CICS Expands AI Education with New Academic Concentrations
Undergraduate and graduate pathways give computer science students formal opportunities to build AI expertise within the curriculum.
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"These new concentrations reflect the growing importance of artificial intelligence and our responsibility to prepare students to shape that future thoughtfully."
- Manning CICS Dean Keith Marzullo
The Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is launching new undergraduate and graduate concentrations in artificial intelligence, creating formal academic pathways for computer science students seeking specialized preparation in one of the field’s fastest-growing areas.
The concentrations build on CICS’s longstanding leadership in AI research while responding to growing student interest and evolving workforce demand for graduates who understand how AI systems work, how to use them responsibly, and how to apply them across disciplines.
"These new concentrations reflect the growing importance of artificial intelligence and our responsibility to prepare students to shape that future thoughtfully," said Manning CICS Dean Keith Marzullo. "At Manning CICS, students will gain advanced skills needed to lead in a rapidly changing field while advancing our mission of Computing for the Common Good."
The new offerings, starting Fall 2026, create formal academic tracks for students seeking specialized knowledge in a field that is reshaping computer science education, research, and professional practice.
Building Structured Pathways for Students
The undergraduate and graduate concentrations give students a clearer way to pursue AI-focused study within the existing computer science curriculum, while earning formal recognition for that specialization.
Undergraduate Concentration
The undergraduate concentration formalizes what had previously been an informal pathway for students interested in artificial intelligence. Students will complete the same foundational coursework required of all computer science majors while following a more structured AI-focused pathway.
Required coursework includes COMPSCI 311: Introduction to Algorithms, COMPSCI 383: Artificial Intelligence, and COMPSCI 389: Introduction to Machine Learning. Together, these courses introduce students to both classical AI concepts and modern machine learning techniques. Additional electives allow students to explore specialized AI topics.
Andrew Lan, undergraduate program director and associate professor, said the concentration was intentionally designed to fit within the existing computer science curriculum.
"We are not actually asking students to do a lot more," Lan said. "We just made those electives more structured."
Graduate Concentration
The graduate concentration builds on foundational coursework and specialized electives in AI, preparing students for careers in industry, research, and academia.
Students who complete the required coursework will have the concentration formally recognized on their academic transcript, providing a credential that clearly communicates AI expertise to employers and graduate programs.
"Students really want to have AI on their resume and develop the skill set to prepare them for what's happening in such a fast-moving field,” said Eileen Hamel, director of graduate programs.
“When shortlisting graduate programs, UMass Amherst was my top choice because of its depth in AI."
- Kritika Verma MS ’27
Hamel said flexibility was a key consideration during development of the graduate concentration.
"We can market the AI concentration to anyone interested in a master's degree," Hamel said. "Current students right now might even already qualify for the AI concentration."
For Kritika Verma, a CICS master’s student expected to graduate in Spring 2027, the new concentration formalizes a path she was already pursuing through her coursework and research interests.
“When shortlisting graduate programs, UMass Amherst was my top choice because of its depth in AI,” Verma said. “This past semester, I completed Applied Information Retrieval, Machine Learning and Neural Networks, all of which directly meet the new concentration’s requirements.”
Verma said her coursework has already provided hands-on experience applying AI concepts to real-world problems. For a recent class project, she developed an AI system that connects food image with relevant recipes, gaining experience in applied AI system design.
Building on a Tradition of AI Research Excellence
The launch of the new concentrations reflects CICS's longstanding reputation as a leader in artificial intelligence research. Among the college's notable achievements is the work of Professor Emeritus Andrew Barto, who received the 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award for pioneering contributions to reinforcement learning.
"In some areas of AI, we helped shape the field itself," said Ramesh Sitaraman, associate dean of educational programs and teaching and distinguished professor. "That research expertise directly influences what happens in our classrooms."
Sitaraman said the concentration’s rich set of electives is fueled by this cutting-edge research in AI.
"In a fast-moving field like AI, it's incredibly important to have immediate connections to active research," Sitaraman said. "We're able to introduce new developments into the curriculum very quickly."
Preparing Students for an AI-Driven Workforce
The new concentrations reflect broader changes occurring across higher education and the technology industry.
"AI is changing people's perceptions of computer science and changing what students believe they need to learn for the future," said Professor and Chair of the Faculty Erik Learned-Miller.
"The work of software engineers and computer scientists is changing dramatically," Sitaraman said. "They are increasingly working alongside AI coding agents and AI-assisted systems. Industry expects graduates to understand how to use these tools productively and responsibly."
The CICS career development team is helping students adapt to the changing workplace by tracking evolving employer expectations and incorporating those insights into career preparation efforts.
"We are encouraging students not to avoid AI coding assistants," said Casey Maloney, associate director of experiential learning. "Knowing how to interact with these tools effectively will be important in nearly any role our graduates pursue."
Faculty leaders emphasized that the concentrations focus on how AI systems work under the hood, giving students skills that can help position them for emerging career opportunities.
"A lot of people are already using AI tools to code," Lan said. "This concentration gives students an opportunity not only to know how to program, but also to understand what's going on behind those AI coding tools."
At the same time, faculty leaders said responsible AI development will remain central to the evolution of concentrations, with ongoing discussions about how ethics, security, and responsible AI practices should be incorporated throughout the curriculum. Learned-Miller said those conversations could eventually lead to additional AI ethics coursework.
Connecting AI Education to Computing for the Common Good
The new concentrations align closely with the college’s mission of Computing for the Common Good. Researchers at CICS have already applied AI to areas including healthcare, ecology, robotics, and wearable technologies.
"There are millions of ways AI can be used to improve people's lives," Learned-Miller said. "That's very connected to the idea of computing for the common good."
Ultimately, college leaders say the concentrations are designed to prepare students for both today's AI landscape and the future of the field.
"We want students to understand AI deeply, both from a theoretical and practical perspective," Sitaraman said. "But we also want them to think critically about how these technologies are applied and how they can use them to make a positive impact in the world."
Learn more about artificial intelligence academic programs at CICS.
