LSU Launches Louisiana's First Bachelor's Degree in Artificial Intelligence

Louisiana State University is launching the first bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence in the state this fall. The program, approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents on March 24, 2026, will be offered through the College of Engineering's Division of Computer Science and Engineering at the Baton Rouge campus.

This isn't just another computer science major with an AI elective tacked on. According to the official LSU announcement, the curriculum was built from the ground up to train students to design, analyze, and deploy modern AI systems from first principles. That's a meaningful distinction in a market flooded with certificate programs that teach students how to prompt ChatGPT.

Twenty new courses were created specifically for this degree. The catalog includes classes you won't find in most undergraduate AI programs: efficient neural networks, neuromorphic computing, AI security, and a full three-credit-hour course in ethics in AI. Students must complete a senior capstone project spanning two semesters where teams deliver end-to-end systems meeting explicit acceptance criteria for performance, reliability, and documentation.

Vicki Colvin, dean of LSU Engineering, emphasized the technical depth. "Graduates will be able to identify meaningful problems that AI can solve, build and evaluate AI systems based on evidence, communicate clearly to team members about these technologies, and uphold the strictest professional, ethical, and security standards," Colvin said. The program combines mathematical rigor, algorithmic depth, and systems-level engineering to prepare students for specialized roles such as AI engineers and product developers.

James Ghawaly, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering, designed the degree under the supervision of Ibrahim Baggili, the Roger Richardson Professor and chair of the Division of Computer Science and Engineering. Ghawaly was explicit about the program's intent: "This is not a program designed to teach students how to use AI, and it's not a response to the current hype around generative AI. This program was designed to train students to build AI systems themselves and to do so ethically, responsibly, and efficiently."

That's the core tension in higher education right now. Universities are racing to add AI credentials, but many are just repackaging existing courses with new labels. LSU's approach requires students to formalize problems, select and justify model classes, derive and interpret optimization results, and reason quantitatively about error, uncertainty, and robustness. They'll work with data pipelines, model training, systems performance, security boundaries, and human-centered considerations. It's the full stack (which is actually how real engineers work, not just the marketing version).

The demand is real. Baggili noted that student demand is already high for AI courses like Large Language Model Application Development, which brings teams of undergraduates together to solve problems for Louisiana businesses. At the same time, Louisiana business leaders are clamoring for AI talent. The state's energy, petrochemical, and healthcare sectors are increasingly using AI, and major investments in AI-focused infrastructure are transforming logistics and workforce needs.

LSU joins a select group of American universities offering a stand-alone bachelor's degree in AI. Nationally, that includes Purdue and Carnegie Mellon. Regionally, Tennessee and Mississippi State have similar programs. But this is the first in Louisiana, which matters for the state's economic development strategy. Interim Provost Troy Blanchard said it's essential that the state's land grant institution offer a rigorous and comprehensive academic program in these emerging technologies.

WBRZ spoke with several LSU students currently taking AI-centered courses before the degree officially launches. Chase Henderson and Samuel Vekovius created a risk engine and risk detection system deployed inside a construction contractor's business. The system speeds up observations and delivers insights for zero-incident operations across job sites. They did site visits and experienced what employees go through daily.

Dow Draper described the dual focus: computer science and project management. On the technical side, students use Large Language Models like ChatGPT and Gemini on applications generating value for companies. On the management side, they work with real Baton Rouge companies. Draper's team worked with Neighbors Federal Credit Union, implementing a project idea while acting as liaison between the company and engineering team.

The degree has strict admission requirements. Students must be admissible to the College of Engineering before enrolling in computer science or AI courses numbered above 2000. Critical requirements include maintaining a "C" or better in specific English, economics, and mathematics courses across the first four semesters. At least 30 of the required hours must be taken at the 3000/4000-level. Students need reliable access to a laptop capable of running current AI toolchains including Python, Jupyter, and modern deep-learning frameworks.

As the program grows, some classes will be available online or in hybrid schedules to increase access to a broader range of Louisiana students. The College of Engineering is also working on offering AI as a minor in coming years. A master's in applied artificial intelligence is planned for 2027, designed for people already in industry who want to apply AI to their own businesses.

Whether this degree actually produces employable AI engineers depends on execution. The curriculum looks solid on paper, but the real test is whether graduates can compete with students from established programs at schools like Carnegie Mellon. The capstone projects with real companies should help, but industry hiring practices will be the ultimate validator. Louisiana's AI talent pipeline starts here, but the market will decide if it's enough.

Artūras Malašauskas is an AI Systems Integrator with 20+ years of production-grade web engineering experience. He has designed, shipped, and scaled enterprise Python/PHP systems for logistics, SaaS, and public-sector clients. For the past year, he has focused exclusively on AI integrations: deploying open-source LLMs, building generative media pipelines (image, audio, video), and engineering multi-agent workflows for real production environments. His standard: reproducibility, security, cost-efficient inference—no vaporware. He documents and evaluates emerging AI tooling, separating verified capabilities from marketing noise. Technical editor at: muza-ai.eu, ai-verslas.lt, ai-naujinos.lt Connect on LinkedIn