Rice University to offer ‘multidisciplinary’ AI degree
Rice University in Houston this week announced it’s joining the select few institutions around the country to offer a bachelor of science degree in artificial intelligence.
Starting this fall, the university will begin offering students a program to train them in a multidisciplinary approach to AI. It will be housed in the Department of Computer Science, and provide undergraduates a “cohesive program that covers an array of approaches to AI.”
“This program exemplifies how Rice is translating its strategic vision into action, as well as our commitment to lead in areas of national and global importance,” President Reginald DesRoches said in a press release. “Our responsibility is to help set the standard for how AI is developed, applied and governed in the years ahead.”
Luay Nakhleh, the school’s engineering dean, said the new major is designed to prepare students to shape the future of AI.
“At Rice, we challenge students to not only master the technical expertise but to think critically about how to use new technologies to advance the greater good,” Nakhleh said. “We seek to empower students to think independently and creatively. This major is designed to give students the tools to understand AI deeply and the space to explore how it can be applied in unexpected, meaningful ways.”
