FAIRFIELD, CT — Sacred Heart University will introduce a new undergraduate minor in artificial intelligence next fall, aimed at students outside traditional technology-focused disciplines, the Fairfield-based university announced.
The 15-credit program is designed for non-computer science majors and will teach students how to apply AI tools using low-code platforms, according to the university. The curriculum will also address the ethical, social and global impacts of AI, as well as related policy and regulatory frameworks.
University officials say the program was developed to help students across a wide range of academic backgrounds prepare for a job market increasingly shaped by emerging technologies.
“We anticipate a transformational shift that will have a meaningful impact on nearly every industry,” said Brent French, associate dean for academics at Sacred Heart’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology. “We had an opportunity to develop something that would benefit the broader undergraduate population.”
French added, “We want to attract the students who say they are allergic to technology.”
Students in fields such as marketing, psychology, healthcare and education will be encouraged to enroll. The university emphasized that the program is accessible even to those with little to no technical background, and students will be able to experiment with AI applications in the college’s $250,000 AI lab.
David Taylor, dean of the business and technology college, said the new minor aligns with Sacred Heart’s mission to prepare students for leadership in a rapidly changing world.
Current undergraduates say they are eager to add the new credential to their studies.
“In the world of business, firms that fail to adapt to technological changes crumble,” said Arian Berisha, a first-year student majoring in finance and accounting. “There is no future in which AI won’t be used to forecast markets or evaluate business deals.”
Media arts major Ashley Hilliard said she was first introduced to AI in a media production class and now sees it as a creative tool. “I didn’t consider that AI could be beneficial until I was exposed to it in Adobe Photoshop,” she said. “It’s fun to consider the possibilities.”
Kiah James, a business management and finance double major, believes the new minor will provide a competitive edge. “Many CEOs have stated that experience with AI is high on the list of what the new workplace will be looking for,” she said.
The AI minor will be available beginning in the fall 2025 semester.
