VCU launches new minors in artificial intelligence and mixed and immersive reality – VCU News

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University is launching two interdisciplinary, future-focused minors this fall: Practical Artificial Intelligence and Mixed and Immersive Reality Studies. The two new minors allow students to take classes taught by faculty experts in a variety of fields and explore the applications and ethical implications of these emerging technologies in their chosen fields of study.

Faculty members in VCU’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies have collaborated with colleagues across the university to bring the new minor to life in response to the increasing integration of AI and immersive reality technologies in the 21st-century workplace.

“At VCU, we are committed to future-proofing our students by rapidly adapting our curriculum to meet the demands of the AI ​​era. Our two new minors, Hands-on AI and Mixed Immersive Reality, launching in fall 2024, reflect our dedication to equipping students from all disciplines with the knowledge and skills to effectively leverage AI and metaverse tools,” said Dr. Fotis Sotiropoulos, vice president for Academic Affairs and senior vice provost. “These highly innovative programs are designed to enable learners to enhance human creativity and innovation in a variety of professional environments, preparing our graduates to lead and succeed in a rapidly evolving field of technology.”

The interdisciplinary minor in Practical AI is designed to serve students from diverse academic backgrounds who want to enhance their education with a solid foundation in the use and ethical considerations of AI technologies and applications. Students pursuing careers in healthcare, education, government, the arts, business and other fields will find the program invaluable in preparing for an AI-pervasive workforce.

“What excites me most about these minors is that they relate to nearly every student's learning pathway at VCU,” said Dr. Zach Hilpert, director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. “Emerging technologies like AI and mixed and immersive reality are increasingly impacting the world around us. These minors will help VCU students stay ahead of these trends, both as practitioners and pioneers. We see these minors not just as additional subjects to students' degrees, but rather as enhancing their career and life preparation.”

The curriculum of the Practical AI minor combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience, ensuring that students not only understand the fundamental concepts of AI, but also gain practical skills to implement AI solutions. With a foundation in STEM and ethical concepts, courses cover topics such as AI in mass media, business applications of AI, and machine learning.

For students who want to explore the applications of immersive and augmented reality, the interdisciplinary minor in Mixed and Immersive Reality Studies offers an exciting and broadly applicable overview of these tools, from coding and innovation to policy, art and storytelling.

The Mixed Reality Studies and Immersive Reality Studies minors focus on technological systems, design aesthetics, and the humanities and social sciences. Both ends of the minor have classes that help students integrate their new knowledge of the subject with their primary field of study/major.

With either minor, students can choose from a variety of related courses to customize their experience to fit their career goals.

“All students, regardless of their technical skill, have a right and responsibility to learn about AI,” said Dr. Mariah Cleary, associate professor and associate director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. “We designed this minor to give all students, from a mass communications major who wants to be a journalist to a health services major who wants to work in hospital administration, the critical skills they need to stand out in the job market.”

Students can also build their own fully customized majors through the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in AI or Mixed Immersive Reality. This individualized learning plan allows students to integrate these new minors with coursework in additional areas of study, minors, certificates, and more to create a personalized path to graduation that aligns with their unique goals, interests, and passions.

The minors and courses are open for enrollment for the fall semester of 2024. Interested students can contact the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program at bis@vcu.edu for more information or to add either minor to their plan of study.