How it Works

Hosted at UCLA, the 18-month Break Through Tech AI Program will help you master the skills necessary to get jobs in the fastest-growing areas of tech: data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

SKILLS BASED CURRICULUM 

Developed by industry and academic leaders, students begin with a summer ML Engineering curriculum that teaches the critical, practical skills that help qualify candidates for entry-level jobs in the field including skills in building data analysis pipelines, training and validating ML models, while gaining experience with common ML/AI libraries.

INDUSTRY PROJECTS 

Next, students join the AI Studio where they work in teams to solve industry challenges and develop a portfolio of AI projects that demonstrate their capabilities.

MENTORING AND CAREER COACHING 

Throughout the program, students receive career coaching, mentorship and summer internship placement support, all aimed at helping participants successfully launch their AI tech career.

Interested in applying?

The Break Through Tech AI is a free program for second year and third year undergraduate students in Southern California. Applicants should be majoring (or planning to major) in computer science, mathematics, engineering, or a related STEM discipline. Applications for the 2024/2025 cohort will open December 2023. Register for an information session to learn more about the Break Through Tech AI program and the application process.

Information Session – Wednesday, January 10th at 4PM – Registration Link
Information Session – Friday, January 12th at 10AM – Registration Link

Have a question that’s not answered on this page? Send us an email at nfeliciano@g.ucla.edu

Why UCLA?

Ranked the #1 public university for the sixth straight year, UCLA is a powerhouse in research breakthroughs, and lends its innovative approach to Break Through Tech students through our new collaboration. Known as the birthplace of the internet, the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is also where countless other fields took some of their first steps — from artificial intelligence to reverse osmosis, from mobile communications to human prosthetics. In 2021, UCLA became the first university to win an XPRIZE led by a civil engineering team that was awarded a $7.5 million grand prize in the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. UCLA Samueli is consistently ranked in the Top 10 among U.S. public engineering schools. In 2021, the school launched its Science Hub for Humanity and Artificial Intelligence in collaboration with Amazon Science to address humanity’s pressing challenges through cross pollination of academic and industry research that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence.