Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will begin offering a new Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence degree program, with the first students expected to begin courses in spring 2025.

PNW’s master’s degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) will prepare accepted graduate students with AI knowledge, hands-on experiences and advanced practical skills, including the design, development and implementation of AI applications to real-world challenges and responsive uses of AI technology.

“As the premier metropolitan university in our region, we need to address the needs of the industry by developing innovative programs,” said Mohammad Zahraee, interim dean of PNW’s College of Technology. “Our M.S. in Applied Artificial Intelligence will accomplish this goal by cultivating graduates to fill the gaps of much needed skills for our regional industry, as well as innovate in today’s technology-driven world.”

Applied Artificial Intelligence graduates will be qualified to step into several fields as savvy computer programmers and data analysts. Graduates will become transformative leaders in the technology sector who can investigate complex scenarios, make data-informed recommendations for action, and deliver workable solutions to real-world challenges.

AI is a flourishing technology that can impact and benefit several sectors, including health care, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, construction, education, cybersecurity, finance and more. Applied Artificial Intelligence students will learn how AI can be harnessed for challenging real-world problems, data analysis, task automation and process efficiencies in these fields and beyond.

“Today, organizations are looking for a workforce with AI competency to help tackle many challenging problems,” said Keyuan Jiang, chair of PNW’s department of Computer Information Technology and Graphics. “Offering this new hands-on master’s degree at PNW can help narrow the workforce shortage gap, especially in the field of applied AI. Faculty in our department and college have a track record of conducting applied research projects and offering relevant courses. Students enrolled in the new degree program will benefit significantly from the rich resources we have.”

Prospective students can learn more by emailing techgrad@pnw.edu or by visiting pnw.edu/technology. Additional information about graduate studies at PNW can be found at pnw.edu/graduate-studies.