Faith Maeba did not plan on studying artificial intelligence. The psychology major at Virginia Commonwealth University had no coding background and felt unsure when her mother first suggested it.
That changed once she looked into graduate psychology programs. Many of them now focus on how machine learning is reshaping workplaces.
Maeba is now pursuing a minor in AI. She said it gives her an edge when she compares herself to other applicants.
Her experience reflects a wider shift happening across college campuses. Interest in AI is spreading far beyond computer science departments.
Enrollment Shifts Push Departments To Change
Nationwide, enrollment in computer and information science programs fell more than 8% this spring compared to last year. The drop lines up with fewer job postings for entry-level software developers.
Much of that entry-level coding work is now handled by AI tools instead of new hires. Still, computer science professors say they are busier than ever.
That is because students from other majors want in. Schools are adjusting fast to meet that demand.
Virginia Commonwealth University added an AI minor aimed at students outside computer science. Purdue University created a new AI graduation requirement for all students.
Harvard University is teaching AI concepts inside freshman writing classes. Topics include how language models work along with copyright and disinformation.
Ohio State University added an AI fluency requirement that includes hands on workshops. Meanwhile, new AI degree programs are appearing at multiple schools.
At Northwestern University, the computer science department nearly doubled its staff over the past decade. Now it is adding an AI major and simplifying prerequisites so more students can enroll in AI classes.
Music, art, and biology students are among those signing up. Northwestern's music school even created a certificate combining music and artificial intelligence.
Students From Many Fields Find New Reasons To Learn AI
At Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, a music professor is co-teaching a class with a computer scientist next year. Musicians, artists, and engineering students will learn together.
Community colleges are moving quickly too. Johnson County Community College in Kansas offers a non credit "vibe coding" class that teaches beginners to build working software without a technical background.
Program coordinator Grant Carlson said AI shrinks the gap between someone with no experience and an expert. The college also plans AI classes tailored to fields like human resources and medical work.
Some researchers see risk in this fast pace. Murtaza Ali, a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington, said relying on AI to write code could mean some graduates never learn the underlying concepts in their field.
Colleges are also moving faster than usual to approve new courses. At VCU, a course that once took a year and a half to approve can now be ready in weeks.
Students are using their AI classes for different goals. One VCU music composition major said she uses her AI minor to explore philosophical questions rather than career skills.
A biology major at the same school said she wants to study AI because it tries to mimic the human brain. She hopes it will help her future work as a neurologist.
As of this month, schools including VCU, Purdue, Harvard, Ohio State, and Northwestern have all added or expanded AI coursework for students outside computer science, with more programs expected this fall.
