1st Of Its Kind NJ AI Program Rolls Out At Union County School

UNION TOWNSHIP, NJ – Kean University is launching the state’s first Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence (AI) degree this fall.

The new program will be partnered with a new research center dubbed the “Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence” and be introduced alongside a new Ph.D. in computer science. Staff at the university are already incorporating AI tutors, mentors and research tools into other class curriculum as part of a new “Elevate 2030” five-year plan for advancement.

“AI runs through the heart of Elevate 2030 as both a transformational research tool and a powerful driver of teaching and learning,” President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., said. “With our momentum, our mission, and innovation as our fuel, there is no limit to how high we can climb.”

During his annual opening day address last month, Repollet emphasized his vision to use AI to “boldly go where no university has gone before” by also developing the school’s own custom operating platform. Keanu AI, named after Kean’s cougar mascot, does not have an estimated completion date.

Under the new degree, students will build large language models, explore AI ethics and use real-world research to develop responsible solutions across multiple major industries. The Bachelor of Science is a standard four-year program, with the added option to add a Computer Science (M.S.) in a fifth year.