Fall 2025 AI Innovation Course
Sign up With Course Code 87416 on WebReg!
What is the AI Innovation Course?
The AI Innovation Course is a 10-week, hands-on program that combines entrepreneurship with artificial intelligence to help students turn ideas into real-world impact. Open to all majors and skill levels, the course teaches students how to ideate, build, and pitch using tools like AI, no-code platforms, and startup frameworks. By the end of the quarter, participants walk away with a working MVP, a pitch video, and the confidence to innovate—whether launching a startup, advancing their career, or driving change in their field.
What Will I Learn in the Course?
- How to use AI and no-code tools to build real solutions.
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The steps of the startup process—from idea to pitch.
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Skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and communication.
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Personal branding and presentation for career readiness.
Course Schedule
Each week is structured around a theme that supports real-world startup development:
Week 1: Ideation + Team Formation
Week 2: Using AI to Refine Your Problem
Week 3: Customer Discovery + Business Model Canvas
Week 4: AI Tools for Building, Creating, and Automating
Week 5: MVP Development + the 3-1-3 Pitch Framework
Week 6: Pitch Practice + AI-Powered Presentation Feedback
Week 7: Demo Day Best Practices + MVP Refinement
Week 8: AI Startup Panel Featuring Student Founders
Week 9: The Future of AI + Ethical Considerations
Week 10: Personal Branding + Funding 101 (LinkedIn audit + storytelling).
Finals Week: Demo Day open to the entire community!
What Students Are Saying About the Course
“This class showed me that I don’t need to be a coder to build a product or start a company. I learned how to leverage AI and no-code tools to test real ideas quickly.” — Political Science major.
“The AI tools we explored gave me a head start in my job interviews. I talked about building an MVP and using prompt engineering, and recruiters were impressed.”
“I never saw myself as an entrepreneur. But this class made me realize that entrepreneurship is really about problem solving. Now I’m working on a startup idea with my team.”
Participant FAQs
Who can participate in the AI Innovation Course?
Undergraduates, graduate students, Ph.D. students can participate.
NOTE: If UCI intellectual property (IP) is used by AI Innovation Course teams, they will need to consult with UCI Beall Applied Innovation (BAI) to fully understand ownership of the IP.
NOTE: If UCI undergrads recruit UCI faculty and/or grad students to their team, the undergrads might lose control of their idea/IP. For more information about your specific team’s ideas/IP, you will need to consult with UCI BAI.
I don't have any experience with AI and don't know how to code. Can I still participate?
Absolutely! This course is open to all students of all majors regardless of prior AI or coding experience. We will teach you how to use AI and no-code software to build you own products so you can learn as you progress. It’s also good to have a mix of technical and non technical people on teams.
How do I form a team?
Teams can be formed with a maximum of five members (and can be six members with an exception). You can start forming your teams from the first class in Week 1 up until Week 3. You can also show up to the kickoff with no team and find a team to join. We will have a team-building session to help individuals find and form teams. If you don’t find a team at the kickoff, let us know and we can help place you on a team.
Teams must:
1. Have at least two undergraduate students.
2. Have no more than five core team members (teams can have mentors and advisors that do not count for this number). If your team wants to have six core team members, it must be approved as an exception by the ANTrepreneur Center.
3. Teams in the Health Impact track must have a minimum of two undergraduates, and must also have at least one faculty or graduate student.
4. Teams in the Storytelling & Entertainment and Student Experience tracks must have at least two undergraduates and are able to recruit faculty and/or graduate student team members, but doing so is not mandatory.
Team composition matters. An interdisciplinary team results in a cohesive, synergistic team that correctly utilizes everyone’s strengths for success. Furthermore, having a diverse team can provide insight into potential opportunities. So, consider this while forming your team.
What if I don't have an idea yet?
No problem! We’ll be helping you form an idea through our various workshops in the first few weeks of class.
Is this only for computer science and engineering students?
Not at all! The class is open to all majors and backgrounds. We need diverse perspectives to develop thoughtful innovations. You don’t need coding or engineering experience to participate.
I missed the Kickoff event. Can I still participate?
Yes, you can still participate. Please review the guidelines and timelines to ensure you’re up to speed.
Do I need to commit a lot of time to participate in the challenge?
While some time commitment is required, we understand students have other commitments. The challenge is designed to be flexible for busy student schedules.