Connecticut colleges expand AI programs as students shift majors
Connecticut's colleges and universities are creating new artificial intelligence degrees and certificates in response to surging student demand and workforce needs. One in six college students nationwide changed their major because of AI, according to a recent Gallup Poll.
The shift reflects a broader recognition that entry-level positions are being altered or replaced by AI systems. Universities are responding by ensuring graduates have advanced skills-critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical AI expertise-that position them above entry-level work.
Free academy draws 3,500 enrollees
Charter Oak State College launched a free online AI Academy for Connecticut residents in early 2025 in partnership with Google. The program exceeded expectations, drawing 3,500 successful completions after 1,700 enrollment requests arrived in the first two weeks alone.
David Ferreira, the college's provost, called the response "wildly successful."
Universities launch AI-focused degrees
Quinnipiac University in Hamden created an applied AI master's degree through its School of Business. The program focuses on using AI in business contexts rather than building AI systems, which falls under computer science. Quinnipiac also launched an AI computer science major last year.
Kiku Jones, Quinnipiac's interim associate dean of faculty affairs, said the university identified a need to develop students' expertise in applying AI, particularly in business and healthcare. "If the entry level positions are being replaced, or altered in a way that AI is able to do that work, what we want to do is ensure our students have advanced training," Jones said.
Some students have expressed moral concerns about AI. Jones said the university addresses these objections through dialogue, and students have "become more comfortable" with the technology.
Growth across Connecticut State system
Western Connecticut State University in Danbury introduced an AI master of science degree in 2024. Nearly 200 students have applied since launch, according to Yaseen Hayajneh, interim dean of the School of Graduate, International and Career Studies.
Central Connecticut State University now offers computer science bachelor's degree concentrations in artificial intelligence and master's programs. The University of New Haven will launch its first bachelor of science in artificial intelligence this fall, after introducing a master's degree earlier this year.
Yale University offers numerous AI courses across multiple schools, including a new course in the MBA core curriculum and a Master of Health Science in Medical Artificial Intelligence. Yale's School of Architecture also added AI courses.
UConn does not yet offer an AI major, but an artificial intelligence certificate program is in development.
For more on how educational institutions are integrating AI, see AI for Education and AI for Teachers.
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