LSU Launches Louisiana’s First Bachelor’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s first Bachelor of Science degree in artificial intelligence will be offered to Louisiana State University students this fall at the Baton Rouge campus. 

Backed by the Louisiana Board of Regents on March 24, the new undergraduate degree is aimed at preparing the next generation of AI leaders by giving students a broad and deep understanding of how to design, analyze, and deploy modern AI systems. 
With AI transforming work in every sector, Interim Provost Troy Blanchard said it’s essential that the state’s land grant institution offer a rigorous and comprehensive academic program in these emerging technologies. 

“We wanted to move early and fast to prepare students to create and use AI to drive growth and innovation in whatever field they choose,” Blanchard said. “We’ve built an excellent program that will help students create accurate, reliable, efficient, and safe AI solutions.” 

LSU joins a select group of American universities to offer a stand-alone bachelor’s degree in AI, including Purdue and Carnegie Mellon nationally and Tennessee and Mississippi State regionally. The new degree was developed in LSU’s College of Engineering, through its Division of Computer Science and Engineering. 

Vicki Colvin, dean of LSU Engineering, said the program is technical. It combines mathematical rigor, algorithmic depth, and systems-level engineering to prepare students for specialized roles such as AI engineers and product developers.

“Graduates will be able to identify meaningful problems that AI can solve, build and evaluate AI systems based on evidence, communicate clearly to team members about these technologies, and uphold the strictest professional, ethical, and security standards,” Colvin said. “I’m so proud of this program, and the team that built it.”

The degree was designed by James Ghawaly, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering, under the supervision of Ibrahim Baggili, the Roger Richardson Professor and chair of the Division of Computer Science and Engineering at LSU.

The new AI degree, which will launch in fall 2026, will be offered on the Baton Rouge campus. As the program grows, some classes will be available online or in a hybrid schedule in order to increase access to a broader range of Louisiana students.

To build the new degree program, Ghawaly and other LSU computer science faculty created 20 new courses, including many you won’t find in most AI undergraduate programs, including classes in efficient neural networks, neuromorphic computing, AI security, and a full three-credit-hour course in ethics in AI.

Like many programs within LSU Engineering, the new AI degree will require a senior capstone project, which brings students together to work in teams for two semesters to design solutions to real-world problems.

“This is not a program designed to teach students how to use AI, and it's not a response to the current hype around generative AI,” Ghawaly said. “This program was designed to train students to build AI systems themselves and to do so ethically, responsibly, and efficiently. We're training the engineers who will design the next generation of AI systems.”

Baggili, chair of computer science and engineering, said the need for the new degree is great. Student demand is high for AI courses such as Large Language Model Application Development, which brings teams of LSU undergraduates together to solve problems for Louisiana businesses. At the same time, Baggili said, Louisiana business leaders are clamoring for AI talent.

“AI is emerging as a cornerstone of economic development in the state,” Baggili said. “We’re seeing major investments in AI-focused infrastructure, and AI-driven automation is transforming logistics and workforce needs. Louisiana’s energy, petrochemical, and healthcare sectors are also increasingly using AI. LSU is ready to meet those needs by producing the professionals that will make these projects successful.”