Rice University will introduce a bachelor of science in artificial intelligence in fall 2025, joining a small number of US institutions offering an undergraduate degree focused exclusively on AI. The new program, housed in the university’s department of computer science, aims to prepare students to become both technical experts and ethical leaders in the rapidly evolving field.
The AI major is part of Rice’s broader strategic focus on responsible and interdisciplinary approaches to computing and will include new, custom-designed courses covering core AI topics, cognitive psychology, and ethics.
“We are in a moment of rapid transformation driven by AI, and Rice is committed to preparing students not just to participate in that future but to shape it responsibly,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This new major builds on our strengths in computing and education and is a vital part of our broader vision to lead in ethical AI and deliver real-world solutions across health, sustainability, and resilient communities.”
While it shares foundational coursework with computer science, it diverges in later years with a more mathematically intensive and specialized AI curriculum.
Faculty emphasized that the program will leverage Rice’s strengths in AI research and undergraduate education.
“We have been building expertise in artificial intelligence,” said Vicente Ordóñez-Román, associate professor of computer science. “There are people working here on natural language processing, information retrieval systems for machine learning, more theoretical machine learning, quantum machine learning. We have a lot of expertise in these areas, and I think we’re trying to leverage that strength we’re building.”
Its interdisciplinary nature aims to attract a diverse group of students, including those from fields such as cognitive science and neuroengineering.