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Instead of dismissing a rapidly changing technological landscape, many national and local colleges are offering artificial intelligence minors to the next generation of workers.
There are currently 74 majors and 89 minors in AI being offered at American colleges, according to the New York Times. Only five schools offered the major about five years ago.
Now, institutions are developing their own AI courses and degrees, including local colleges like Penn State University, Saint Francis University and Juniata College.
The Pennsylvania College of Technology, a Penn State affiliate school in Williamsport, is offering two minors for the 2026-27 school year: artificial intelligence in industry & society and artificial intelligence foundations & applications.
These minors follow University Park's artificial intelligence engineering minor, which was implemented last school year, said Robert Rabb, associate dean for education.
The engineering minor teaches students about the nuts and bolts of AI, he said, while the university minors can be applied to any major, teaching students how to apply AI to their chosen disciplines.
It will take about a year for the university to analyze student outcomes and implement its new programs in branch schools, such as Penn State Altoona, he said.
Because AI degrees aimed at all disciplines are new, many people question whether professionals without an AI degree can teach students about the technology.
"AI came out of computer science, and we've been teaching that for decades," Rabb said.
Now that AI is much larger than its mother, he said that understanding how to use the technology can impact job selection across all disciplines.
"You might lose your job to someone who knows how to use AI rather than those who don't, and we've heard this from high-level folks," such as Google and Amazon, he said.
Saint Francis University in Loretto recently made its minor, AI Literacy, available for the upcoming year.
According to the program's description, the minor will emphasize applied learning, technological literacy, ethical responsibility and the ability to communicate insights derived by AI tools in professional environments.
The minor is partially taught online through a consortium of accredited colleges and universities. Some courses in the minor will be taught by faculty members employed by partner institutions in the consortium, with technology and administrative support through Rize Education.
The minor was suggested by the new Shields School of Business dean, John Miko, who was the driving force of the minor's creation, department chair Angela Seidel said.
"I think there will definitely be an interest," she said. "I've been teaching for 30 years, and I try to stay relevant."
Seidel believes artificial intelligence isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so the university is staying proactive by teaching students how to use the technology responsibly and ethically.
Juniata College is focusing on AI competency rather than AI literacy, according to associate professor of psychology Territa Poole, who also leads the college's AI task force.
While the college doesn't offer AI majors or minors, she said the institution is trying to educate the entire student population with a 101 course about the technology's proper use starting in January.
"We might not get an AI major or minor because the pace at which AI is changing, those are likely to become obsolete," she said.
The course will be based on Canvas, where she said students can complete four to six modules at their own pace.
Their goal is to eventually offer an in-person course to community members, so people who run local businesses or work locally can understand how to use AI as well.
Being in a rural area gives us a unique opportunity to learn how local entrepreneurs are using the technology, she said.
She mentioned there are currently a few student clubs at Juniata College focused on student use of AI, such as the HUMAN club, which stands for holding unethical mechanical usage accountable now, and their AI ambassador club.
Seeing the student groups at Juniata College, Poole said it's interesting to see how students are attempting to understand the technology while keeping a pulse on how their college handles it.
"We think it's our responsibility that students understand what AI is so they can make ethical decisions in their future," she said.
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.