Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree with a Major in Artificial Intelligence

Program Learning Outcomes for the BS Degree with a Major in Artificial Intelligence

Upon completing the BS degree with a major in Artificial Intelligence, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a strong understanding of the mathematical foundations of artificial intelligence, including calculus, linear algebra, probability, and statistics.
  2. Understand, implement, and learn new AI methodologies, including machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence algorithms.
  3. Be capable of designing, building, and evaluating complex AI-centered systems to solve real-world problems.
  4. Understand and apply ethical considerations and responsible AI practices, including fairness, transparency, and social responsibility, in the development and deployment of AI systems.
  5. Be prepared to pursue technical careers implementing and improving AI systems or advanced research degrees in artificial intelligence, demonstrating adaptability to evolving technologies in the field.

Requirements for the BS Degree with a Major in Artificial Intelligence

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BS degree with a major in Artificial Intelligence must complete:

  • A minimum of 20 courses (68-69 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.
  • A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
  • A minimum of 9 courses (33 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
  • A maximum of 5 courses (20 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit after matriculation at Rice may be applied towards specific major requirements. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.

The BS degree with a major in artificial intelligence is designed for students who are interested in an in-depth study of artificial intelligence. It is designed to provide students with a set of analytical and technical skills that will enable them to develop computational models that aim to replicate various aspects of human intelligence. The undergraduate program consists of required math courses; computer science core courses; artificial intelligence core courses; and artificial intelligence electives, which give students the freedom to explore specific interests within the domain of artificial intelligence.

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Artificial Intelligence68-69
Total Credit Hours Required for the BS Degree with a Major in Artificial Intelligence120

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements
Mathematics
COMP 282COMPUTATIONAL OPTIMIZATION FOR AI3
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II3
MATH 212MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS3
STAT 315PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE4
Computer Science
COMP 140COMPUTATIONAL THINKING4
COMP 182ALGORITHMIC THINKING4
COMP 215INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAM DESIGN4
COMP 222INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER ORGANIZATION4
Artificial Intelligence
COMP 329
COMP 345
COMP 346
COMP 348
COMP 456
COMP 457
PHIL 110
PSYC 203INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY3
Elective Requirements
Select 1 course (3 credit hours) from 3 of the following 5 Artificial Intelligence Elective areas9-10
Artificial Intelligence Theory
ADVANCED LOGIC IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
OPTIMIZATION: ALGORITHMS, COMPLEXITY AND APPROXIMATIONS
PROBABILISTIC ALGORITHMS AND DATA STRUCTURE
PROBABILISTIC TOOLKIT FOR LEARNING AND COMPUTING
Cognitive Psychology
COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES
HUMAN FACTORS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Knowledge and Graphs
MACHINE LEARNING WITH GRAPHS
INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
Perception and Language
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER VISION
NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
Robotics and Autonomy
REINFORCEMENT LEARNING
ALGORITHMIC AND AI-DRIVEN ROBOTICS
INTRODUCTION TO MODERN ROBOTICS
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Artificial Intelligence68-69
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information

Policies for the BS Degree with a Major in Artificial Intelligence

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Program Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Artificial Intelligence should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guidelines:

  • No more than 5 courses (20 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards specific major requirements after matriculation at Rice.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Artificial Intelligence website: .

Opportunities for the BS Degree with a Major in Artificial Intelligence

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Artificial Intelligence website: .