.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – In past years students went to the Kanbar Center, which supports UCSF’s educational mission of teaching, learning, and assessment through simulation recreating routine and complex situations. Additionally students received a behind the scenes tour of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, a community hospital and Level 1 trauma center dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the community.

Interested in a “Green Career”? Our program in Environmental Studies offers an interdisciplinary look at issues pertaining to ecology and sustainability, without focusing on the scientific side. Focusing on how humans impact the environment, this course gives students the tools to gain a broader understanding of the growing number of issues that affect our environment. Blessed with miles of coastline, students will also have the unique opportunity to study the Bay Area’s diverse ecosystems. Showing various career paths, from environmental science to ecological agriculture, this course gives students a better understanding of where a green career can lead.

Technology is highly integrated in our daily lives that learning to code can benefit for college, a future career, and beyond. It’s a great time to begin learning and building coding skills. Whether students are interested in 3D modeling, gameplay programming or level design, they can expand their project’s portfolio, gain exposure to critical game industry insights, and connect with talented peers and mentors.

In this course, students will explore professional video game design while using popular industry tools. They will begin by learning about how to create 3D objects and then using their new skills to design a fully realized world of their own. Students will get a chance to customize their newly built worlds and will leave the course with a comprehensive view of how to professionally design a game and have skills to showcase in their own portfolio. No prior coding knowledge is needed.

This program provides middle school students interested in pursuing medicine with real hands-on experience where they can build a set of medical skills at an early age.

Imagine being able to set a splint, stop a bleed, and perform CPR as a middle school student! Students will learn medical techniques through age-appropriate simulations and guided lessons. In addition, they’ll work with small groups to research a patient’s history and symptoms, create a diagnosis based on findings, and develop a treatment plan.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – All students visit a simulation center for hands-on practice in stitching, suturing, intubation, and BLS skills led by leading medical trainers. Past visits have included the Yale Center for Medical Simulation, the UCSF Kanbar Simulation Center, STRATUS Center (affiliated with Harvard Medical School) and UC San Diego’s SIM Center. Visits provide  first-hand observations of the high-pressure/ life-saving world of an emergency room.

This program is a jam-packed week for middle school students interested in being introduced to the coding and programming fields with real hands-on experience and a comprehensive understanding of the topics. Our middle school program combines academic courses, interactive labs, and recreational activities to give middle school students a supportive, fun, and enriching summer experience. During this program students will design, build, and program a self-driving car with sensors that will follow a painted line. At the end of the program students will race their cars against each other.

Through psychology simulations and hands-on neurology workshops, you will explore the relationships between the brain and human behavior. Whether you are interested in the physical aspect of the brain and central nervous system or more intrigued by human behavior and thought processes, connect with professionals that have a background in both psychology and neuroscience. 

Excursions at UC Berkeley – students will visit the Action & Consciousness Lab and other labs at SFSU. 

Are you thinking about medical school? Do you know what field of medicine you’d like to pursue? This course is designed to help students explore a career in a variety of fields in medicine. In this program, students will get a chance to explore the various fields of study that exist in medicine, and rotate through potential fields such as cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and more. They will also have the opportunity to learn about pursuing study in medical research from current UCSF medical students. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about getting into medical school, studying for medical school entrance exams, researching and planning medical residency, and learning about the role of scientific inquiry and scientific curiosity in becoming a medical professional. Through the course students will interact with doctors, medical students and residents while being exposed to various medical disciplines.

Quantum computing is going to revolutionize the field of technology over the next decade. What is quantum computing? It is a rapidly-emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that are too complex for classical computers. The tools being used in this field were just imagination three decades ago. Superconducting quantum processors are being designed by companies like IBM to build superconducting quantum processors that will supply quantum computing speed and capacity that will change the world. This course will help prepare the next generation of students with the quantum knowledge and skills. This course will introduce key quantum computing concepts, like superposition and entanglement. Students will also explore quantum phenomena and applications. They will learn from curriculum designed by leading experts in academia and the quantum computing industry.

• Students in our Hybrid program receive a truly unique, immersive experience coupling our in-person and online programs. Students will stay at our quintessential dormitories at UC Berkeley, while taking classes online from top notch staff recruited from across the globe. We will have spaces set up for students to go and attend their online class and join their
  classmates from around the world.
  

Excursions at UC Berkeley – Students may get the opportunity to visit technology companies such as Thunkable and Google Geo Education. In the past, thunkable staff members described their scholastic and career journeys and the different responsibilities that they have with the team. Students also got a behind the scenes tour of Google, where they heard an insightful talk from the Google Earth Education Team.

Once confined to the realm of science fiction, virtual reality (VR) is now revolutionizing sectors as diverse as entertainment, business, education, and healthcare. The VR industry is evolving at a rapid rate, and new platforms and capabilities are constantly emerging. The industry heavy hitters like Google, Microsoft, and Meta are increasingly focusing on this amazing technology and the opportunities it offers.

This innovative college-level course is perfectly designed to help high schoolers gain real world knowledge and experience before committing to a Virtual Reality pathway in college. Students will get the opportunity to apply their newly gained skills to a hands-on project by prototyping, testing, and refining a game of their own design with rules they define. While specific briefs vary from course to course, all of the projects are selected to perfectly complement the skills covered in class and enable students to create their own virtual reality experience. They will also earn a Certificate of Virtual Reality bootcamp course completion from an expert teacher. No prior VR experience required for this course.

Excursions at UC Berkeley – Students may get the opportunity to visit technology companies such as Thunkable and Google Geo Education. In the past, thunkable staff members described their scholastic and career journeys and the different responsibilities that they have with the team. Students also got a behind the scenes tour of Google, where they heard an insightful talk from the Google Earth Education Team.