Artificial intelligence is changing what employers expect from new graduates. The job outlook survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that more than a third of entry-level jobs (35 percent) require AI skills. This is up from 13 percent of entry-level jobs as reported six months prior.
This emphasis on AI skills extends beyond technical roles. A labor market analysis found that the requirement for generative AI skills for non-technical roles (including healthcare, hospitality, education, and finance) grew ninefold between 2022 and 2024.
Further, AI skills are being defined beyond technical competency: Job postings are increasingly referencing “AI ethics” to ensure that applicants understand how to use the technology responsibly and fairly in an organization or business setting.
Universities are responding to all of this and reevaluating what it means to be workforce-ready. While in some cases it means creating new AI-focused degree programs, many universities are integrating AI across programs and curriculums.
AI as a Major
With fears that AI will replace traditional computer programming jobs, students are migrating from traditional computer science programs to newly developed AI programs. Some notable examples include:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced plans to consolidate its data science and information and library science schools to create an AI college.
The University of South Florida saw more than 3,000 students enroll in its new AI and cybersecurity college.
The University of Utah received board approval to create a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence, a first in the state.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) saw their AI and decision-making major become the second-most popular at the university, after computer science.
These AI-focused graduates may not all be bound for technology jobs. Just as with English, economics, and political science degrees, an AI degree could be applied in many sectors and job functions.
AI Across the Curriculum
AI fluency is becoming a requirement for general workforce competency, making AI education far more than just a specialty for computer science majors. Because of this, a number of schools are requiring AI-centered courses as part of their general education requirements. Still others are building AI literacy into established courses.
Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business is requiring undergraduates to take two AI classes—a 101 course focused on how to use AI effectively and ethically, and a 201 course that explores business applications of AI.
Purdue University requires students to take one of 22 offered AI courses in order to graduate.
Miami University’s AI in the Majors program is designed to ensure every undergraduate student graduates with AI competencies aligned with their professional fields. AI education will be incorporated into existing courses, making AI use as it relates to that topic a key part of the learning.
Coastal Carolina University created a new AI course, Artificial Intelligence in the Research Process, that can be taken by students across the university in every field of study. The class is focused on how their interaction with AI models affects the outcome of research.
To learn more about how the workforce is changing to meet the rise of AI, check out these resources:
EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2026 (September 29–October 2, 2026; Denver, CO) – Professionals and technology providers from around the world will gather to network, share ideas, grow professionally, and discover solutions to today’s higher education challenges.
EdTech Symposium (November 4, 2026; Columbia, SC) – Hosted by the University of South Carolina, this event brings together higher education professionals from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia, along with industry partners and guest speakers, to explore innovative technologies in AI, data, infrastructure, teaching and learning, security, and institutional IT services.
AI and the Workforce: Preparing Public Servants for the Next Era (December 10, 2026; virtual) – As AI adoption accelerates, agencies face a dual mandate: harness AI to deliver better services while ensuring employees have the skills, support, and pathways to thrive in this new environment.
The Convergence of AI-Cybersecurity in Education, Workforce Development, and Campus Infrastructure (white paper) – AI and cybersecurity are now converging with significant national economic and security implications, driving the need to secure AI systems, rethink incident response, and redesign education and workforce preparation through new Cyber-AI roles and essential skills for all learners and workers.
A Framework for Powerful Learning with Emerging Technology (white paper) – Grounded in three principles—learner-centered, evidence-based, and skill-building—this framework outlines actionable strategies to promote agency, metacognition, accessibility, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration.
Explore more about AI education on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.