Hi,
There are basically Three basic approaches as follows -
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Pure electronics - a budget rc car with additional electronics similar to the comparator circuit which will use infra red light to detect object in front of the car and cut power to the motor.
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Mostly electronics with some microcontroller programming - a budget rc car with the either ultra sonic or Infra red lught to detect objects in front of the car and take some action. The action can be more complex than in 1) for example steer, reverse etc.
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Mostly microcontroller programming with some electronics - if you choose a hobby quality rc car, you will need to do lot more programming to interface between the receiver and the motor, you can find all the details on my blog. This approach could allow you to do much more in the future, for example i have traction control and yaw control projects underway in cars that hit 60km/h. As Crosh has mentioned, the car, battery, charger etc will be a lot more expensive.
As we do not know what course you are taking or at what level, it might ge best to discuss the options with your professor to judge which is most appropriate for your class.
lets us know which you choose.
Duane B