NMSU offering new degree in AI

New Mexico State University is offering a new degree in AI, set to be available for the fall 2026 semester.

The degree will be a Bachelor of Science in AI. According to Enrico Pontelli, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, NMSU plans to place itself at the forefront of the conversation in the state by creating New Mexico’s first AI focused degree.

“We felt it was the time to actually launch a bachelor's degree,” Pontelli said. “The reason is that when we look at the workforce demand, we see an increased trend towards people with an undergraduate degree with specialization in artificial intelligence. So, we designed the new Bachelor of Science, and it’s really meant to prepare people to understand both the foundation of artificial intelligence as well as the applications.”

Courses for the degree will educate college students of the foundations of AI, including AI centered computer science, ethics in AI and practical uses of AI. It will also help students learn to navigate issues that come with AI like potential biases and incorrect or fabricated information.

The bachelor degree is not meant to benefit only those enrolled, but other majors will have the option to take classes in AI. It will also have applications for degrees outside of the bachelors in AI. Students from across fields will be able to take part in courses from the AI degree and bring what they have learned and apply it to their major.

Pontelli said there is already a high demand across fields for workers with knowledge in AI applications, specifically in the state’s two largest labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Outside of lab work, Pontelli also said skills in AI are becoming sought after in today’s competitive job market across professions.

“You’re not going to lose your job to AI; you’re going to lose your job to somebody who knows how to use AI,” Pontelli said. “For that reason, we want to prepare students with those kind of skills, so that they're gonna have the right skills once they graduate and go into the workforce.”

Pontelli said a bachelor degree is only the first step in NMSU’s plan to place itself in the forefront of AI applications in New Mexico. The university plans on continuing to advance its AI resources, looking into creating new programs, degrees, and initiatives which will incorporate AI.