The new majors in health care management and artificial intelligence and robotics build off existing technology and medical offerings at HCC and come at a time of rapid advancement in the fields.
"We are proud to be at the forefront of the exciting field of AI," Chancellor Cesar Maldonado said last week. "Our associate degree AI and robotics program is highly regarded across the country. So, it only made sense, as a recognized leader in this space, to offer a bachelor's degree program in fall 2023."
HCC officials said graduates of the four-year programs will walk into professions with ample job openings in the region — more than 2,600 annually for AI and robotics and 1,000 for health care management. Median annual salaries are each $101,000.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accrediting organization for colleges and universities in Texas and other Southern states, approved HCC as a baccalaureate-granting institution at a meeting in December.
The first program is a bachelor's of applied science in health care management, housed in the Coleman College for Health Sciences in the Texas Medical Center.
The second is a bachelor's of applied technology in artificial intelligence and robotics, a growing area of study in higher education. The University of Texas at Austin announced a master's program in AI in January, and HCC already offers an associate degree in AI.
HCC said it has also explored AI and robotics through partnerships with NASA, Amazon Web Services, Intel and Dwyer Workforce Development.
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