Massachusetts Colleges Launch AI Degrees at 79 Schools Nationwide as Graduates Face Weak Job Market
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 16
Massachusetts Colleges Launch AI Degrees at 79 Schools Nationwide as Graduates Face Weak Job Market
1 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Aug 16
Summary
Wentworth, Northeastern, Endicott and Suffolk are rolling out new AI majors or co-majors, with some starting this fall and others in fall 2027, as colleges pitch AI fluency as a labor-market edge.
79 institutions now offer AI majors, up from just four in 2020, while more than 100 have minors or concentrations, reflecting a rapid national push to match employer demand for AI-skilled graduates.
Northeastern is adding two dozen interdisciplinary AI majors, Wentworth's applied AI degree pairs core courses with industry tracks, and Endicott's AI implementation program centers on internships and workplace integration.
MIT's AI and Decision Making major, launched in 2022, is already its second-most-popular program, but Suffolk's planned co-major also drew a student petition that gathered 1,200 signatures in two days.
Schools say the goal is to train 'AI orchestrators' and managers who can apply, govern and integrate the technology, not just use tools that many companies still struggle to turn into returns.
As universities race to mint AI orchestrators, can traditional four-year degree programs keep pace with technology that evolves almost daily?
With students actively protesting AI integration, could the aggressive push for tech fluency inadvertently sacrifice essential critical thinking and sustainability?