UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This fall, Penn State will launch a new bachelor of science degree in artificial intelligence engineering (AIE), one of the first of its kind in the country. The program, housed in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) within the College of Engineering, will be focused on foundations of AI, encompassing both hardware and software, in addition to applications of AI.
For those who would like to broaden their knowledge in AIE but not commit to an entire undergraduate degree, the AIE minor equips students with core AI techniques and tools, enabling students to apply these techniques in their major discipline, particularly computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering.
According to Mehrdad Mahdavi, Penn State Hartz Family Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, director of the Penn State AI Hub in the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, associate director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Engineered Systems, and one of the faculty who helped to develop the degree, input from industry partners was a critical part of the process.
“As a proud graduate of Penn State's computer science program and a member of the EECS Industrial and Professional Advisory Council, I am thrilled to see the introduction of a rigorous undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence,” said Vice President of Engineering for LinkedIn and Penn State alumnus Dan Grillo. “This innovative program is a crucial step in equipping the next generation of tech leaders with the advanced skills and knowledge needed to drive impactful AI advancements across industries, and I look forward to working with the talented students it will inspire.”
Tom La Porta, director of the School of EECS and Evan Pugh University Professor, said that while the genesis of AI is from computer science, and AI is a traditional core area of computer science, the combination of computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering makes this degree unique in academia.
“This degree covers a much wider range and deeper set of topics than most AI degrees ranging from hardware, through algorithms to applications and implementation,” La Porta said.
Mahdavi said that the degree was designed from scratch, meaning they did not simply put together existing courses, and that the structure of the program could serve as a model for other universities looking to build an AIE program.
“Our AIE degree is not just learning a bunch of tools and applying it,” he said. “It is focused on problem solving and is uniquely flexible and dynamic. Students will apply their knowledge and experience to address applications of AI to complex problems. Additionally, they will gain a deeper understanding of the issues required to develop responsible AI that benefits individuals, organizations and society.”
Mahdavi said that the program has three levels.
“The first layer is AI foundations that every student needs to master,” he said. “The top layer is electives that cover a lot of courses in different disciplines, hardware systems for AI, learning theory, vision, robotics and so on. Building on the foundation layer, the middle bridge layer prepares students to take electives based on their interest. The idea is that the foundations will always be there and won’t change much, but as the technology evolves, we can add new elective and bridge courses that respond to the technology that might not even exist yet.”
David Miller, professor of electrical engineering and one of the faculty who helped to develop the curriculum, emphasized how comprehensive the degree is.
“Our degree is holistic: It incorporates hardware and software, foundations and applications, so that our graduates will be well-positioned to work in and contribute to many different domains,” Miller said. “A Penn State AIE graduate could use AI to help farmers maximize crop yields, to design hurricane-resistant buildings, or to help get us to Mars. The degree, and its graduates, will have great potential to positively impact society.”
For more information about the AIE degree or minor, contact Mahdavi at mzm616@psu.edu or Jack Sampson, associate professor of computer science and engineering and associate department head, at jms1257@psu.edu.