AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas Austin is getting ahead of the curve as it prepares to launch an online master’s program in artificial intelligence. 

As artificial intelligence and machine learning are creating a fast-growing, in-demand industry within the global workforce, UT Austin wants to provide the opportunity for thousands of students to receive the proper training.

The Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) will be the first degree-program of its size and the only AI program from a top-ranked institution that is priced at nearly $10,000, according to the university. Similar programs at other institutions only serve about several dozen students at a time, with a cost that ranges from five to 10 times more than that of UT Austin.

The MSAI will cover two years of content meant to be learned at each student’s own pace in partnership with the online education platform edX. Students will receive training in natural language processing, computer vision, reinforcement learning among other topics. The goal of the program is to prepare students for a variety of career opportunities in many different fields.

“The fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning have seen unprecedented growth over the last 10 years,” said Adam Klivans, a professor of computer science and director of the Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML), which is providing resources to aid in curriculum design. “Our goal is to ensure that every qualified student can access a premier education in AI, one that is keeping pace with this rapidly evolving field. With the MSAI program, we have removed geographic barriers entirely and significantly lowered the cost barrier of graduate study. For our students, this a game changer.”

This master’s program will also provide formal AI ethics training to ensure AI technologies are developed around core values that serve the greater good. The degree is offered as part of the school’s Computer and Data Science Online suite of degree programs and will rely on experienced faculty that have helped land UT Austin as one of the top 10 universities across the nation in artificial intelligence.

“We’ve developed the curriculum for the MSAI program with faculty members who are leaders in their fields and committed to student success,” said Eric Busch, director of the Computer and Data Science Online program. “It’s not just an ‘online degree.’ It’s an immersive and connected community of learners and a credential from UT Austin that opens doors.”

Final approval of the degree by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is pending. To find out more about how you can apply for the program in spring 2024, click here.