As universities nationwide grapple with the continued emergence of AI, the University of Pennsylvania has introduced a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Artificial Intelligence degree.
Penn becomes the first Ivy League university to offer a program of its kind and one of the very first AI undergraduate engineering programs in the U.S.
“Inventive at its core, Penn excels at the cutting edge,” said Penn’s Interim President J. Larry Jameson. “Data, including AI, is a critical area of focus for our strategic framework, in Principle and Practice, and this new degree program represents a leap forward for the Penn engineers.”
The program — funded by and named after technology visionaries Raj and Neera Singh — will focus on equipping students with the tools to unlock AI’s potential to benefit society. Students in the program will be expected to develop AI tools that can harness the full knowledge available on the internet, provide superhuman attention to detail and augment humans in making scientific discoveries.
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The program will begin in the Fall 2024 semester, with applications for existing Penn students who would like to transfer into the 2024 cohort available this fall. Fall 2025 applications for all prospective students will be made available in Fall 2024.
The program’s curriculum offers high-level coursework in topics like machine learning, computing algorithms, data analytics and advanced robotics.
George J. Pappas, UPS foundation professor of Transportation in Penn Engineering, will lead the program.
“Realizing the potential of AI for positive social impact stands as one of the paramount challenges confronting engineering,” said Pappas, a 2024 National Academy of Engineering inductee. “We are excited to introduce a cutting-edge curriculum poised to train our students as leaders and innovators.”
The program’s coursework will be taught at Amy Gutmann Hall, which is currently under construction and will open later this year.
More details about the program’s exact curriculum and a full list of courses available within the program can be reviewed on Penn’s website.
