Artificial intelligence is reshaping how people work in fields from healthcare and manufacturing to cybersecurity, business and engineering. The University of South Carolina’s Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing is preparing students to do more than simply use AI tools through its 12-credit-hour graduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence, which builds a technical foundation in how AI systems work and how they can be applied across disciplines.
The 12-credit-hour graduate program provides advanced instruction in AI while giving students flexibility to tailor their coursework to their interests and career goals. The certificate can be completed on its own or alongside another graduate degree.
“AI is no longer confined to one industry or one type of job,” says Homayoun Valafar, director of the Artificial Intelligence Institute of USC and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, “We are seeing applications in health care, manufacturing, business, cybersecurity, education, science, engineering and many other areas.”
The program goes beyond teaching students how to use the AI tools making headlines today. Coursework explores the concepts and methods behind AI systems, giving students a foundation they can carry into research, AI-focused careers or other professions where the technology is becoming increasingly important.
“Artificial intelligence is enjoying a surge in interest,” says Marco Valtorta, graduate director for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. “Its impact on the economy and society is huge and projected to grow.”
Building a foundation in AI
Because the certificate is based in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, students receive technical instruction in fundamental areas of AI. However, the program also allows approved coursework outside the department, giving students opportunities to connect AI with other disciplines.
“Some of the most interesting AI problems occur at the intersection of disciplines,” Valafar says. “We want students to have a rigorous technical foundation, but we also want them thinking about where and how that technology can be applied.”
Every student takes “CSCE 580: Artificial Intelligence,” a three-credit core course that covers topics such as practical problem-solving, theorem proving and knowledge representation. Students complete at least nine additional credit hours with approval from their adviser and Valtorta.
Electives give students opportunities to develop expertise in areas such as computer vision, natural language processing and reasoning under uncertainty. The program outlines course options that includes big data analytics, robotics systems and data mining and warehousing.
“Recently, several new courses on aspects of machine learning have been approved and become popular choices,” Valtorta says.
How students demonstrate what they have learned varies by course. According to Valafar, some classes use traditional tests and quizzes, while others rely on programming assignments, projects, research and other applied work.
Bringing AI into other fields
The certificate is not limited to students pursuing graduate degrees in computer science. Valafar says that students in computationally oriented areas can use the program to combine AI knowledge with expertise in their primary discipline.
“Some of the greatest opportunities for AI are going to come from people who understand AI plus another domain, such as AI and health or AI and engineering,” Valafar says.
Qualified undergraduate students can also begin graduate coursework through USC’s accelerated bachelor’s/graduate pathway. For students already pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in computer science or computer engineering at USC, the certificate can fit within existing degree requirements without additional coursework.
Prospective students apply through USC's Graduate School. The program recommends that applicants have a strong background in computer science or computer engineering and an undergraduate record with at least a “B” average. The Graduate School also provides recommended standardized test scores for applicants who are required to submit them.
Preparing for what comes next
Just as AI continues to evolve, the certificate may evolve with it. Valtorta says future updates could place greater emphasis on the social and ethical issues surrounding AI.
For Valafar, that rapid pace of change is also why students need an education that extends beyond the technologies generating attention at any given moment.
“The tools that are generating so much attention today will evolve,” he says. “New models, methods and applications will emerge. That is why a strong academic foundation matters.”