Eight Weeks, Six Credits
UVA Launchpad builds technical and career skills to help students become more competitive candidates for a wide range of jobs. Students in UVA Launchpad will take three online courses over eight weeks, earning a total of six credits during the program. Applications are open, and the deadline is June 2, 2023.
Students choose one course from each category: a liberal arts course, a bootcamp course, and a project-based course. During the first five weeks, students complete the liberal arts and bootcamp courses.
In the last three weeks, students complete the “Complex Problem Solving and Strategic Decision Making” project-based course.
All classes are online and synchronous, with class meetings Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT. There will be several mandatory professional development activities offered from 12 to 1 p.m. EDT. Details on those sessions will be announced closer to the start of the program. Students should expect to spend about 4-6 hours per day preparing for and attending class and working on course assignments.
What will I learn?
The liberal arts course helps students develop key career skills like critical thinking, leadership, communication, collaboration, and ethical decision-making. In the bootcamp, students learn foundational technical and practical skills for their careers in areas like cloud computing and public speaking.
In the project-based course, “Complex Problem Solving and Strategic Decision Making,” students work in teams to solve and present a case study that is provided by a partner company. Throughout the course, students apply concepts they are learning in class to real problems that companies are facing today. They learn to make strategic and ethical decisions while collaborating with peers and employers.
How do the credits count toward my degree?
Upon successful completion of the program, students earn 6 credits. Each course is graded and worth 2 credits. Students must take all 6 credits. These credits count as elective credit for the BA or BS degrees in the College. They also count as part of the 102 required “inside the College” credits.
Program Breakdown
- 3 courses
- 6 credits
- 8 weeks
How much does the program cost?
The total program cost is $3,700 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition and fees are due on the first day of class, June 20.
UVA Launchpad is 6 credit hours and is eligible for Summer 2023 financial aid. More information regarding types of financial aid for UVA students is available here. Grant funding for Summer Session is need-based. Some students may only qualify for financial aid in the form of federal student loans. Students seeking aid are encouraged to apply for admission early.
How to apply
Admission criteria:
- Students must be rising second, third- or fourth-year undergraduates in good standing and complete the program application. This program is not open to new, entering students from UVA or entering first-year students at other institutions.
- UVA students who apply to the program must be in good standing at the university.
- Students from other institutions are welcome to apply to the program.
- The application has a short essay in which we ask applicants to share why they would like to participate in the UVA Launchpad program.
How to begin your application:
- Visit the application site and click “Create a new account.”
- When prompted, enter your information. The system will email you a temporary PIN to create an account.
- Follow the instructions in the email to set up a new account with a username and password.
- Log in. You will see the “Apply Now” page. Click “Start New Application” at the bottom of the page.
- Select “UVA Launchpad” and click “Create Application.”
- Complete all steps. You will have the opportunity to rank your choice of courses for each category (liberal arts course, bootcamp, and project-based course).
Need Help? Email launchpad_inquiries@virginia.edu
