Xperience: Academic Track

15 months. 9 credits. 3 courses.

This immersive and transformative educational journey empowers you to excel in the competitive realm of entrepreneurship while solving grand challenges.

Gain a competitive edge in the Xperience competition.

Students in the Xperience academic track get exclusive access to challenge-specific education and resources for a competitive advantage.

Expert mentorship

Connect with our extensive network of industry Xperts through xFoundry. Benefit from mentorship, feedback, and guidance tailored to your team's needs, providing invaluable insights to enhance your project's development.

Curated curriculum

The courses in this program are specially designed with the competition in mind. Each course milestone and assignment is aligned with competition objectives, ensuring every effort contributes directly to your success.

Specialized prototyping software

Access powerful prototyping software to refine and develop your solutions, such as CATS2, Worlds.io, and aiXplain.

Get course credits while solving a grand challenge in society.
entry requirements
  • All graduate students eligible
  • Undergraduate students must have an anticipated graduation by May 2026
  • Submit an application
  • Complete an intensive interview

Applications are open!

Apply now
Students in the Xperience academic track are automatically registered for the grand challenge competition.
Learn more about the competition →

What you get

Every Xperience student “gets these” after finishing the program.
9 credits toward your degree
A team documentary
real-world experience
Networking with industry leaders
graduation regalia
2026 xperience competition

Mental Health

Design a solution to bolster student resilience and mental health, enhancing success and retention in college environments.

Learn more
The 4 phases of Xperience
Xperience students in the academic track are taken through 4 phases.

Xplore

Phase 1

Xplore is an annual event that launches each Xperience cohort at the University of Maryland. Bringing together a diverse mix of students, faculty, and staff from across campus, Xplore sets the stage for collaborative innovation and problem-solving.

Attendees cast their votes for the upcoming Xperience challenge topic. This collective decision-making process ensures that the chosen topic resonates with the community and reflects its priorities.

Take a look at the 2024 Xplore Summit to see what we did at our inaugural launch event.
Learn more

Xperiment

Phase 2
3 credits  |  xper 433
  • Entrepreneurship fundamentals
  • Team building
  • Prototype development
  • Business plans and pitch competition

In this foundational course, you will learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and form your multidisciplinary teams for the rest of the competition. Your team will develop your business plan and prototype, then pitch your solution to advance to the next phase.

Course listing on Testudo →
Do. Debrief. Reflect. Learn.

This unique methodology is at the core of the Xperience. It's all about continuous improvement and engaging students in hands-on experiences, followed by guided debriefing and reflection to extract meaningful insights. Not only will you gain theoretical knowledge, but you’ll also develop practical skills through real-world applications.

team requirements

You'll form your multidisciplinary team from fellow students who participated in the spring course. Your team must have:

  • 3-12 student team members
  • At least 3 different majors represented
  • At least second-year student or above
  • Recent graduates are eligible (graduated ≤2 years)
Learn more about the team requirements →

Xcelerate

Phase 3
6 credits  |  xper 444 & 455
  • Build the MVP (minimum viable product)
  • Get expert guidance on designing, testing, and selling
  • Defend the product in the final competition

It’s competition time! Your team will build, test, validate, and sell your product while working with faculty and industry experts throughout the process. All teams are judged based on market viability, innovation, financial planning, and presentation skills. There can be multiple winners or no winner, adding an extra layer of excitement.

Course listing on Testudo →
pitch it. build it. sell it.

Teams will develop their minimum viable product (MVP) for the competition. Your team will leverage feedback and guidance from industry experts, mentors, and faculty advisors. The product should be fully functional and operational, with a well-defined target audience.

Throughout Xcelerate, expert feedback, development and testing stipends, and access to development tools and systems will be provided to all competing teams.

evaluation criteria
  • Solution quality
  • Market viability
  • Financial planning
  • Presentation and pitching skills
  • Team chemistry and multidisciplinary nature

Xecute

Phase 4
Congratulations to the winning team(s)!

As a winning team member, you're not just taking home the trophy–you're a co-founder, a member of the product team, complete with a salary and equity stake.

  • Reserved spot as co-founders and product development team members in your startup
  • $250K-$2M investment into your startup
  • Experienced team of CXO’s to initially guide your startup
  • A 10-minute team documentary
  • Local and national press coverage
  • xFoundry alumni status and perks
take a grand challenge off the table.

Graduating students from the winning team will have a chance to join the product team as co-founders, using their skills to drive innovation and be a part of the company's growth journey. Members of the winning team that will continue their studies later will have the same guaranteed conditions at the company after graduation.

Your venture will tackle one of the major problems facing our society. Now you will work with a network of seasoned CXOs for the next 12-18 months to help ensure a successful and stable start.

We give you the tools and resources to tackle complex grand challenges.
Now it’s your turn to decide what to do with it.