The University of Georgia Terry College of Business continues to ensure graduates have the tools to thrive in tomorrow’s business environment by offering one of the first undergraduate business certificates in artificial intelligence.
The certificate program, approved by the Georgia Board of Regents in May, will take applications in fall 2025.
“Our undergraduate certificate program in AI represents Terry College’s continued investment in our students’ futures and responds directly to the evolving needs of today’s business landscape,” said Henry Munneke, the Roy Adams Dorsey Distinguished Chair in Real Estate and associate dean for undergraduate programs at the Terry College.
“We’re seeing an increasing demand from employers for graduates who can bridge the gap between artificial intelligence capabilities and practical business applications. This certificate will equip our students with both the technical fluency and strategic thinking needed to leverage AI tools effectively.”
The certificate program is a five-course series introducing students to AI foundations, Python programming, AI ethics and electives such as machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing. It’s a mix of technical courses and electives developed for students to learn and practice using AI skills in business settings.
AI researcher Aaron Schecter, associate professor of management information systems, will serve as program director. He planned the curriculum after talking to business leaders about what AI skills they want to see in new hires.
“We based the curriculum on what companies are using AI for and what our advisory board members said they needed in new hires,” Schecter said. “You need to be technical enough to know how to use the AI tools to do basic things, but also know enough to manage a team implementing these types of systems. You need to understand what the challenges are, and what are the capabilities.”
While every student may not need to be able to program, it is important to learn how AI tools are used and how to use them effectively, Schecter said.
“If I were an undergraduate today, I would take at least a few courses that would help me become familiar with AI,” Schecter said. “I think it’s getting to the point where if you’re not able to use this technology to make your job more efficient, you’re probably going to get passed over … It’s not so much people being replaced with AI. It’s people who use AI replacing people who don’t.”