AI is rapidly transforming industries, scientific discoveries, and everyday life. As its impact grows, so does the need for professionals who are both technically skilled and thoughtful about how AI is used, according to a college news release.
Universities across the country are expanding artificial intelligence programs as demand for AI talent continues to grow.
Employers are seeking graduates who not only understand the technical foundations of AI but also can apply those tools responsibly across industries. Rose-Hulman’s new major is designed to prepare students to meet that growing demand, the release states.
The program includes hands-on projects, interdisciplinary learning, and courses taught by faculty with real-world experience.
“There is a huge debate in higher education about AI and whether it should be used or not and where it’s appropriate to use,” said Robert Coons, Rose-Hulman president, in an interview.
Rose has taught the technical elements of AI for years in a computer science curriculum.
“We have re-calibrated the offerings into an actual major in AI,” he said.
Coursework will begin for the 2026-27 academic year, but the first official year for the major will be 2027-28.
Industry demand and job opportunities have been important factors in the decision to offer an AI major.
“A few years ago, computer science was just exploding in terms of jobs in every arena for our computer science majors,” Coons said.
With the advent of AI, combined with a lot of things happening in the economy, the number of computer science graduates unable to get jobs has been increasing, and those enrollments have been going down.
Employers increasingly are looking for students who have AI experience and majors, he said. Graduates in the new program will be able to develop AI applications and manage activities that happen in a data center.
Graduates can pursue a wide range of roles across industries that include tech, health care, finance, robotics, and gaming.
Part of the curriculum involves ethical training and “helping them learn how to think critically about the AI ethical decisions they are going to be presented with,” Coons said.
AI is quickly becoming a part of each of the engineering disciplines in different ways, but so far, that’s been fairly limited, Coons said. “There is a real push from industry to be aggressive there.”
Rose-Hulman plans to bring industry experts to campus to discuss the topic.
Next week, Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Group and Cook Medical in Bloomington, will speak to students and faculty about how Cook Medical is using AI tools as part of their manufacturing process.
“We’re all learning,” Coons said.
The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs 2025” report projects that AI and data science alone are expected to create 11 million jobs.
The AI major is offered through Rose-Hulman’s Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, which also offers a computer science major with pathways in software development and research, along with specializations in areas such as cybersecurity, software engineering, and data analytics.
To learn more about the new AI major, visit rhit.edu/AI.
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