Artificial Intelligence BS and Minor Program Specifics

Rhode Island College’s Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence was developed with input from businesses and national organizations to create a practical AI program that prepares you to fill the widening AI skill gap in the workplace.

Program Overview

This hands-on program balances the technical knowledge needed to innovate with the business understanding necessary to integrate AI effectively into an organization. Here, you will learn to design, responsibly implement, and ethically evaluate machine learning models with practical applications in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and more.

What to Expect in Years 1 and 2

In the program's first two years, you build a strong foundation in computer science and data science. You learn computer programming, data structures, and algorithms. These core courses provide the skills and knowledge you need to construct AI models. You also learn a variety of statistical tools and how to responsibly implement AI in a variety of business domains. These skills prepare you to evaluate the training data used to build models and critique the performance of more advanced AI models used in later courses.

Year 3 Expectations

Your third year in the program involves studying the foundation of artificial intelligence through courses in traditional artificial intelligence and machine learning. You practice each step in the machine learning process as you build your own functional machine learning models. These technical courses are accompanied by an important course in social and ethical issues in technology. In this course, you address the social and ethical issues created by using computers, AI, and other digital technologies, the problems solved by technology, and learn about professional responsibilities.

Year 4 Expectations

In your fourth year, you explore natural language processing and learn how human language is translated into a form machine learning models can use. In the computer vision course, you learn to manipulate and analyze digital images, extract features from images, and use machine learning to classify and detect objects in images. The reinforcement learning course gives you an opportunity to understand how autonomous vehicles learn. Additionally, there are courses that cover AI in games and robotics. Immerse yourself in a well-rounded education and be part of a pioneering program in the region, setting the standard for Al education and opening doors to exclusive opportunities!

Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies

The B.S. in Artificial Intelligence program at Rhode Island College is housed within the Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies, a regional center of excellence that provides education, programming, and research to help develop Rhode Island’s cybersecurity and AI industries. The institute is led by RIC alumnus James Langevin ’90, a former 11-term congressman and nationally recognized leader in the field. Langevin is serving as the chair and leading Rhode Island Governor McKee’s AI Task Force.

Minor Program Options

We also offer a minor in Artificial Intelligence and Application of Artificial Intelligence. Declaring a minor allows you to explore other areas of interest and make interdisciplinary connections. Minor areas at RIC complement and reinforce all major areas of study. By declaring a minor, you can set yourself apart as a candidate for job, internship and volunteer opportunities.