FAIRFIELD, Conn.—With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a regular tool in a range of fields, Sacred Heart University is launching a new minor in AI, designed specifically for non-computer science majors.
Students will learn to use low-code methods to apply AI in solving problems or generating information for their chosen professions, and they will be introduced to policy and regulatory framework relating to AI. The 15-credit program also will focus on the social, cultural and global impacts of AI, including its ethical implications.
Brent French, associate dean for academics in Sacred Heart’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology (WCBT), was part of the team that developed the new program of study. “We anticipate a transformational shift that will have a meaningful impact on nearly every industry,” he said. “We noticed that while there were AI-related graduate and undergraduate courses available, they were designed for computer science, cybersecurity or information technology majors. We had an opportunity to develop something that would benefit the broader undergraduate population.”
The goal is to teach undergraduate students across disciplines, from marketing or psychology to health care or education, how to best use AI. As artificial intelligence becomes a factor in almost every career, students in the minor will become fluent in using it effectively.
“We want to attract the students who say they are allergic to technology,” said French. Classes will not be merely theoretical; students will have access to the WCBT’s $250,000 AI lab for hands-on experience building their own models without coding. David Taylor, dean of the WCBT, added, “Our mission is to educate leaders and prepare them for success in an evolving and complex world, and this minor supports this mission for all Sacred Heart undergraduates.”
With a double major of finance and accounting, Arian Berisha ’28 looks forward to the opportunity to add the minor to his schedule. “The possibility of this minor is exciting,” Berisha said. “In the world of business, firms that fail to adapt to technological changes crumble. There is no future in which AI won’t be used to forecast markets, consult in critical decision-making processes and evaluate crucial business deals.”
Business management and finance double major Kiah James ’28 believes knowledge of AI will be a factor when it comes to qualifying for jobs. “I’ve attended a few talks from the WCBT where successful CEOs have talked about what the new workplace will be looking for, and many of them have stated that experience with AI is high on that list,” James said.
The AI minor will launch in the fall 2025 semester. “Even if you’ve never taken a computer science class before, you will still be successful in this curriculum,” said French.
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: College of Arts & Sciences; School of Communication, Media & the Arts; School of Social Work; School of Computer Science & Engineering; College of Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology and the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. Sacred Heart, a Laudato Si’ campus, stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition, and Best Business Schools: 2024 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu