Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the launch of first-of-their-kind AI-focused bachelor’s degrees and minors at the University at Buffalo (UB) starting fall 2025, funded by a $5 million State investment through SUNY’s new Department of AI and Society. These programs will integrate artificial intelligence with diverse disciplines such as communication, economics, geography, linguistics, philosophy, and political science, preparing students for the growing impact of AI across industries. With an expected enrollment of over 300 students annually by 2030, the initiative builds on UB’s decades-long leadership in AI research and innovation, ensuring graduates are equipped with both technical expertise and ethical, societal awareness to harness AI for the public good.
Governor Hochul Announces First-Of-Their-Kind AI Specialized Degrees Offered from University at Buffalo This Fall
Newly-Approved Programs Will Prepare Students To Use AI with Traditional Academic Disciplines from Communications and Economics to Policy Analysis. First of the New Majors and Minors Funded by $5 Million Department of AI and Society Grants.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the first-of-their-kind AI specialized degrees to be offered to University at Buffalo (UB) students beginning this fall. The academic programs combine the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence with traditional academic disciplines, including communication, economics, geography, language, logic, and policy analysis. The new programs will prepare students for the anticipated growth of AI applications across various industries. The AI majors and minors were supported by $5 million in State funding awarded by Governor Hochul for SUNY’s new Department of AI and Society initiative, which at UB is expected to enroll more than 300 students each year by 2030.
“New York State’s investment in artificial intelligence for the public good is paving the way for generations of New Yorkers to understand and utilize this supercomputing power to its fullest potential,” Governor Hochul said. “Through University at Buffalo’s new degree programs, students will have the latest in AI education to help them pursue research and careers that will continue to evolve with further AI advancements.”
Today, State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. joined researchers, faculty, and students from UB to announce the new academic programs ahead of the 2025-2026 academic year. Students interested in applying for UB’s new AI programs should contact the university at buffalo.edu/admissions.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY campuses are known for their rigorous academic programs to meet the high demands of our students and our economy. I am proud that the University at Buffalo is incorporating Artificial Intelligence in a meaningful and productive way thanks to their excellent faculty and as the result of significant funding from Governor Hochul and our state leaders. At SUNY, we work to ensure that AI is harnessed to do research for the public good, and when combined with disciplines as varied as language and geography we are helping our students learn in new ways that spark innovation and push new frontiers.”
SUNY Trustee and Co-Chair of the Student Life Committee Eunice A. Lewin said, “SUNY campuses are synonymous with academic excellence and University at Buffalo has certainly demonstrated its prowess in artificial intelligence. More than five years UB enrolled its first students in its AI Master’s program, and we are excited to see the campus offering new majors and minors in these AI-related disciplines. I was thrilled to join Chancellor King as we visited UB, spoke with students, faculty, and staff, and made this exciting announcement.”
University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi said, “For more than four decades, UB has been a national and international leader in responsible AI research and innovation. Our new academic degree programs build upon this impactful legacy, providing UB students with the knowledge, skills, and interdisciplinary expertise that will enable them to harness the incredible power of artificial intelligence for the betterment of society while preparing them to lead effectively and ethically in our 21st century world.”
The seven AI-focused bachelor’s degrees were approved by the New York State Education Department for implementation this fall. Additionally, the university has also launched two AI-focused minors: artificial intelligence, crime and society, and AI ethics.
The programs will prepare students to apply AI tools to their respective disciplines, while also giving them a deep understanding of AI’s historical context and societal implications. The curriculum ranges from introductions to computational fundamentals, to examinations of AI’s potential benefits and drawbacks for society.
Department of Computer Science and Engineering Professor and Artificial Intelligence Katherine Johnson Chair, who will serve as inaugural Chair of the AI and Society Department, Atri Rudra, PhD. said, “This is not just about infusing AI into other disciplines. As much as AI can benefit the arts, humanities and social sciences, AI desperately needs the arts, humanities and social sciences as well. We recognize that AI systems cannot benefit society without an AI workforce that understands society.”
