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Pathways & Curriculum
Comprehensive Foundation in Artificial Intelligence
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LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE AI-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS
The Comprehensive Foundation in Applied Artificial Intelligence within the Master of Science in Information Technology Leadership (MS-ITL) program is designed for IT professionals and aspiring leaders interested in working with AI tools and techniques to develop and oversee automated decision-making systems.
This MS-ITL foundation draws on the expertise and curriculum of USD’s Applied Artificial Intelligence program, which has been ranked as one of the top online artificial intelligence programs in the country. The MS-AAI faculty is composed of experts from industry and academia who possess significant backgrounds that span technology, engineering and computer science.
By taking these elective courses, you’ll be ready to lead projects that can take advantage of AI’s projected global economic impact of $15.7T by 2030.
These Applied Artificial Intelligence courses provide you with an essential understanding of AI-enabled systems as well as the essential emphasis on real-world applications, ethics, moral responsibility and social good in designing AI-powered solutions.
Course of Study
The MS-ITL Comprehensive Foundation in Applied Artificial Intelligence consists of 10 courses total (three units each) for 30 units of coursework.
To build expertise in applied AI and provide a strong foundation in IT leadership development, students are required to take eight core ITL courses and two MS-AAI courses: AAI 500 Probability and Statistics for Artificial Intelligence and AAI 501 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.
The program concludes with a Capstone Seminar, where students apply what they’ve learned from both core and elective courses to real-world challenges.
The 100% online format, flexible pacing and year-round admission options make the program accessible for working professionals.
PROGRAM COURSE CURRICULUM
MS-ITL is a 30-unit program consisting of 10 courses. Courses are offered year-round with three semesters every year: spring, summer and fall. Each semester lasts 14 weeks, with courses running for seven weeks each. Students take two courses per semester with a one- or two-week break between semesters.
This concentrated format enables students to focus on one course at a time and complete the degree program in 20 months. Students are advised to spend 15-20 hours per week on each course in order to be successful.
The curriculum of this pathway blends IT leadership core courses with applied AI electives and consists of the following:
Core IT Leadership Courses
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
|
Introduction to the IT Leadership program. Spotlights on fundamental financial management concepts: expense, capital, depreciation, budgets,… |
3 |
|
Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project-oriented activities to meet project requirements… |
3 |
|
Server operations with emphasis on design and deployment of large-scale computing environments using cloud services (e.g., Amazon Web Servic… |
3 |
|
The role of IT in the continuous process of software development (engineering), staging (QA), and production deployment (IT operations). Inc… |
3 |
|
This course will feature a comprehensive overview of concepts and tools essential to cybersecurity for IT professionals. Students will learn… |
3 |
|
IT Service Management (ITSM) is the set of activities by which IT organizations manage the end-to-end delivery of IT services to customers. … |
3 |
|
This course focuses on a big-picture overview of the economic and social role of IT professionals. IT professionals are a strategic workforc… |
3 |
Comprehensive Foundation in AI Electives
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
|
This course is an introduction to probability and statistical concepts and their applications in solving real-world problems, as well as an … |
3 |
|
Recent advances in big data, computational power, smart homes, and autonomous vehicles have rendered artificial intelligence (AI) as a major… |
3 |
Capstone Course
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
|
The program capstone focuses on developing a proposal for a significant IT infrastructure initiative, e.g., implementation of a new enterpri… |
3 |
TEACHING AND LEARNING Methods
Recorded Lectures
Recorded Computer Programming Videos
Live Weekly Office Hours*
Channel-based Messaging Platform
Supervision of Final Projects
Real-world Dataset Applications
*Not required or part of the final grade
Assessment Methods
Programming-based Assignments
Interactive Discussions
Project Based Assignments
Writing Professional Reports
A Comprehensive Capstone
DEGREE PLAN
Degree candidates are admitted throughout the year to begin their program during the spring, summer or fall semesters. Students will take two courses during each 14-week term, focusing on one seven-week course at a time with short breaks between semesters.
This master’s degree program can be completed, on average, in five semesters (20 months).
MS-ITL with Comprehensive Foundation in AI Example Degree Plan
| Term | Course 1 (7 weeks) | Course 2 (7 weeks) |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | ITL 501 | ITL 502 |
| Summer 1 | ITL 530 | ITL 535 |
| Fall 1 | AAI 500 | ITL 525 |
| Spring 2 | ITL 540 | AAI 501 |
| Summer 2 | ITL 590 | ITL 595 (Capstone) |
Because this degree plan is designed for flexibility to accommodate working professionals, courses and sequence may vary based on your start term and chosen electives.
Success Stories
What’s great about this program [is] you can learn at your own pace. There’s no requirement of a set date that you need to attend a course. There [are] definitely some deadlines, but it’s always flexible in your daily life.
Having the flexibility to do the work on my own time has been very beneficial. The content of the course has strengthened both my IT and leadership knowledge that allows me to have conversations at all levels — from IT professionals to faculty to students. I have worked with other students and built a network with them, and we’re using industry-standard tools to have hands-on experience with network simulators, cybersecurity tools and others.
The [AI] industry is only going to expand, and it would behoove you to take advantage of the program
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For further admissions and financial aid information, please refer to the University of San Diego’s main FAQ page.