State Regents Vote To Approve Artificial Intelligence Degree Programs

Several universities have been approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to use AI degree programs.

Rose State College, Southwestern Oklahoma State, and the University of Oklahoma will now offer the first undergraduate AI degree programs in Oklahoma.

Rose State College will offer an associate's degree in artificial intelligence, and Southwestern Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma will offer a Bachelor's Degree in artificial intelligence.

Governor Kevin Stitt said that these programs will position Oklahoma to be a leader in AI.

“AI is reshaping every aspect of our lives, especially academics. I’m proud of the Board of Regents for ensuring Oklahoma’s higher ed. students do more than just keep pace. They’ll lead the AI revolution,” Stitt said.

Currently, there are over 19,000 jobs in Oklahoma that require AI skills, and that number continues to grow. As demand increases, the salary does as well. The median annual salary for AI-related jobs is about $106,000.The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education said that the number of positions is expected to increase by 21 percent over the next 10 years.

The growing demand for artificial intelligence led the board of regents to approve the degree programs.

“Given its transformative impact on business operations, AI is rapidly emerging as a vital employment sector,” said State Regents Chair Jack Sherry. “New career opportunities in areas like machine learning, data science, robotics and AI ethics are driving demand for AI expertise, and Oklahoma’s state system colleges and universities are answering the call.”

Chancellor Allison D. Garrett represents Oklahoma on the Southern Regional Education Board’s Commission for Artificial Intelligence.

As Oklahoma's representative on the Southern Regional Education Board’s (SREB) Commission for Artificial Intelligence in Education, Garrett works to integrate AI into the classroom.

“AI capabilities and applications in education and business are evolving quickly, and Oklahoma public higher education is at the forefront of this changing landscape,” Garret said. “The goal is to equip our institutions to remain on the leading edge of the AI field and produce skilled graduates required to meet our state’s current and future AI workforce needs.”