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June 8, 2026 — The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) approved a new concentration in Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of Memphis. The concentration will be part of the Bachelor of Applied Science program offered through the Polytechnic@UofM starting this fall semester.
“Given the rapid movement in artificial intelligence and workforce needs as communicated to us by a variety of stakeholders, we moved very assertively in this space to develop the Applied Artificial Intelligence undergraduate concentration,” said Provost Dr. David Russomanno. “We were thrilled to have the support of THEC, the Academic Affairs team and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile to approve our request to add this additional concentration under our highly innovative Bachelor of Applied Science degree.”
The offering will expand the need for trained graduates with AI competency, regardless of discipline.
Rather than training students as AI developers or systems architects, the concentration prepares graduates as practitioners who can deploy, evaluate and govern AI tools within their industry domains. This applied, workforce-centered model is designed for access and flexibility serving community college and Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) transfer students, working professionals seeking credentials that produce immediate value for employers, and traditional four-year students seeking workforce-ready skills.
The design of the curriculum begins with a core that provides AI literacy, AI tools and prompting, and AI ethics and risk mitigation, as well as computer literacy and Microsoft Office applications with Copilot (Microsoft’s AI powered assistant), data storytelling, project management and quality control. Students then choose electives to build domain expertise to advance their careers.
Launched in July 2025, the Polytechnic@UofM acts as a semi-autonomous unit within the Herff College of Engineering.
In addition to the newly approved Applied Artificial Intelligence concentration, the Polytechnic@UofM offers degree program concentrations in Information Technology, Manufacturing Supervision and Construction Leadership and two certificate programs in Manufacturing Leadership and Networking and Security.
For more information visit the Polytechnic@UofM webpage or emailpolytechnic@memphis.edu.
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Media Contact:
University Media and Public Relations
University of Memphis
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