\n<\/p>\n
Move over, computer science. AI is the new academic star. Universities across the country are launching AI majors at a rapid pace to meet growing student demand for these programs.<\/p>\n
For example, a new college of AI and cybersecurity at the University of South Florida in Tampa saw 3,000 students enroll this semester. And 150 freshmen signed up for a new AI major at the University of California, San Diego. The State University of New York at Buffalo has gone a step further, creating a standalone \u201cdepartment of AI and society\u201d that offers new interdisciplinary degrees in fields such as \u201cAI and policy analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further, SUNY Buffalo<\/a> has seen enrollment in its AI master\u2019s degree program increase 20 times over from 2020 to 2024 \u2014 from five to 103 students.<\/p>\n UC San Diego\u2019s AI major resides within the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and is designed for students in this program \u201cto build the next generation of AI systems, improve the foundations of the AI systems currently in use, and familiarize students with the ethical questions surrounding these systems and their impact on society.\u201d<\/p>\n As of 2025, there are 193 bachelor\u2019s degree programs<\/a> in AI and 310 different AI master\u2019s programs in the US. Those numbers are expected to continue to rise as AI skills are in high demand in the workplace.<\/p>\n It comes as no surprise that AI degree programs are becoming increasingly popular. Even as educators debate the effects of AI, both college students and faculty<\/a> are more frequently relying on tools like ChatGPT for help with writing and grading.<\/p>\n Last spring, Anthropic introduced Claude for Education<\/a>, an initiative for integrating generative AI into higher education. At the same time, the company also announced partnerships with Northeastern University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Champlain College.<\/p>\n The impact of the technology is being felt at all levels of schooling \u2014 for example, last spring, President Trump signed the Executive Order<\/a> on Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth.<\/p>\n Some college students feel that having a degree in AI will give them a leg up with job opportunities. While many students are interested in AI, those \u201cwho prefer to work with data to address problems find themselves more drawn to an AI major,\u2019\u2019 Asu Ozdaglar, deputy dean of academics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u2019s Schwarzman College of Computing, told The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n MIT offers a Bachelor of Science degree program called \u201cAI and decision-making<\/a>\u201d that teaches students how to \u201cdevelop techniques for the analysis and synthesis of systems that interact with an external world via perception, communication, and action; while also learning, making decisions and adapting to a changing environment.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, the program has almost 330 students enrolled, making it the second biggest major at MIT after computer science.<\/p>\n Yet citing concerns about employment, more students are opting for AI degrees. This fall, 62% of traditional computer science programs reported declines in undergraduate enrollment, according to an October report<\/a> from the Computing Research Association.<\/p>\n A recent analysis of <\/strong>AI reshaping entry-level jobs<\/strong><\/a> looks at how automation is closing off traditional first roles for graduates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nAI\u2019s role in the classroom<\/h2>\n
Why students are drawn to AI degrees<\/h2>\n