University of Texas Launches a Wide-Scale Master’s Program in AI

With the success of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, universities are taking note. Click to learn more about the University of Texas at Austin’s new plan to train thousands in artificial intelligence.

With the biggest tech companies laying off workers left and right, expanding your university’s computer science department might seem like an odd choice. But that’s exactly what The University of Texas (UT) at Austin is doing. The university just announced that it will be launching an online Master of Science degree in AI and machine learning (MSAI).

This program will be the first large-scale degree of its kind and aims to address the “Fastest-growing in-demand skill sets in the global workforce,” and is the first large-scale AI program of its kind. It will train enrolled students in natural language processing, computer vision, deep learning, and other related topics. They will also instruct students on the “ethical implications” of AI technologies.

So, what makes this course so special?

Online learning = easy-to-scale, affordable program

Because UT is embracing an online education platform, they will be able to launch their new program for thousands of students at a fraction of the cost of peer degree programs. The two-year course will be set at $10,000 (5-10 times less expensive than current competitors) and UT is planning to enroll 2,500 within less than five years of launching.

According to professor of computer science and director of the Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (IFML) Adam Klivans, UT’s goal is to “ensure that every qualified student can access a premier education in AI...we have removed geographic barriers and significantly lowered the cost of barrier of graduate study. For our students, this is a game changer.”

Staying ahead of AI

Whether you like artificial intelligence or not, it’s here and it’s accessible to the masses. Generative AI models like ChatGPT are garnering millions of users but are struggling to keep up with demand. Investors are implementing ChatGPT into their workflows. Microsoft is incorporating the model into Bing. Even as big tech companies roll back on their employees, professionals in every industry can benefit from learning about the technical and ethical aspects of AI.

Leveraging existing resources

UT has a robust Department of Computer Science and Machine Learning Laboratory, which gives the MSAI program more resources and more brand ambassadors. They are also collaborating with faculty from UT’s Good Systems project — a challenge dedicated to researching and developing AI technologies that serve greater societal good. Leveraging resources like this gives the program a bigger digital footprint, more opportunities to share content, and more brand ambassadors/thought leaders to promote it.

UT's ability to stay ahead of the AI curve and scale a substantial program has landed it on the 2022 U.S. News list of Best Artificial Intelligence Programs. Read on for our recommendations to universities looking to boost visibility on their AI (or any) program.

What universities should do

An AI program can be a boon for the recruitment of students and faculty alike for any higher education institute. The University of Texas is not the only school with AI curriculum although its approach of having a large-scale, low-cost online master of science degree program in AI is believed to be a first of its kind. Here are some ways a college or university can build its visibility for AI curriculum:

Sell the value of your program. Even a field as topical as AI needs to be sold. For example, UT Austin’s website stresses its programs affordable cost and flexibility, as well as the prestige of getting an education at UT Austin. UT Austin notes that its program costs only $10,000. To put that figure in context, Johns Hopkins University offers an online M.S. degree in artificial intelligence for more than $45,000. Even so, what does $10,000 get you? Clearly, more than knowledge: a future, as well. AI is a high-demand skill. Microsoft recently invested billions of dollars in AI. UT Austin also wisely features its courses on ethics in AI – an increasingly important aspect of AI that continues to attract strong interest and spark intense study.
Lean into your brand ambassadors. Who are your well-known scholars in this field, how visible are they, and how can you help them build their own subject matter expertise? In announcing the news about its own program, UT Austin quoted Adam Klivans. The university would do well to empower him to become more active on and visible on public spaces such as LinkedIn where other faculty and students might be seeking to learn more about this topic and places to potential work or enroll. Notice how Ethan Mollick, an associate professor at Wharton recently commented on LinkedIn about how he’s added an AI policy to his syllabus in order to teach students how to use AI responsibly. Who are your Adam Klivans and Ethan Mollicks, and how might you help them amplify their voice?
Use a Connected Content strategy for sharing your ideas consistently in all the places people are searching. This means coming up with a compelling narrative and sharing it with all audiences via organic and paid media. The former encompasses everything from making your website’s content findable (e.g., via blogs, video, easy-to-find course descriptions) to boosting content with paid search and advertising. I don’t have access to how UT Austin might be using paid search, but its organic content includes blogging on its website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Normally, we’d recommend TikTok as well especially considering that the app’s audience is ideal for a university – but increasingly colleges including UT Austin are banning TikTok over security concerns.

For more insight

The IDX white paper Higher Education Marketing: Six Trends in Online Higher Ed covers a number of important ways that higher education institutions can recruit more effectively. This covers everything from best SEO practices for higher education to how to showcase purpose-driven initiatives. This guide is based on our experience helping colleges and universities use digital to recruit students. Download the white paper to start increasing enrollments for the upcoming academic year. To start your enrollment journey contact us or learn more about our Connected Content Approach, here.