Universities are evolving their offerings in the age of artificial intelligence. Now, students have the option to pursue a full degree dedicated to AI.
As more colleges introduce an AI major, the computer science degree, long viewed as a pipeline into Big Tech, will face more competition.
Rice University, a Texas-based school known colloquially as a “Southern Ivy” because of its academic excellence, announced in May that it would offer a Bachelor of Science in artificial intelligence, for example.
“We are in a moment of rapid transformation driven by AI, and Rice is committed to preparing students not just to participate in that future but to shape it responsibly,” Amy Dittmar, executive vice president for academic affairs at Rice, said in a statement.
The new AI majors arrive as the industry goes through change, with many tech companies investing heavily in LLMs and generative AI products while simultaneously tightening their belts and trimming staff.
The battle for top AI talent — researchers and engineers at the top of their game — is fierce, with CEOs personally trying to woo hires.
A degree in AI may prove tempting for current and future students hoping to get training and experience with LLMs and generative AI early in their careers. While computer science degrees can cover a wide array of fields, including computer programming, data science, and computer systems analysis, AI jobs can require more specific skills in machine learning and algorithms.
Universities are quickly looking to step in and fill that gap.
David Garlan, the associate dean for Carnegie Mellon’s computer science master’s program, told BI that as the AI revolution continues to sweep industries, education is also adapting to keep up.
“You’ll see AI sort of permeating pretty much any curriculum these days,” he said. “That’s here to stay.”
Undergraduate degrees
Carnegie Mellon has offered a Bachelor of Science degree in artificial intelligence since 2018, and the trend is picking up steam.
In February 2024, the University of Pennsylvania became the first Ivy League school to announce an undergraduate degree in AI. Students earning a BSE in artificial intelligence can now explore courses in machine learning, computing algorithms, data analytics, and advanced robotics.
“We are training students for jobs that don’t yet exist in fields that may be completely new or revolutionized by the time they graduate,” Robert Ghrist, an associate dean of undergraduate education in Penn Engineering, said in a statement at the time
Universities that offer Bachelor of Science degrees in artificial intelligence include:
Carnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of PennsylvaniaDakota State UniversityIllinois Institute of TechnologyKeiser UniversityLong Island UniversityNew England Institute of TechnologyMississippi State UniversityOakland UniversityUniversity of Texas at San AntonioRice UniversityUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville
Minors and concentrations
Some institutes that don’t have dedicated AI degrees still offer concentrations or minor programs in AI or machine learning.
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In June, Texas A&M University announced that its business school would offer a minor in artificial intelligence and business beginning fall 2025. It’ll be open to juniors and seniors across all majors.
Elsewhere, Boston University students earning a bachelor’s in biomedical, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering can pursue a concentration in machine learning. Stanford University’s symbolic systems degree and Carnegie Mellon’s computer science degree also offer AI concentrations. Duke University’s computer science degree offers a concentration that covers both AI and machine learning.
Other universities that offer undergraduate minors or programs in artificial intelligence include:
Emory UniversityGeorgia Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Texas at Austin
Graduate degrees
Graduate degrees in AI offer a great specialization to those who completed a computer science major in undergrad, or simply those looking to get into the field after earning their bachelor’s degree.
Some institutes that don’t have undergraduate degrees still offer graduate degree programs in AI, both online and in person.
Schools that offer an MS, MSE, or ME in artificial intelligence include:
Carnegie MellonDukeJohns HopkinsUniversity of Texas at AustinNortheastern UniversityUniversity of LouisvilleUniversity of Southern California
Some schools that offer master’s in computer science with AI or machine learning specializations include:
Columbia UniversityUCLACornell UniversityGeorgia Institute of TechnologyRice UniversityStanford University
For students nearing college or selecting a major, there’s no one perfect track, and there are plenty of factors to consider.
With the addition of these undergraduate and graduate degrees, students who know they want a career in AI now have more pathways to choose from — with more likely on the way as universities seek to stay competitive.
