The University Of Pennsylvania Announces A Master’s Program In Artificial Intelligence, The First Of Its Kind Among Ivy League Institutions

The University of Pennsylvania will soon become the first Ivy League where students can work toward a master’s degree in artificial intelligence (AI).

According to a news release shared by the educational institution, The University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science has introduced The Raj and Neera Singh Program in Artificial Intelligence: Master of Science in Engineering in AI online degree. It is the first of its kind among Ivy League universities.

“The online Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) degree at Penn Engineering will empower students with both the practical skills and the ethical foundations to lead AI into the future,” the school news release explained. “Building on the expertise of the School’s world-class faculty, the program will equip students with the mathematical and algorithmic foundation to develop groundbreaking AI systems along with the broad perspective to deploy new technologies in an ethical and responsible way.” 

Per the university, the master’s in artificial intelligence will feature a curriculum that offers advanced coursework in natural language processing, machine learning, deep learning, statistics, and other related topics.

“The emergence of rapidly evolving AI technologies like generative AI is creating both opportunities and challenges for humanity,” said Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering. “Our new master’s program meets a critical need for AI engineers with advanced degrees who can harness the power of these transformative technologies in positive and beneficial ways.”

The MSE program will feature courses by an expert in the field of AI, Chris Callison-Burch, who is an associate professor in computer and information science at Penn Engineering. It will also include notable program instructors and machine learning experts such as Victor Preciado, Hamed Hassani, and Pratik Chaudhari. Two world-renowned researchers, Susan Davidson and Tessa Cook, have joined as teachers for the online program as well, offering their expertise on the convergence of big data, AI, and applications in bioinformatics and medicine, where AI will see significant impact.

“The instructors teaching within our AI master’s program are selected from among the most research-active faculty working in this field, a necessity given the fast-changing landscape of AI,”  Rebecca Hayward, executive director of Penn Engineering Online, said.

Boon Thau Loo, RCA Professor in Computer and Information Science and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in Penn Engineering added, “Our AI master’s program was also designed with technical rigor as a central focus. Students will not only learn about the algorithms and models underpinning AI applications, they will also be equipped with the latest knowledge on the data center infrastructures that are powering the AI revolution, namely distributed systems, networking and GPU programming.”

The MSE in Artificial Intelligence program will welcome its first cohort of students in spring 2025. Applications for the program will open on June 3, 2024, and all applicants will need an undergraduate degree in computer science, computer engineering, or an equivalent degree to be considered.