Classes and Programmatic Offerings

At the Innovation Center, our programs are centered around experiential learning – where students apply knowledge and life experiences to innovate. Interdisciplinary classes and programs bring together UIC faculty, staff, students, and corporate partners into one environment to foster learning by doing.

Classes

Classroom full of people with large projected presentation with students standing up talking to the class

Interdisciplinary Solution Development (IXD)

Interdisciplinary Solution Development (IXD)  brings together students from diverse academic disciplines to work with corporate sponsors, where they tackle real-world industry and user challenges. Through collaboration, creative exploration, and diverse perspectives, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This course emphasizes teamwork and multidisciplinary ideation, empowering students to design innovative solutions that respond to industry demands while preparing them for dynamic professional environments.

Two students talking to a person about their prototype

Entrepreneurial Solution Development (EXD)

Entrepreneurial Solution Development (EXD) allows students to take the lead by selecting and defining their own problem statements, fostering creativity, initiative, and ownership throughout the process. The interdisciplinary course prioritizes needs identification, guiding students to deeply understand the context of the challenges they aim to address. By emphasizing teamwork, critical thinking, and multidisciplinary approaches, (EXD) encourages participants to explore diverse strategies. The focus on user-centered solutions ensures that outcomes are relevant and impactful, preparing students to navigate complex, real-world challenges with confidence.

Classroom getting lecture

Tech in Residence (TIR)

Tech in Residence (TIR) originated from Break Through Tech Chicago (BTTC) and is a class that supports computer science and engineering majors. Teams work with a corporate partner on a challenging project for the duration of the class. As a part of the course framework, students will interview for a summer internship that takes place following the class.

Students interested in taking a class

Partners interested in sponsoring a class

Large group of students holding giant checks

Summer Venture Accelerator

The Accelerator will not be running Summer 2025.

The Summer Venture Accelerator is an initiative is for all UIC students who have a startup idea and want to work on developing it. Selected teams will work closely with UIC faculty and industry professionals for 9 weeks at the Innovation Center for market validation and creation.

 

Students in lab

HAL Lab

Supported by Apple’s Community Education Initiative, the Health Access Lab is an interdisciplinary lab made up of various research teams led by Innovation Center staff to focus on issues related to health access in the community of UIC students and families. The solutions teams propose will make use of Apple iOS software and hardware, demonstrating how these technologies can make an impact in reducing health access inequity. Teams will learn and use a lean innovation process to understand needs and develop solution proposals.