University of North Texas (UNT) professor David M. Keathly is no stranger to teaching students about adapting to emerging technology. 

Keathly, the associate chair for undergraduate studies and director of operations in UNT's Computer Science and Engineering Department, is at the center of the AI revolution at UNT, which is set to launch a groundbreaking degree program in artificial intelligence (AI), becoming one of the first Texas universities to offer a dedicated undergraduate major in the field. 

Housed in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering within the College of Engineering, the Bachelor of Science in artificial intelligence (BS in AI) program is scheduled to debut in the fall of 2026 as the university responds to surging workforce demand and student interest in AI technologies.

UNT is currently one of only four university campuses in Texas offering AI degrees, along with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP),” Angelo State University and Tarleton State University.

Keathly, who has been instrumental in shaping the UNT initiative, told The Christian Post the curriculum begins with a solid foundation in core computing principles, from “critical thinking, problem solving, computational and algorithmic thinking to software development, discrete mathematics and fundamental data structures.”

Once this foundation is set, said Keathly, students who are pursuing their AI degree learn how to focus on the application of AI agents in analyzing data and assisting in software development. These courses — such as “Applied AI” and others available to non-majors and those in other related disciplines — also delve into core AI topics involving large language models (LLMs), large-scale data modeling and analysis, natural language processing, machine learning and deep learning. 

But it’s not all just technical expertise. 

Keathly says the AI program culminates with a two-semester “capstone course sequence with industry-sponsored projects” as students prepare to enter the workforce, which includes a course in ethics and social responsibility in technology use and development.

“Students also need a good grounding in ‘soft skills’ like public speaking, good technical writing and team interaction and management skills to be successful in modern technical careers,” said Keathly. “This includes a good grounding in ethical principles in using technology and its impacts on society.”

A Board of Regents informational packet shared by UNT found that the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex averages roughly 2,000 job postings every month that require AI-related experience. According to a UNT analysis, the median first-year salary for these roles hovers around $68,000 up to about $105,000.

Those lofty figures are a far cry from the AI job market in 2021, when UNT launched its Master of Science in AI, one of the first such degrees in Texas. While there’s no denying the market has changed considerably since then, Keathly says his focus is on emphasizing fundamentals amid hype about AI replacing jobs.

“We are constantly working with potential employers to understand their current and future needs, and what specific skills, old and new, that they find to be most beneficial and necessary,” he said. “One common theme among many of our partners is that students need a good basis in fundamental computing concepts. Although the public hope is that AI will replace everything, including engineers and software developers, that is not the current industry trend.”

Keathly said companies are not yet willing to trust AI to do everything, despite the rise in programmers who may use AI to help expedite project development. “There is still a human-in-the-loop,” he added. “AI is still not ready to do a comprehensive analysis and design of the requirements for new systems, especially those used by people, and test systems comprehensively.”

Software engineers, said Keathly, understand how critical it is to make as good a product as possible right out of the gate, and depending on AI could prove risky.

“There is an old adage from the 1970s until today that has been a constant reminder to past and future software engineers: ‘Garbage in, Garbage out,’” he said, calling it a “reminder that poor requirements analysis and poor design will always yield a product that performs poorly or fails outright.” 

As for which fields he recommends to students, Keathly pointed to a surge in demand for AI skills in the cybersecurity fields, as more employers embed what he called “cyber skills expectations” in roles that are not explicitly cybersecurity jobs. 

“We are seeing a whole new category of jobs being advertised that focus heavily on AI-related topics, including prompt engineering, model trainers and others,” he said. “Virtually every job description for tech jobs that our computer science, computer engineering and IT graduates would typically pursue now includes AI-related topics in the desired skill sets.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/university-of-north-texas-to-debut-bs-in-ai-degree.html