This semester, Rice is embracing artificial intelligence in more ways than one. The Department of Computer Science launched a new bachelor’s degree in AI this semester, and the university has been promoting itself with AI-generated content around campus and on social media.
Rice is also giving students free access to Google Gemini, an AI assistant that can summarize papers, generate responses and support writing, as well as as Google’s NotebookLM, which allows users to use AI work across their own documents and transcripts.
With the launch of the AI major, Rice joins a small group of elite universities — including Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — that offer dedicated AI programs.
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Looks like the Rice AI major is mostly a specialized CS major where the upper level CS courses are mainly AI focused, although one course in AI ethics and one course in cognitive psychology are required.
Would it be better to major in CS with AI upper level CS electives in order to avoid over specialized signaling to employers (like with other specialized variants of majors like computer game design)?
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No, not in the current employment market; better to have an AI major.
UCSD started AI major last year. It’s been a popular addition and moves UCSD to first choice for some students I’ve talked to.
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But the employment market in two to four years may be different. Also, AI majors are few in number; employers will find that most new graduates seeking those entry level AI jobs will have CS majors with AI electives.
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Comparing the requirements for both (CS29 = AI major, CS26 = general CS major at UCSD):
The differences are in upper level CS courses, mainly in terms of how restricted electives are arranged, plus a required specific AI course and ethics course for AI majors.
Fall 2025 Undergraduate Course Updates | Computer Science does not indicate whether the AI-focused CSE courses give enrollment priority to the AI majors over other CSE majors.
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Many students learned in the aftermath of the 2001 cutbacks that “e-commerce” as a major was nowhere near as fungible as a straight CS major with a few psychology courses and an elective in graphic design. There was no magic to a degree in “e-commerce” (and it didn’t even cost the colleges who offered it any money…. just rejigger courses already being offered and present a fully developed “major”.)
The real trick to getting hired in an AI role right now is to demonstrate an understanding of how to monetize the tools, the knowledge, the capability. And since virtually nobody has figured that out yet, I question the content of an AI degree vs. one called something else. Even though my company is devoting resources (and the strategic plan will be devoting MORE resources down the line) to AI, there has been zero demand for a new grad with a degree in AI. These are the “on the ground” skills that are obsolete quickly when taught in a university, vs. having a strong (or exceptional) academic base where the “on the ground” is learned in a practical setting.
Companies don’t need employees who know how to use Perplexity. Anyone reading at a 10th grade level can typically figure it out. What would be valuable would be employees who can create the NEXT Perplexity… which is likely a computer scientist with a few classes in Cog Sci, Linguistics and Applied Math.
Purdue also has an AI major in the College of Science.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly being deployed for real-world tasks. Students in the AI major will master the foundations and tools for building and understanding artificial intelligence systems which reason about data, correct themselves, and make decisions. Students will explore the link between cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and AI, as well as the ethics of AI, which are integral to a holistic understanding of AI. The major will open pathways to new careers ranging from healthcare and sustainability to business and economics.”
The majority of the required classes were already part of the CS curriculum but there are also a number of required philosophy and psych courses: https://catalog.purdue.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=18&poid=33845
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My son is a sophomore at Rice and is planning on double majoring in CS and AI now.
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