Ana Altchek
- The University of Pennsylvania has introduced a new undergraduate degree program focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- This innovative program will cover a wide range of courses related to AI, including algorithms, programming, and advanced robotics.
- Penn stands out as the first Ivy League institution to provide an engineering degree specifically in AI.
Students at the University of Pennsylvania will have the opportunity to pursue a major in AI starting from the upcoming fall semester.
The university unveiled its latest offering in AI education on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone as the pioneering Ivy League institution to embark on this academic endeavor.
Named the Raj and Neera Singh Program in Artificial Intelligence after the proprietors of Telcom Ventures, LLC, a private telecommunications investment firm, this program is set to commence this fall, allowing current Penn students to transition into this field of study. Prospective students applying for the fall term of 2025 will have the chance to directly apply to this program.
Penn’s Interim President, J. Larry Jameson, emphasized the strategic importance of data, including AI, stating, “This new degree program represents a leap forward for the Penn engineers who will lead in developing and deploying these powerful technologies in service to humanity.”
Robert Ghrist, the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at Penn Engineering, revealed that the AI major was crafted over the last semester. He highlighted that the engineering program has been progressively orienting itself towards AI over the past decade, making this development a natural progression.
The Bachelor of Science in AI curriculum will encompass a diverse range of courses such as machine learning, computing algorithms, data analytics, and advanced robotics. With a current offering of 59 specialized AI courses, including 31 elective options, the program is well-equipped to cater to a spectrum of interests. Ghrist mentioned that while these courses are already staffed, the program will continue to expand its course catalog by leveraging both existing and new instructors.
Among the elective courses are subjects like autonomous racing cars, human-computer interaction, and brain-computer interfaces. Furthermore, students will be required to choose a concentration from options like machine learning, vision and language, data and society, robotics, or AI and health systems.
Apart from being the trailblazer among Ivy League institutions in offering an AI degree, Penn also distinguishes itself as the pioneer in providing a degree in AI engineering. While other institutions offer similar programs, most do not feature AI as an undergraduate major, and none have established an engineering program dedicated to AI thus far.
Although Carnegie Mellon initiated an undergraduate AI program in 2018, their focus is on AI computing, differing from Penn’s engineering-centric approach.
Ghrist highlighted that Penn’s program integrates elements from electrical and systems engineering, as well as computing and information sciences, offering a distinctive educational experience that prepares individuals for diverse career paths in AI-related fields.
While institutions like MIT and Stanford provide online AI certificates, some graduate programs, such as the Northwestern MBAi, combine AI coursework with business disciplines.
“We are training students for jobs that don’t yet exist in fields that may be completely new or revolutionized by the time they graduate,” stated Robert Ghrist, emphasizing the forward-looking approach of the program.
Anticipating a surge in enrollment, Ghrist noted that the engineering school at Penn, which typically admits between 400 and 450 students, is likely to see an increase in applicants drawn to the new major. He also underscored the stringent admission criteria of the engineering school, with an acceptance rate lower than the university’s general admission rate of approximately 6%.
