DePaul’s College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) has launched a new master’s program in artificial intelligence, according to a release from Newsline. 

Bamshad Mobasher is a professor in CDM and chair of the AI program. He said he — alongside CDM professors Clark Elliott, Peter Hastings, Noriko Tomuro and Raffaella Settimi — began working on the degree last fall in response to “increasing interest” in the field.

“Advancements in AI have enabled the development of systems that can reason and respond to increasingly complex situations,” Mobasher said. “These advancements have led to increased demand for specialists with technical expertise to create complex intelligent systems and integrate AI techniques into existing applications and processes. The MS in AI program was developed to respond to this demand.”

The World Economic Forum reported AI and machine learning specialists were the top emerging jobs of 2020. The global market was valued at $39.9 billion and is expected to grow more than 40 percent annually during the next decade, according to Grandview Research. 

DePaul is one of three universities — the others being Northwestern University and Illinois Institute of Technology — in the area to offer degrees in the field. 

The program will teach students how to “create complex intelligent systems and integrate AI techniques into existing applications and processes,” according to the degree’s webpage.

“Our degree will prepare the next generation of AI professionals who will become leaders in this field,” Settimi told Newsline. “By introducing a degree in AI, we also hope to develop stronger collaborations with companies that have an interest in AI technologies. These collaborations will lead to internship opportunities for our students and industry-sponsored research projects for faculty and students.”

The program began accepting students this past winter.