Bridging the AI Skills Gap through an Interdisciplinary Minor in Applied Artificial Intelligence

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 3:15PM–4:00PM CT | EDUCAUSE Commons, Teaching & Learning Central, Poster Area
Session Type: Poster Session
Delivery Format: Poster
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms industries, higher education must evolve to prepare students across disciplines for an AI-integrated future. This session presents the creation and implementation of a new interdisciplinary minor in applied artificial intelligence that equips undergraduates with essential technical, ethical, and applied AI competencies. Drawing on national and regional labor market data, institutional research, and professional standards, the session showcases how this minor was designed to meet workforce demands while aligning with the institutional mission, values, and strategic plan. The program includes required courses in AI literacy, applications, and ethics, paired with interdisciplinary electives tailored to students’ interests and career goals. Attendees will gain insight into structuring an AI minor that is accessible, inclusive, and sustainable, while engaging in interactive activities for resource sharing that include curricular maps, syllabi, and faculty interviews. This session will empower participants to initiate or refine their own AI programming to address the critical challenge of making AI education meaningful and available to all students.

Presenters

  • Kevin Gaugler

    Professor of Spanish, Assistant Dean, School of Liberal Arts, Marist University

  • Carolyn Matheus

    Professor of Information Systems, Marist University

Resources & Downloads

  • Poster_Matheus_Educase2025

    Updated on 10/10/2025