MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg will offer a new Bachelor of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence Methods and Applications (AIMA) starting in fall 2026. The program is designed to provide students with the technical expertise, practical experience, and ethical foundation essential to lead in an AI-driven world.
Students will learn how to design, implement, and evaluate AI solutions. Gain hands-on experience with machine learning and generative AI. and critically examine the ethical implications of AI on society. Students will also benefit from the university’s strong AI education and research community, including Penn State’s Nittany AI Alliance.
“The addition of artificial intelligence to our robust portfolio of computing and information science degree programs strengthens the university’s commitment to remain at the forefront of innovation and emerging technologies,” said Roderick Lee, associate professor of information systems in Penn State’s Harrisburg School of Management and associate professor of human-centered computing and social informatics in Penn State’s College of Information Sciences. “It also positions the university as a key institution for training the next generation of AI professionals, equipping them with the skills and expertise they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving field.”
Students will build strong foundational skills in programming, machine learning, AI problem solving, and responsible development of AI systems. The interdisciplinary program’s curriculum fosters integration with other fields such as human-computer interaction, data science, psychology and cognitive science, social sciences, public policy, and law.
In the final year, students complete a two-semester capstone or research project. This is an immersive, end-to-end experience that challenges you to apply AI expertise to real-world problems and prepares you for an impactful career across a wide range of industries and sectors.
Guided by a consistent university-wide strategy and the leadership of the University’s AI Coordinating Council, Penn State Harrisburg is working to align with Penn State’s overall AI goals by expanding AI literacy, integrating AI across the curriculum, promoting interdisciplinary research, and fostering a culture of innovation and responsible AI development that extends from the classroom to the community.
In addition to the new AIMA major, the university is expanding opportunities to study AI across disciplines.
“Penn State Harrisburg is playing an increasingly important and distinct role in Penn State’s artificial intelligence education ecosystem by reaching students far beyond traditional computing majors,” said Lee, who is also director of artificial intelligence curriculum integration. “Through a combination of AI-focused degree courses and high-enrollment general education and service courses, the campus is preparing students in engineering, science, business, humanities, arts, and other fields to work confidently in an AI-driven economy.”
AI courses are offered across multiple subject areas, with intensive electives and general education courses that allow students to build foundational AI literacy along with discipline-specific skills.
Courses offered in Fall 2026 include:
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AI 100 Artificial Intelligence: Automated Thinking that Augments Human Intelligence
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AI 285 Experiential Learning Skills Lab
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AIMA/COMM 197G Special Topics (Artificial Intelligence in Cinema)
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AA 290G Creating and Learning with AI in the Arts
For more information about the AIMA major, please visit harrisburg.psu.edu or contact Academic Program Coordinator Amanda Anderson at ajh18@psu.edu.
