Artificial Intelligence is such a rapidly changing frontier, most mere mortals probably can’t even imagine what’s on the horizon. From deep fakes to algorithms that can help detect cancers, it’s an exciting (and scary) time to bear witness to what man has made from machine. But for those developing the latest technology (and determining the ethics of responsibly deploying it) it’s thrilling. For those hoping to break into the industry, there’s an opportunity to get in at the ground-level. Many schools are still developing their AI programs. Here is our list of the best schools for those brave enough to dive in.
Carnegie Mellon
CMU offers a B.S. in Artificial Intelligence within its School of Computer Science. Students must first be accepted into the School of CS. There is also a minor. Carnegie Mellon was the first school to offer a bachelor’s degree in AI, which they started in 2018. Courses include Great Ideas in Theoretical Computer Science, Human-AI Interaction, AI Elective: Perception and Language, and more.
MIT
MIT offers a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making. Not exactly shocking as MIT is for sure one of the top (if not the top) schools overall for tech and science. This program is for students who want to learn about “algorithms for learning and reasoning, applications of artificial intelligence, and connections to natural cognition.” Courses include Computer Graphics, Optimization Methods, AI, Decision Making, and Society, Computational Cognitive Science, Robotic Manipulation, Networks, and more.
Stanford
Stanford offers a Symbolics Systems major with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence. Coursework includes Principles of Robot Autonomy, Decision Making under Uncertainty, Machine Learning with Graphs, Spoken Language Processing, Brain Decoding, Computational Neuroscience, and many more. But the biggest appeal, perhaps, is that Stanford is right in Silicon Valley’s backyard, giving students the opportunity to rub elbows with potential employers, mentors, and thought leaders pioneering the field.
UT Austin
UT’s College of Natural Sciences houses its Computer Science program. Therein is a Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence concentration. Coursework includes Introduction to Data Mining, Neural Networks, Computer Vision, Robotics, Autonomous Multiagent Systems, and many more. Additionally, Austin has become an outpost of Silicon Valley. In fact, many are calling it Silicon Hills. The city is a great playground for those who want to break into tech and related fields on the cutting edge.
Cornell’s Bower School of Computer Science has long been on a pioneer in the Artificial Intelligence space. There is no major, but there is a renowned AI group and groups focused on Artificial Intelligence, Policy and Practice, as well as Ethical and Social Issues in AI. The school also houses the Institute for Computational Sustainability, among other computer science offerings.
U of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign doesn’t have an AI major. However, the Grainger College of Engineering has a research group dedicated to AI and machine learning. The School of Engineering also offers many relevant courses, including Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning for Single Processing, Deep Learning, and more.
UC San Diego
UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering offers a variety of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning courses for Engineering majors. Coursework includes Elements of Machine Learning: Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning, Introduction to Robotic Planning and Estimation, Data Science in Materials Science, Machine Learning for Structural Engineering, Deep Learning, Web Mining and Recommender Systems, and more.
If you’re interested in pursuing Artificial Intelligence in college, it’s important to have a comprehensive and well-tailored application. AI is emerging as a highly-competitive academic space. We advise our students to build an academic brand around their desired field throughout high school in order to be competitive at the nation’s top programs. Classes, extracurriculars, letters of recommendations should all be in line with your Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science brand. Your “why x school” essays should also speak directly to the AI programs and offerings at each university to which you’re applying and be framed as a natural extension of what you’ve already cultivated throughout high school.
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