College Majors that Lead to a Career in AI

Are you intrigued by the technology used in Alexa and Siri? Interested in developing a medical device to diagnose patients thousands of miles away from the nearest doctor? If this is your passion, then a career in Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be the right fit for you!

There are several degree programs you can pursue in college that will lead to a job in the rapidly expanding field of Artificial Intelligence. A Bachelor of Science degree in AI will prepare you for a career in AI research and development or AI implementation. However, few schools offer such a tailored curriculum. The following majors offered at many colleges and universities can also help you reach your goal of working in this very fast growing industry.

  • Computer Science - when researching schools, see if the computer science program offers artificial intelligence (ai) and machine learning (ml) track. This option enhances the computer science major better preparing you for a job in AI.

  • Mathematics - a degree in mathematics will provide an entry into the AI field , but a degree in applied mathematics will position you for AI Implementation. Consider a minor in computer science or data science.

  • Statistics - this major is also an entry to AI Research and AI Implementation. Add a minor in computer science and the combination makes you very marketable.

  • Data Science - this major is fairly new and differs from statistics because it uses computers and coding to acquire information. Data science majors are well prepared to enter the AI field.

The future looks bright for students searching for jobs in AI. The LinkedIn 2020 Emerging Jobs Report states that there has been a 74% annual hiring growth for each of the past four years for AI and ML.