The University of Texas, Dallas has established a new Masters in Science in Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Sciences and an associated certification program that will help meet the demands of the workforce in the rapidly growing data-driven sector of the health and healthcare sector.
In April, the Texas Higher Education Coordination Committee approved the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) degree program, which is scheduled to begin this fall.
Although AI's graduate programs are offered by several universities in Texas, the new UT Dallas initiative is one of the first AI programs to focus on applications in biomedical sciences.
Dr. Vladimir Dragovich, professor of mathematics science and director of mathematics science at UT Dallas, said: “We designed this curriculum to meet the needs of potential students and get where students want and where they want a future employer.”
Dr. Vladimir Dragovich
In addition to research-intensive careers, job opportunities for program graduates may include roles in biotechnology or bioengineering companies, health informatics business, or pharmaceutical industry.
“These AI skills can be applied to many scientific services, so graduates should find employment opportunities in a wide range of industries,” says Dragovic.
Faculty in the Mathematics Sciences Department led the development of the curriculum for the new program, including courses contributed by the departments in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics and Bioengineering.
A certificate of graduation in biomedical artificial intelligence is also provided. Dragovic said the skills acquired through the certificate could potentially enhance employment opportunities for students who are already working on advanced degrees in biomedicine, bioengineering, computer science, chemistry or physics.
“There is a very strong research component in this master's program,” said Dr. Pankaj Choudhary, professor of mathematics sciences who helped design the curriculum and dean of NSM's Graduate Studies. “This combination of research experience and emphasis on strong AI skills will provide students with versatile training and enable them to engage in a variety of career areas.”
Aryan Najjari, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, has applied for both a new degree and a certificate program. His biomaterial research focuses on characterizing a variety of materials and treatment methods, and develops medical devices such as implants that are compatible with the human body. His goal is to work in the medical devices industry.
New degrees, new courses
The new Masters of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Science and the associated certificate program at the University of Texas, Dallas, includes four new core courses created by faculty in mathematics science.
- Introducing human health research
- Information and programming in biomedical sciences
- Biostatistics and epidemiology
- Artificial Intelligence for Human Health Using Labs
The Faculty of Biological Sciences has also created four new elective courses.
- Biomedical case studies in artificial intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence Ethics in Science Publishing
- Biomedical dataset analysis using artificial intelligence
- Intelligent interactions with humans in biology
The full curriculum and admission requirements are available in the degree program Website.
“We live in an age where AI plays a key role in accelerating everyday tasks, and researchers are making it easier to test in less time and with creativity, innovation and testing complex technologies,” says Najjari. “Acquiring AI skills not only improves the quality and efficiency of current research, but also expands future career opportunities.
“AI is a powerful and versatile tool that can be applied to many areas of biomedical engineering, and is more adaptable and ready for both industry and academic roles in this rapidly evolving field.”
Choudhary said that undergraduates who pursue most science and engineering fields should consider the background behind the master's program.
“Students who enroll in the program can go all the way from basic programming to cutting-edge AI skills,” he said.
The program is also available as a high-speed track master's degree option for the appropriate students taking graduate-level courses when they have a bachelor's degree in biomedical science, biology, molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics.
“Our Biological Science Degree Program, as well as Data Science Degree and Certificate Program, are already extremely popular and attractive to students in many fields,” said Dr. NSM Dean and Francis S. and Maurin G. Johnson, renowned university chairs. “We expect that AI's MS in biomedical sciences will be a pioneering step for schools in natural sciences and mathematics.”
