ASU business school launches AI degree program
Catherine Phillips is an MBA student in the W.P. Carey School of Business. The school is officially launching a new degree program — the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Business (MS-AIB). ASU photo
Editor’s note: This story is featured in the 2024 year in review.
Following Arizona State University’s groundbreaking announcement of the first university collaboration with OpenAI, the W. P. Carey School of Business is officially launching a new degree program — the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Business (MS-AIB).
Backed by faculty from the Department of Information Systems, it is the first AI graduate degree program from a business school in the United States.
“There is no doubt that AI is quickly becoming a vital business skill. We are excited to meet the needs of students and employers through our new graduate degree program within our top-ranked information systems department,” said Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel Dean and W. P. Carey Distinguished Chair in Business.
The new W. P. Carey MS-AIB program, to be held on the Tempe campus, incorporates an applied curriculum and career coaching to prepare graduates for success in emerging roles across industries. Taught by world-renowned faculty, the MS-AIB degree will help students develop technical AI and professional skills needed to thrive in the constantly evolving landscape of technology and business.
Allowing students to lead what’s next
The goal of the program is to equip leaders with a business-aligned framework and strategies for implementing AI — delivering both technical skills and business skills to design, deploy and apply AI mindfully in diverse business contexts.
“Students will learn to understand and plan for the implications and possibilities enabled by artificial intelligence, in addition to the importance of governance, ethics and principled innovation,” explained Pei-yu Chen, chair of the Department of Information Systems and Red Avenue Foundation Professor. Chen is also the co-director of the Center for AI and Data Analytics for Business and Society.
Students will complete the program able to:
- Analyze diverse business situations and apply AI to further business goals.
- Understand and effectively communicate the impact of AI transformations.
- Practice mindful AI and pay attention to ethics, bias, welfare, privacy and trust.
- Lead cross-functional conversations and collaboration for effective implementation.
- Advance their careers and solve pressing challenges for global businesses.
Learn more about the MS-AIB, now accepting applications for fall 2024 admission.
AI skill development a focus across programs
In addition to the groundbreaking new graduate program, the W. P. Carey School offers a host of ways for students to grow their understanding of AI and apply those skills to solve business problems. For example, students have the opportunity to select AI concentrations within the MBA and Master of Science in Information Systems Management (MS-ISM) programs.
“W. P. Carey has been at the forefront of integrating AI into its academic programs, showcasing a commitment to leadership in AI education and its applications in business,” said Dan Mazzola, faculty director of the MS-ISM program. “The school's offerings of AI-focused degrees, alongside various AI-related certificates and concentrations, highlight its active role in shaping the conversation around AI and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in technology.”
W. P. Carey also offers a certificate in artificial intelligence in business, which allows learners to train in the mechanics of this cutting-edge technology, design intelligent systems, learn how to harness these systems mindfully for value creation, and then how to embed them into business to transform organizational strategy and revolutionize business processes and operations. Credit completed in the certificate program can later be transferred toward several W. P. Carey master’s degrees.
By integrating AI into its core educational offerings and providing flexible learning opportunities tailored to various student needs, the W. P. Carey School aims to ensure its graduates are well equipped to fulfill the diverse and evolving career demands in AI-enabled organizations.
These programs each demonstrate W. P. Carey's long-standing dedication to preparing students for the evolving business landscape through a multifaceted educational approach.
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