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USC Marshall Announces New Joint Undergraduate Degree: AI for Business

USC Marshall Announces New Joint Undergraduate Degree: AI for Business

The degree continues Marshall’s mission to prepare the next generation of business leaders for a rapidly evolving tech environment.

10.10.22
USC Marshall Announces New Joint Undergraduate Degree: AI for Business

Kimon Drakopoulos, Robert R. Dockson Assistant Professor in Business Administration and assistant professor of data sciences and operations, is expected to be the inaugural director of the AI for Business joint degree program.

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The USC Marshall School of Business is launching a new joint undergraduate degree, Artificial Intelligence for Business, in partnership with the USC VITERBI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING. The innovative degree brings together the expertise of two of the top business and engineering schools in the country to provide a unique learning experience for students matriculating in fall 2023.

“We knew there was a tremendous need in the marketplace and throughout society for students who are trained in business, but also understand how AI works, what machine learning means, and are willing to take on the ethical implications of these technologies,” said RAMANDEEP RANDHAWA, vice dean for undergraduate programs and professor of data sciences and operations. High demand for talent with these skills is clear from recruiters and senior leaders across different industries, Randhawa said.

KIMON DRAKOPOULOS, Robert R. Dockson Assistant Professor in Business Administration and assistant professor of data sciences and operations, is expected to be the inaugural director of the program. He shared that timing is critical, “The current challenge for AI is wide adoption. To achieve that, in a socially beneficial way, well-rounded and skilled leaders are desperately needed.”

USC Viterbi’s Director of New Initiatives in AI and Data Science and Research Professor in Computer Science, YOLANDA GIL, will co-direct the program. “This is a pioneering and forward-looking interdisciplinary program,” said Gil. “To our knowledge, it is the first in the world of its kind at this important intersection of AI and Business. With this program, we will empower business and organizational leaders to understand the possibilities, as well as the limitations, of AI technologies and to help them better understand the people they serve, predict trends, and improve decision-making processes.”

“By offering unique partnerships with other forward-focused USC schools, Marshall is increasing its value, breaking down silos and unlocking true collaborative and multidisciplinary learning. This degree best exemplifies our drive at Marshall to innovate and to build cutting-edge curriculum."

— Ramandeep Randhawa

Vice Dean for Undergraduate Programs

USC Viterbi’s Director of New Initiatives in AI and Data Science and Research Professor in Computer Science, Yolanda Gil, will co-direct the program. “This is a pioneering and forward-looking interdisciplinary program,” said Gil. “To our knowledge, it is the first in the world of its kind at this important intersection of AI and Business. With this program, we will empower business and organizational leaders to understand the possibilities, as well as the limitations, of AI technologies and to help them better understand the people they serve, predict trends, and improve decision-making processes.”

The joint AI for Business degree is a four-year, 128-unit program in which students take courses at both Marshall and Viterbi, and their diplomas will reflect the names of both schools upon graduation. Students will take both core business courses at Marshall and AI-focused classes at Viterbi with additional new integrative courses.

Viterbi coursework will cover machine learning, human interactions, robotics, and programming in Python. As part of the degree requirements students will also study ethics, taking courses in Security and Privacy, and Ethics for Engineers at Viterbi. "The graduates will have unique abilities to assess the potential of emerging ideas in AI and how to leverage them in an effective and responsible manner,” said Gil.

AI for Business integrative classes will provide a larger context for making business decisions in the AI age. These four courses, created within Marshall specifically for the joint degree, include a semester-long program for first-year students, as well as classes in digital transformation, AI and smart contracts, technology strategy, and a program that will offer students real-life experiences in the AI sector.

“We have reached a point where AI tools and techniques are extremely accurate, but real-world, high-impact applications are very limited,” said Drakopoulos. “The new AI for Business degree is designed to mold leaders who fill this void—impact-driven professionals who will be exposed to a unique blend of business, technical, ethics and leadership courses and who will be able to pose the right questions as well as generate the right answers. We will be one of only a handful of universities around the globe where students have the opportunity to develop their technical, business and leadership skills to pursue careers in one of the fastest-growing parts of the tech sector.”

“By offering unique partnerships with other forward-focused USC schools, Marshall is increasing its value, breaking down silos and unlocking true collaborative and multidisciplinary learning. This degree best exemplifies our drive at Marshall to innovate and to build cutting-edge curriculum,” said Randhawa.

AI for Business is Marshall’s second joint degree. The JOHN H. MITCHELL BUSINESS OF CINEMATIC ARTS (BCA) joint degree was announced earlier in the summer and is USC’s first true joint degree program, created in partnership with the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA).