Willamette University students in Salem can now minor in artificial intelligence. The university launched two AI tracks this fall: one technical, one rooted in the humanities.
The new interdisciplinary programs, Engineering AI and Understanding AI, each require 20 semester hours and pair with any major. The university announced both minors in July, and classes began for the fall 2026 semester. First-year, transfer and international students are all eligible.
The Engineering AI minor covers Python, data science, machine learning, neural networks and computer vision. Students learn to evaluate algorithmic bias, diagnose model failures and communicate technical findings to non-technical audiences, according to the university's published learning outcomes.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Calvin Deutschbein, who teaches the shared keystone course "AI 101: Understanding AI," said the Engineering AI track grew out of a practical worry. The minor "was meant to solve the problem of computer science students graduating being nervous about their job prospects," Deutschbein told the Willamette Collegian.
The Understanding AI minor takes a different approach. Students complete at least five courses spanning philosophy, psychology, anthropology, math and music. Deutschbein said he collaborated with faculty across those departments because a single computer-science perspective was too narrow for a 14-week course on AI.
In the keystone course, Deutschbein blends technical and non-technical material. The final exam includes questions on ethics, water supply and hiring and firing trends in tech, according to the Collegian.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Fred Agbo teaches "Human AI Interaction," a course in the Engineering AI minor where students build AI-powered tools and then test them with real users.
In that class, students conduct usability studies, observe how people interact with the systems they built and collect feedback to refine their designs. Agbo said his approach is to investigate first, then take a human-centered path that is genuinely useful to people.
Jameson Watts, dean of Willamette's School of Computing & Information Sciences, framed the programs as a natural fit for a liberal arts university. In the July announcement, Watts said AI has changed what employers expect from new graduates.
Both minors share the AI 101 keystone course, a non-technical survey exploring how modern AI systems are built and the societal costs and benefits of the technology. Students can pursue both minors simultaneously.
"Having that extra bit of understanding when you enter the workforce will set you apart from others who are entering at the same time," Watts said in July.
