The main entrance of the Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences. A finalized proposal for an undergraduate degree program in artificial intelligence at CDS is currently awaiting administrative approval and could be offered as early as fall 2027.

Boston University is moving closer to offering a dedicated undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence, with a finalized proposal awaiting administrative approval, said Mark Crovella, professor and chair of academics for BU’s Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences.

Crovella said he is hopeful CDS’s bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence will launch in the fall 2027 semester. 

“[AI] is in the process of changing the world,” he said. “We need students who both understand the technology, can create the technology, but also know how to use it responsibly and how to ethically incorporate it into society.”

Over $580 billion worth of corporate investment globally has been poured into the AI industry over the last two years, according to Axis Intelligence, a leading AI and technology consulting firm.

Crovella said the program would offer two different tracks for students: diving deep into building advanced AI models and how to apply AI in other disciplines and domains. Students will also be trained in the ethicality of AI, he said.

If approved by the administration, BU will join the growing list of higher education institutions to offer a B.S. in AI. Several Massachusetts universities already have implemented AI majors. 

Bentley University, a business-focused institution in Waltham, was one of the first to offer an undergraduate degree in AI, called “AI for Innovation,” in 2024. 

Dave Szymanski, Bentley’s associate provost for academic innovation, said the university saw early on how AI was impacting society, the landscape of higher education and, especially, how it was affecting businesses. 

“One of the things that we saw is that we had the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something that was really changing the way we thought about careers,” Szymanski said. 

Bentley’s curriculum emphasizes human skills such as critical thinking, curiosity, judgement and grit, Szymanski said. Emphasizing human skills, he said, will “future-proof” students against any changes that come along with technology.

Bentley’s program has grown from single-digit enrollment to nearly 100 students in less than two years, Szymanski said. Many students at the university pair AI for Innovation with other majors such as marketing or finance, he added. 

Northeastern, Wentworth Institute of Technology and MIT are among the other Massachusetts schools that have also added dedicated AI undergraduate programs. This fall, Northeastern changed the name of its B.S. in Data Science to B.S. in AI.

For master’s level students, BU offers five online AI programs and a residential M.S in AI. 

Undergraduate students can pursue a B.S. in Data Science housed in CDS or a B.A. in Computer Science under the College of Arts and Sciences. Both offer AI-focused classes. 

CAS also hosts a computer engineering program, which consists of a machine learning track, said Azer Bestavros, a computer science professor and associate provost for CDS.

Bestavros said eventually AI education will be required for every career. He said industries will need students who have been taught to use, improve and deploy AI. .

“AI is not a discipline,” Bestavros said. “It’s not the same as physics. It’s not the same as chemistry. It’s something that connects with every other discipline and is changing it.”