University of California Riverside Teams Up With Circuit Stream to Provide XR Courses
- New extended reality (XR) classes will increase access to career opportunities in the rapidly growing immersive technology field.
The University of California Riverside (UCR) University Extension Professional Studies and Circuit Stream, an XR education provider, have announced a collaboration that will offer XR courses to Los Angeles learners. These new courses will equip professionals with the skills needed to get started in the high growth field of immersive technology.
“Our partnership with UCR helps us accelerate the growth of the XR market by raising the overall talent level through hands-on, technical education. We’ve seen demand globally for these skills and are confident the courses will bring value to learners in the LA region.”
The partnership brings Circuit Stream’s courses to Southern California, the entertainment capital of the world and a global tech hub, at an institutional level. Fittingly, the first commercial virtual reality headset was created in LA. With over 1.8 million employed in the broader California tech sector, learners in the state can enter a global VR industry set to reach $15 billion in market value by 2023.
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Lou Pushelberg, Circuit Stream’s CEO and CoFounder, believes this new partnership is a vital step in filling the skills gap in the industry.
“Our partnership with UCR helps us accelerate the growth of the XR market by raising the overall talent level through hands-on, technical education. We’ve seen demand globally for these skills and are confident the courses will bring value to learners in the LA region.”
The new UCR and Circuit Stream course provides students with two XR learning options, XR Development and XR Design. Both paths leverage Circuit Stream’s industry-leading curriculum and help students gain Unity development skills and practical experience working on XR projects.
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When completed, students will receive an XR Developer or Designer badge from UCR University Extension and Circuit Stream and both programs have no prerequisites or previous experience.
“We’re excited to bring extended reality (XR) programs to our region. Students not only learn new skills through hands-on and project-based work, they are also simultaneously building their own professional portfolio of XR projects. That portfolio provides evidence for employers in a variety of industries including gaming, film, automotive, architecture and engineering, and demonstrates the strong skills sets students have developed,” explained Associate Dean Annette Webb.
Alumni of Circuit Stream’s XR training have transitioned into careers with XR-focused companies such as Unity, Accenture, and Meta (formerly Facebook), as well as other fast-growing companies.
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