Extracurricular Opportunities
Exploring AI beyond the classroom
AI learning at UC Davis does not stop when class ends. You'll engage with guest speakers, industry practitioners, workshops and cross-campus AI activity that expands their understanding of how the field is evolving.
These experiences help you build networks, test ideas and stay current in a fast-moving domain.
You'll benefit from a fast-growing ecosystem of programming, experimentation and guidance. That creates more touchpoints with emerging tools, more opportunities to learn from innovators and more ways to understand where AI is headed next.
Exclusive AI Learning and Hands-on Opportunities
Get ready to turn AI from a buzzword into a hands-on skill set. Beyond the Graduate School of Management's curriculum are many opportunities designed to give students and alumni practical, real-world experience using AI and what the future uses will be.
AI Webinar Series
Recently on our eos lifelong learning community, the Graduate School of Management hosted a four-part AI Webinar Series featuring alumni and experts leading sessions on:
- How to build a custom app using AI. Participants experimented with prompt design, experienced how small changes impact outcomes, and gained a deeper understanding of how AI-powered applications are built in practice.
- Bringing AI to life through a mock product launch, demonstrating how AI can support messaging and positioning, campaign development, light competitive intelligence, and the day-to-day workflows of a product marketing manager, and developing a practical playbook for launching products with AI.
- Identifying opportunities to integrate AI into product workflows through an interactive session for building impactful products leveraging AI.
UC Davis, National and International Competitions
UC Davis graduate business students often form teams to compete at the highest levels with peers in campus, regional, national and international case competitions, hackathons and challenges.
For example, a UC Davis MBA team advanced to the final top eight at Carnegie Mellon Tepper’s Tech Innovation Challenge “for MBA students dedicated to applying business techniques to products in emerging technologies.” The competition focused on harnessing the power of generative AI to think big and revolutionize the heath care industry.
"Our team took on the challenge to develop an AI-powered solution for 'whole-person health.' It was not merely a contest; it was an invaluable opportunity to dive deep into product development, marketing strategy, finance and strategic planning."
Cultivate Your Entrepreneurial Mindset
You'll have the opportunity to build the networks needed to launch your innovative AI startup or use AI to develop your new business ideas with the help of our Mike and Renée Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The Institute serves as a springboard for innovations developed in university and National Labs research programs. Its programs bridge academic disciplines, bringing together graduate students and researchers in STEM, the social sciences and the humanities with faculty, MBA students, UC Davis undergraduates, experienced entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders.
Big Bang! Business Competition
The Institute's annual business competition brings together students, researchers and innovators from across California.
Since 2000, the Big Bang! Business Competition has served as a launchpad for promising entrepreneurs, providing mentorship, workshops, networking opportunities and pitch experience to help transform promising ideas into successful ventures.
After months of preparation, workshops and mentorship, this year's finalists in the 26th competition pitched their ventures before a panel of judges for a share of nearly $100,000 in prize money and startup support.
The competition recognized outstanding teams across multiple sectors, including agriculture, animal health, healthcare, education, sustainability and social impact.
Many teams used AI tools to research, base and test their products/services or find tune their pitches.
We are innovating at the intersection of machine learning and AI integrated with cutting-edge, ruggedized hardware to eliminate subclinical lameness in dairy cattle. We believe that other agtech companies in this space aren't taking full advantage of the rich multimodal capabilities of AI.
— Jeremy Twumasi Ampofo MSBA 25, CEO, HerdSense, 2026 Big Bang! Business Competition Residency Award
The UC Davis Ecosystem in Motion
Aggie AI is another example of UC Davis' institutional momentum. The website is a growing ecosystem of AI tools and services for students, faculty and staff, built to help the campus community explore, learn, use and even develop AI tools. The site emphasizes ethical and secure use, highlights an AI Speaker Series and points users to campus-developed tools and guidance.
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