This Business School Is Integrating AI Throughout Its Curriculum

• The American University Kogod School of Business is incorporating artificial intelligence throughout its curriculum.
• Kogod plans to roll out 20 new and revised curses with an AI and machine learning focus starting in fall 2024.
• AI and machine learning courses and workshops will be required for incoming students.
• School officials say student outcomes are key to the change.

Artificial intelligence (AI) skills are in high demand from employers — and now a big business school plans to incorporate AI throughout its curriculum to help meet that demand.

The American University Kogod School of Business in Washington, D.C., will roll out 20 new and updated courses as part of an effort to “infuse” AI into its curriculum, according to a release from the school. That AI focus will include new certificate offerings for students, partnerships with businesses, staff training, and “operational overhauls to remain current.”

AI prompt engineering and programming will be essential to the new curriculum, featuring instruction in coding languages like R and Python. Kogod has branded this real-world technical training as “AI Sage” courses. The school will also roll out “AI Artisan” courses with a theoretical approach to AI.

AI courses and workshops will be required in the undergraduate core curriculum for incoming students. Kogod Dean David Marchik underscored the importance of AI for future business leaders in the release.

"Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and business students need to be prepared to utilize applications for generative AI on day one of their future jobs," Marchick said.

Kogod has recently brought on a number of AI and machine learning experts, according to the release, and a large number of faculty already use AI in their coursework.

Marchik said student outcomes are key to American University’s new, intense AI focus.

"To prepare our students to enter the global marketplace, we are being aggressive and bold with our curriculum,” Marchik said in the release. “American University, like many others, is accelerating its AI-focused research agenda. But the driving force behind the changes we announce today is the impact we will have on the student experience — and on student outcomes after they leave us."

Business Schools Hone In on AI, STEM, and Fintech

Kogod joins a growing number of business schools that are incorporating AI and other STEM-related topics into their business curriculum.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is rolling out degrees in AI and financial technology (fintech) as part of that STEM focus.

STEM is also key to the curriculum at Purdue University’s Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.

Purdue University Dean James Bullard previously underscored the importance of tech skills across businesses in an interview with BestColleges.

“Every company is a tech company,” Bullard said in an interview.

Kogod Department of Information Technology & Analytics Chair Gwanhoo Lee underscored the rapid pace of recent technological changes.

"Digital transformation is not new, but to see it at such scale is very telling," Lee said in the release. "Kogod is moving swiftly to adapt to the market, and we are eager to continue updating and improving our approach as the AI landscape continues to change at pace."