University of Northern Iowa adds two new artificial intelligence majors

The University of Northern Iowa is expanding its education in artificial intelligence with two new bachelor’s degree programs and additional certification.

Two undergraduate majors in the Wilson College of Business and College of Humanities Arts and Sciences will offer training in AI tools and how they work — preparing students for a range of job fields, according to a news release from the Cedar Falls university.

In the business college’s artificial intelligence major,  faculty will “focus on helping students understand how AI is actually used inside organizations — not just the technology itself, but how it supports strategy, operations, and problem-solving,” UNI Management Department head Atul Mitra said in the release.

Students will learn how technologies like machine learning and predictive analytics combine with business systems “to create value,” the release stated, based in business analytics and information systems “discipline” and included with teaching on ethics, governance and accountability.

“This program reflects our commitment to continuously evolving our curriculum to keep pace with how business is changing,” Mitra said in the release. “Our students want to graduate career-ready, and that means understanding how emerging technologies like AI help solve real business problems.”

Graduates of the program will be able to enter industries of finance, insurance, manufacturing and more with their UNI education, the release stated, and will be able to hold jobs as business intelligence analysts and AI architects, product managers and data scientists, among others.

The college of business is also offering a new certificate in applied AI for business, according to the release, focusing on “the practical applications of AI.”

A new major in mathematics of artificial intelligence will dive more into the theory behind machine and deep learning and data-driven technologies, the release stated. Students will study calculus, linear algebra, discrete mathematics, statistics, computer programming and other topics in addition to machine learning and deep learning mathematics.

For those hoping to further their education, the release stated the program will prepare students for “graduate study in mathematics, data science, artificial intelligence or related fields.” Students will be ready to enter industries including technology, finance, health care, manufacturing, business and government.

“Our goal is to produce graduates who stand out in the job market,” said Douglas Mupasiri, head of UNI’s department of mathematics, in the release. “A mathematically trained AI professional can diagnose model failures, understand uncertainty and risk, and adapt to new technologies as the field evolves. That adaptability is what employers are looking for, and it’s what UNI can provide students.”