Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence Science

The College of Engineering and Computer Science is proud to announce a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence Science, launching Fall 2026 through the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. Built from the ground up, the program prepares graduates for the way AI is designed and deployed today.

U.S. job postings requiring AI skills grew 144% year-over-year as of April 2026, compared to just 7% growth for overall job postings (Bipartisan Policy Center / Lightcast). LinkedIn ranked AI Engineer the #1 fastest-growing job title in the United States in 2025, with postings rising 143% year-over-year. The BLS projects data science employment to grow 36% through 2033, and the U.S. faces a structural talent gap of 1.3 million AI openings with supply covering fewer than half. Workers with AI skills earn wage premiums up to 56% above peers (PwC, 2025).

Program Overview

A rigorous 120-credit undergraduate program rooted in computing, machine learning, knowledge representation, and large language models. Students choose between software and hardware concentrations, making this one of the first undergraduate AI programs in the nation to offer both paths.

120

Total Credits

38

AI-Specific Credits

2

2 Concentrations

4

Year Program

The degree is structured across six components: a 60-credit general education foundation; a 22-credit computing core; a 15-credit AI core; an 8-credit senior capstone sequence; a 9-credit concentration; and 6 credits of upper-division AI electives.

AI core courses – 15 credits

ASE 309
Technical Fundamentals of AI
Intelligent agents, knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning, neural networks (dense, convolutional, and transformer-based), reinforcement learning, and large language models. Students build a simple expert system, train an ML model, and develop an LLM-based application.
Credits: 3
Year: 2

ASE 310
AI Experiential Programming
Develop AI with AI — students use LLM-powered programming tools the same way practicing engineers use them. Topics include evaluating LLM-generated code, building RAG applications, and developing AI agents via LangChain and MCP frameworks.
Credits: 3
Year: 2

ASE 465
Introduction to Machine Learning
Intelligent agents, knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning, neural networks (dense, convolutional, and transformer-based), reinforcement learning, and large language models. Students build a simple expert system, train an ML model, and develop an LLM-based application.
Credits: 3
Year: 2

ASE 469
Artificial Intelligence Algorithms
Intelligent agents, knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning, neural networks (dense, convolutional, and transformer-based), reinforcement learning, and large language models. Students build a simple expert system, train an ML model, and develop an LLM-based application.
Credits: 3
Year: 3

CIS 468
Natural Language Processing
Intelligent agents, knowledge representation and reasoning, machine learning, neural networks (dense, convolutional, and transformer-based), reinforcement learning, and large language models. Students build a simple expert system, train an ML model, and develop an LLM-based application.
Credits: 3
Year: 3

Senior capstone sequence – 8 credits

A three-course project sequence bridging coursework and career. Students scope, build, and deliver a significant AI project — software or hardware — often in partnership with regional employers including Lockheed Martin, Saab, and Hidden Level.

ASE 453
AI Capstone 1
Scope, frame, and begin building a significant AI project with real-world stakes, often in collaboration with industry partners.
Credits: 3
Year: 4, Fall

CIS 454
AI Capstone 2
Develop, evaluate, and deliver portfolio-ready work. Students present results to faculty, peers, and external collaborators.
Credits: 3
Year: 4, Spring

ASE 491
AI Seminar
A companion seminar covering current research, industry speakers, and the professional landscape of AI — run concurrently with the capstone sequence.
Credits: 2
Year: 4, Fall

Concentrations – choose one (9 credits each)

Students declare their concentration in Fall of Year 3.

SOFTWARE CONCENTRATION — ALGORITHMS, DATA, INTELLIGENCE

ASE 463  Data Mining
KDD process, supervised and unsupervised methods, recommendation systems, and scalability at massive scale.

ELE 453  Image and Video Processing
Foundations of computer vision — the perception side of AI.

CIS 473  Automata and Complexity
Theoretical grounding for the algorithms that power AI systems.

HARDWARE CONCENTRATION — ARCHITECTURE, ACCELERATION, SILICON

ASE 460  AI Hardware Design Fundamentals
Hardware foundations of ML; FPGA acceleration; model optimization for silicon; pipelining and systolic array architectures for DNN acceleration.

CSE 381  Computer Architecture
How CPUs and GPUs are built — the machines AI runs on.

CSE 384  Systems and Network Programming
Low-level systems programming for the hardware/software interface.

Upper-division AI electives — 6 credits

Students complete two additional electives not required for their concentration:

  • CIS 437 Multiagent Systems
  • ELE 452 Digital Audio Signal Processing
  • ELE 453 Image and Video Processing
  • ASE 460 AI Hardware Design
  • ASE 463 Data Mining
  • CIS 473 Automata and Complexity
  • CSE 381 Computer Architecture
  • CSE 384 Systems and Network Programming
  • PHI 378 Minds and Machines
  • PHI 451 Logic and Language
  • ASE 490 Independent Study
  • ASE 499 Honors Capstone

Why AI Science at Syracuse?

AI earlier in the sequence

Foundational AI coursework starts in Year 2, building momentum into specialty courses and competitive internships well ahead of senior year.

Industry-connected capstone

Multi-semester capstone connects students with regional employers including Lockheed Martin, Saab, and Hidden Level, converting coursework into portfolios and offers.

Explosive, documented demand

U.S. AI job postings grew 144% year-over-year as of April 2026, vs. 7% for all jobs (BPC / Lightcast). AI skills carry a 56% wage premium (PwC, 2025). 1.3 million U.S. AI openings, supply covers fewer than half.

Syracuse defense and tech sector

The Syracuse area’s defense, aerospace, and technology sector — including major contractors — is among the most active AI employers in the Northeast.