USC Marshall School of Business is launching a new Applied AI in Business minor in Fall 2026. As artificial intelligence upends industries and transforms the workplace, the program will explore the technology’s role in business, entrepreneurship, and society at large.
The minor will be open to all USC students, including those from within Marshall. Inge Lindholm, assistant professor of clinical data sciences and operations and faculty lead for the minor, explains that the new program is relevant to undergraduates from every major.
“The Applied AI in Business minor is an interdisciplinary approach to bring all of our students together, whether you’re in engineering, communications, entrepreneurship, education, marketing, finance, or anywhere across campus,” Lindholm said. “This is an opportunity to bring human ingenuity and artificial intelligence to real-world business challenges.”
According to Lindholm, the practical curriculum and interdisciplinary participation will give Trojans the chance to collaborate with different voices, a key skill in most professions.
“You may have a film student who wants to create content, and a finance student who wants to understand what the ROI [return on investment] and opportunity cost is for that. And then maybe a communication student who wants to figure out how to effectively communicate this new project,” Lindholm explained. “Collectively, they can work together using some of the courses and the AI opportunities that we’ve designed to come up with new and innovative opportunities that are very unique to the market today.”
At the core of the minor is the idea of career readiness. Lindholm stresses that although getting students jobs is a top priority, the minor is about a lot more than that. She believes the program will position USC students as decision-makers, collaborators, and entrepreneurs in an AI-driven world.
“It’s our responsibility here at Marshall to ensure that our students do have those particular skills and abilities to be competitive in today’s job market — not only be able to get those careers, but also to step into those roles with a leadership and thought leadership mindset,” Lindholm said.
To some, AI may have a reputation for reducing human connection, but Lindholm emphasizes that the minor would be in keeping with USC and Marshall’s core mission of developing a human-centered experience. Aspects of the curriculum will also focus on responsible use of technology, entrepreneurship, digital media and communications, product management, and leadership techniques.
