Campus & Community

School of Information Studies to Launch New AI Graduate Program

Tuesday, September 10, 2024, By Anya Woods

Beginning in Fall 2025, the School of Information Studies (iSchool) will launch a new artificial intelligence (AI) graduate program. Beginning this fall, students can apply to earn a master’s degree in applied human centered artificial intelligence, which will prepare them to leverage advanced generative AI models ethically and with a human-centered approach.

“We decided to launch this new AI program to meet the growing demand from industry, where many companies, across diverse industries, need professionals capable of leveraging Generative AI. Furthermore, our students have shown significant interest in gaining expertise in AI, driven by the industry’s evolving requirements and opportunities,” says Jeffrey Saltz, iSchool associate professor and program director of the school’s master’s in applied human centered artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is the third fastest-growing field in the U.S., and those with expertise in AI command an average salary of $162,000, according to Glassdoor.com. Popular jobs include GenAI Developer, Data Scientist, AI Product Manager and Human-AI Interaction Designer.

The iSchool’s new program will include a strong emphasis on hands-on projects to showcase students’ practical expertise and knowledge in the field of AI. Examples of projects include:

  • Create a customer service chatbot using large language models (LLMs) that integrate with a company’s existing customer service system.
  • Build a sentiment analysis agent that analyzes social media data for brand monitoring.
  • Develop a virtual assistant that schedules meetings and performs other tasks using public Gen AI application programming interface (API)
  • Examine the effectiveness and user experience of various human-AI interaction agents.
  • Develop a medical diagnostic tool that assists doctors by analyzing medical images and patient data.

“The iSchool has been a pioneer in AI  and data science education, and we were one of the first universities to offer an Applied Data Science program,” says Saltz. “Recognizing the evolving landscape of technology and the increasing importance of AI, the iSchool saw a critical need to expand its offerings to include advanced AI education.”

For the past five years, the iSchool has developed numerous courses to support the new AI program. Students can expect a comprehensive curriculum covering foundational AI concepts, as well as how to apply those concepts within practical applications. The program will include courses such as:

  • Deep Learning in Practice
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Building Human-Centered AI Applications
  • Responsible AI
  • Dynamics of Human-AI Interaction

The continuing enhancement of courses helps to ensure that the iSchool’s program is robust and comprehensive and can evolve as the field evolves.

Furthermore, the iSchool’s faculty will diligently continue to research key questions around human-AI interactions and how to incorporate human and AI knowledge into organizations and society in general. From studying the future of work to information integrity, the iSchool’s professors are poised to teach students how to critically evaluate this emerging field of study.