Course Description

Open Project Space (OPS) is a year-long technical course in embedded systems. We introduce engineering students to topics relevant to their coursework and potential career paths: integrated circuits, breadboarding, soldering, microcontrollers, embedded programming with C++, PCB design, and hardware communication. Unlike a traditional college course, we aim to increase engagement with project-based learning. Students individually complete eight projects encapsulating the program’s topics, culminating in one final capstone project where they design and build a remote-controlled rover. Regularly scheduled workshops and lectures complement the projects.

Our Mission

We have two goals: One is to provide students with the fundamental skills they need to be competitive candidates for their first engineering jobs and internships. Open Project Space accomplishes this with regular workshops and lectures that complement the projects. We train participants to use soldering equipment, design printed circuit boards, and read technical manuals and specifications, none of which are skills acquired from traditional coursework. Our curriculum also covers circuit analysis, programming, and embedded design concepts to provide students with an early overview of topics they would otherwise learn much later in their degree program.

The second goal is to support and motivate students in a challenging degree pathway. We offer one-on-one support both in-person, through regular lab sessions, and in online forums. We implore students to ask probing questions during our lectures and workshops so that they can solidify their understanding of the course material.

Enrollment Requirements

Undergraduate students attending the University of California, Irvine, can apply for course enrollment. The deadline for application submissions is October 6th, 2023, at 11:59 PM. Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance to the program. Students who receive a course acceptance offer must pay the course deposit and fee before enrollment.

Course Deposit + Fee

You will pay $120 ($60 refundable deposit + $60 course fee) at the beginning of the program. In exchange, you will receive a parts kit with the components needed to complete the course projects. You will be refunded $20 upon completing each quarter's required projects. By the end of the year, you can earn the full $60 deposit back.

More Information

Learn more about the course schedule, parts kit components, lectures, and workshops in the PDF below or access it here.