The newly approved degrees will be based in their disciplines’ respective departments but require both new and existing courses from those departments and new courses offered by the AI and Society Department. The degrees are:
- AI and geospatial analysis (Department of Geography)
- AI and language and intercultural competence (Department of Romance Languages and Literatures)
- AI and language technology (Department of Linguistics)
- AI and logic and ontology (Department of Philosophy)
- AI and policy analysis (Department of Political Science)
- AI and quantitative economics (Department of Economics)
- AI and responsible communication (Department of Communication)
The seven degrees were developed over the spring semester by an ad hoc curriculum committee of UB faculty across the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where the AI and Society Department will be jointly based.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “As Chair of the Higher Education Committee, I am proud that SUNY is taking these important steps in public higher education with AI specialized degrees at the University at Buffalo. These programs pair artificial intelligence with core disciplines, so students earn the skills New York’s innovation economy demands. Public higher education should set the pace, and SUNY is moving quickly to deliver degrees students can earn beginning this fall. I commend Governor Kathy Hochul, SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr., and UB President Satish K. Tripathi for turning a bold idea into reality.”
State Senator Sean Ryan said, “By combining AI tools with a variety of disciplines, these new degrees will allow UB to better prepare students for the careers of tomorrow. These programs will equip graduates right here in Western New York with the skills they need to succeed in an economy where AI is transforming every industry. This is a smart investment in our students, our workforce, and our region’s future.”
State Senator April Baskin said, “With technology changing rapidly, the University at Buffalo will lead the way as more employers adopt advanced technologies with AI specialized degrees, which will empower students to design their degrees across a wide range of industries. Students who attend UB will not only build their resumes but also develop critical thinking and creative problem solving skills, ensuring they are well prepared to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities that AI presents in our workplaces and communities.”
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, “New York State continues to be at the forefront of AI research and integrating AI with academic disciplines. With the rapid pace this technology grows, it is paramount that our students do not lag. The $5 million in funding for new programs at the University at Buffalo ensures our students will be on the cutting edge of this technology.”
Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman said, “I applaud the University at Buffalo and SUNY for leading the way with these groundbreaking AI specialized degree programs. By integrating artificial intelligence with traditional academic disciplines, we prepare students to lead in an economy where AI will be a part of every industry. Equally important, these programs will teach students how to use AI responsibly, ethically, and in ways that benefit society. This forward-thinking initiative will help ensure New York remains at the forefront of innovation, research, and opportunity for our students.”
Assemblymember Karen McMahon said, “The University at Buffalo has long been on the cutting edge of research for some of the most revolutionary and complex technologies. AI is certainly a rapidly evolving field that impacts new aspects of our lives everyday. UB has already been positioned on the frontier of AI research with the launch of Empire AI, housed on UB’s north campus in Amherst. These new AI specialized degree programs will make AI even more accessible, understandable, and valuable for students in several academic fields. Thanks to this program, students will not only come away from their courses with the prestige of a SUNY at Buffalo degree, but also with a fluency and familiarity with AI as it relates to their new profession. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of the University at Buffalo and SUNY.”
Assemblymember Bill Conrad said, “As we witness the lightning-speed advancement of artificial intelligence, we must consider how best to harness its vast potential for the advancement of humankind. Its future applications must be shaped by knowledgeable, responsible hands, and there is no better place to find them than at University at Buffalo, and the addition of these new majors and minors signals SUNY and UB’s well-positioned commitment to providing today’s learners with a cutting-edge, first-world education. To the students who will wield this promise and create tomorrow’s reality: We wish you an amazing experience.”
The AI and Society Department will soon offer its own degree programs as well. It intends to add full-time faculty for the upcoming academic year. UB also is planning an AI & Society Building that will feature computer labs, offices, conference rooms and space for community-oriented work in AI.
An early pioneer in AI research, UB currently has more than 200 faculty researchers working at the cutting edge of AI technology to solve society’s greatest challenges. Research projects currently underway involve tapping the power of AI to develop new drugs to treat diseases, assist children with speech and language challenges, enhance medical imaging, detect deepfakes with accuracy, help first responders during natural disasters, and modernize manufacturing systems among other projects.
This announcement complements Governor Hochul’s efforts to support AI research for public good. Empire AI is now backed by more than $500 million in public and private funding and is made up of 10 member universities and research institutions. Governor Hochul secured funding in May to expand access for SUNY researchers at UAlbany, Binghamton University, the University at Buffalo (which houses Empire AI), Stony Brook University, the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Empire AI is the Governor’s nation-leading initiative to advance AI research for the public good, led by an independent consortium of members and Empire State Development.
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
About University at Buffalo
The University at Buffalo is a premier, research-intensive public university, and is New York’s flagship university. UB’s more than 30,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 500 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is the largest and most comprehensive university in the State University of New York system (SUNY), and is a member of the Association of American Universities, which is composed of America’s leading research universities. UB is consistently recognized as one of the world’s most exceptional, most affordable universities.
SOURCES: Governor.NY.gov , New York news BigNY.com
