About

The UCLA Engineering Design program is a three-week, commuter-based academic course for high school students offered through UCLA Summer Sessions as part of the Summer Precollege Focus Series. Designed to introduce participants to the professional practice of engineering, the course blends project-based work with foundational technical instruction. Students earn two units of UCLA academic credit for Engineering 1IT, with the grade appearing on an official university transcript upon successful completion. For the Summer 2026 cycle, the program is offered in two distinct sessions: Session A from June 22 to July 10 and Session B from July 13 to July 31.

Engineering Design requires students to select a specialized project track supervised by experienced instructors and UCLA undergraduate mentors. Current options include Aerospace Engineering, where participants use CAD tools and flight data electronics for rocket launches; Mechanical Engineering, focused on the design and machining of small go-kart vehicles; Electrical Engineering, which emphasizes autonomous rover navigation; and Microcontrollers, centered on digital audio and sensor interfacing. Across all tracks, students complete rapid cycles of design, fabrication, and testing that mirror the workflows used in the Samueli School of Engineering undergraduate curriculum.

Instruction combines formal lectures with hands-on laboratory sessions where students learn industry-standard software and tools, such as SolidWorks for 3D modeling. Each project track culminates in a formal presentation of results and a final design competition. Admissions are processed on a rolling basis beginning February 18, 2026, with a final enrollment deadline of June 12 for Session A and July 3 for Session B. Prospective participants must be at least 15 years old by June 22 and should maintain a minimum unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.2 for competitive consideration.

The program remains a strictly commuter-only experience, and families are responsible for daily transportation to the Westwood campus. While UCLA Housing does not provide supervised residence for this specific series, students aged 17 or older may independently apply for on-campus housing contracts through Housing Services starting in mid-May. For visiting high school students, the total estimated fees for 2026 are approximately $2,845, which includes the program fee, registration, and laboratory materials.

Through this integration of credit-earning coursework and tangible portfolio development, students experience an authentic university engineering environment.