Northwestern Computer Science Launches AI Minor and Major Concentrations

Beginning this fall, Northwestern Engineering’s Department of Computer Science is launching a new minor in artificial intelligence (AI) for undergraduate students across the University not majoring in computer science.

In addition, undergraduate computer science students in both the McCormick School of Engineering and Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences can declare one of eight optional concentrations to focus their academic pursuits.

We are delighted to offer these new concentrations to allow students to build expertise in a specific area or topic from among the rich set of courses we offer,” said Samir Khuller, Peter and Adrienne Barris Chair of Computer Science in the McCormick School of Engineering. “We also want employers to see some of the advanced skills that students have acquired through their course of study.”

New minor in artificial intelligence

From automating legal tasks to co-creating music to detecting deepfakes to augmenting assistive robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications span disciplines.

Reflecting Northwestern’s institutional priorities around data analytics and AI, non-CS undergraduate students can engage deeply with the core scientific concepts behind AI technologies through the new minor in artificial intelligence.

“We are excited to empower students across Northwestern with deep knowledge of AI concepts and techniques, and an understanding the origin of the technology, not just its current application,” said Sara Owsley Sood, Chookaszian Family Teaching Professor of Computer Science and associate chair for undergraduate education at Northwestern CS.

Upper-level electives representing the breadth of AI topics will focus on how AI tools are designed and developed and the scientific concepts at their core. Example electives in the artificial intelligence minor include:

• COMP_SCI 296: AI and International Security
• COMP_SCI 461: Deep Learning for Natural Language Processing
• COMP_SCI 396, 496: Artificial Life
• COMP_SCI 496: Computational Optics
• COMP_SCI 474: Probabilistic Graphical Models
• ELEC_ENG 433: Statistical Pattern Recognition

In order to earn the minor in artificial intelligence, students must submit a completed minor declaration form in the McCormick Advising System by the end of their third year.

Computer science concentrations

Effective this fall, undergraduate students in computer science pursuing either a bachelor of science degree through Northwestern Engineering or a bachelor of arts in Weinberg have the opportunity to declare an optional concentration in one of the following sub-fields:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Hardware and Architecture
• Foundations
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Robotics
• Security and Privacy
• Software Engineering and Programming Languages
• Systems

“Computer science has grown into such a large field that one student's computer science degree may look completely different from another's,” said associate professor of instruction Vincent St-Amour, who spearheaded the concentrations initiative. “Concentrations help students both when choosing which classes to take — pointing out the ones most relevant to their career goals — and when representing themselves to employers, letting them showcase what makes their computer science degree special.”

Students must declare a concentration by the end of fall quarter of their fourth year. To complete a concentration, students must take four approved concentration courses — the concentration does not add additional course requirements. Concentration classes may be counted toward the 21 (McCormick) / 19 (Weinberg) major program course credits for the CS degree. Classes taken to satisfy the breadth, project, technical electives, or advanced electives (McCormick only) requirements may also count toward the concentration.

Questions?

If you have questions related to the new minor in artificial intelligence or the computer science major concentrations, students may contact Melissa Duong, senior academic adviser in Northwestern CS, or Sara Sood.