As the demand for artificial intelligence increases in the technological space, universities across the country have started offering students AI-focused degrees. This includes the University of Pennsylvania, which is about to become the first Ivy League school to offer an undergraduate major in AI this fall.
Florida International University is joining the trend.
FIU’s new bachelor’s degree in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence will also be launched this fall, and it promises students the tools and techniques to prepare them for the evolving world of data science and AI.
FIU’s Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences announced on June 11 that the Florida Board of Governors added the university’s new bachelor’s degree to the state university system academic degree program inventory.
This was a two-year effort.
“Development and delivery of this new bachelor of science degree is the result of vision, determination, and commitment of the KFSCIS faculty to help position South Florida as the new U.S. leader in technology,” said Jason Liu, the director of FIU’s computing and information sciences’ department.
The university’s efforts are no surprise.
Data science, the study of data to extract meaningful insights of business, and artificial intelligence, the technology that simulates human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities, are reshaping industries and societies.
From the increasing implementation of AI virtual assistants in the most popular social media platforms to the use of data science in advertising and cybersecurity, data science and AI’s impact can be found everywhere.
Forbes reported this June that the AI market value is expected to reach $407 billion by 2027, significant growth from the $86.9 billion estimated in 2022. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor projected a 36 percent growth in jobs for data scientists over the next decade.
These growing numbers are reflected in multiple industries, such as design, engineering, business and biology, and FIU is motivating students to be part of them.
“The program will also reap huge benefits for graduates with increasing job opportunities and an average starting data scientist’s salary in the U.S. offering more than $95,000 a year,” FIU’s announcement reads.
The new degree is a 120-credit hour program which offers students three concentration electives: computational and big data analytics, artificial intelligence and robotics, and statistical modeling.
As part of the degree’s track, students will take classes in computer science, statistics and mathematics, and they will use a new Data Science Learning Center. This new facility will support students with NVIDIA A100-based servers.
Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing Inés R. Triay said this new complex is part of FIU’s mission to cultivate leaders in cutting-edge technologies.
“Our commitment to this mission is stronger than ever, evidenced by strategic initiatives such as the imminent opening of our new six-story, 125,000-square-foot Innovation Complex and the launch of degree programs like our bachelor’s in data science and AI,” said Triay.
Additionally, students will be able to participate in research projects in collaboration with faculty members. One of these projects is a new grant-funded, AI-focused research conducted by 20 faculty members.
