Artificial Intelligence (MSAI)
Department website: https://cdso.utexas.edu/msai
The 100% online program is presented as a flexible degree, developed for working professionals, and includes coursework designed to broaden and deepen their knowledge in the field.
Graduate degree candidates are expected to develop broad competence in the discipline of Artificial Intelligence as a whole. This is a 100% online program, with recommended completion models of one-and-a-half to three years. This program will provide working professionals with an opportunity to develop technical expertise in areas that contribute to the simulation of human learning and reasoning process and the modeling of human motor control and motion (e.g. deep learning, computer vision, information retrieval, robotics, human-AI interaction, natural language processing, etc.). The program will provide its graduates with the skill sets necessary to work across a host of sectors including, but not limited to, forecasting consumer behavior, fraud detection, energy, healthcare, intellectual property, manufacturing, and software development.
All courses required for program completion are offered in accordance with University policies that govern non-formula-funded (Option III) degree programs.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
To be considered for admission, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a comparable degree from a foreign academic institution in a related field that demonstrates their capacity for success in a technical field of study. Common examples would include computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, statistics, data science, or mathematics. Applicants with degrees in non-technical subject areas may be eligible for admission if the admissions committee determines they have completed sufficient relevant coursework to be fully prepared to pursue graduate study. Courses to demonstrate preparedness can be found at this link. These courses should be of a technical nature and are typically offered by a computer science, engineering, math, or statistics department and will not be counted toward the degree.
Thesis Option
Before enrolling in the thesis option, a student must have a UT Austin computer science or artificial intelligence GSC faculty member who has agreed to supervise their master’s thesis work.
The MSAI program is designed as a coursework-based program and is not intended to culminate in a thesis. For that reason, there are not systems in place to connect students with research labs to facilitate a research-based thesis. However, the program is willing to register the student for the thesis program if a student independently identifies and develops a relationship with a UT Austin computer science or artificial intelligence professor, and the professor agrees to supervise that student. This collaboration cannot be done with another institution or company; only a UT Austin computer science or artificial intelligence GSC faculty member can sponsor a student for a thesis.
Total Hours Required: 30
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ||
| Foundational coursework in machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and planning and reasoning | 12 | |
| Advanced elective study | 18 | |
| All students in this program must also follow these requirements and policies: | ||
| Graduate Natural Sciences Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Thesis Option
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ||
| Core coursework in machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and planning and reasoning | 3 | |
| Advanced elective study | 21 | |
| A I 698 | Thesis (taken over two semesters; requires UT Austin computer science or artificial intelligence GSC faculty member agreeing to sponsor the student for a thesis) | 6 |
| All students in this program must also follow these requirements and policies: | ||
| Graduate Natural Sciences Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students must enroll in the second semester of thesis the semester they plan to graduate. A student may enroll in this course more than once but it will only apply to the program of work once. A student will pay for the course each time they are enrolled.