The university recently released details of its new College of AI, Cyber and Computing. The new college is part of its efforts to develop and integrate emerging technologies. UTSA will begin a national search in January for a founding dean of the new college, scheduled to launch in fall 2025.
"This innovative college will build on UTSA's leadership in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science and related disciplines to address the demands of an increasingly digital and interconnected world," UTSA said.
The new college will expand on the progress of UTSA's 6-year-old School of Data Science, aligning existing programs and creating opportunities for new ones. It's expected to enroll more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students with a presence in downtown San Antonio. It will help solidify San Antonio's position "as the largest information security hub outside Washington, D.C.," the university said.
"Our newest college is at the epicenter of the digital convergence that will shape the future, as it focuses on thought leadership, new innovations, transdisciplinary collaboration and future applications of AI, computing and data science," UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said.
The "first-of-its-kind college" will strengthen UTSA's role in "driving the workforce and economic development that our city, state and nation need" and "creating smarter, more secure and efficient systems," he said. Through collaborations with the private and government sectors in San Antonio's tech ecosystem, it will offer students hands-on learning opportunities, including internships, research and projects that will prepare them for careers in high-demand fields.
The university cited a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projection that job growth in data science and cybersecurity will exceed 35 percent by 2031, with millions of positions opening worldwide.
The new college will be based at the UTSA Downtown Campus in buildings San Pedro I and San Pedro II, which is under construction.
"By anchoring the new college downtown and aligning its programs with workforce needs, we're creating unparalleled opportunities for our students and amplifying our city's reputation as a destination for top talent and innovation," said Heather Shipley, UTSA provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
Departments of the college will focus on four areas: computer science; computer engineering; information systems and cybersecurity; and data science and statistics. The computer engineering department will prepare students for bachelor's and master's degrees in artificial intelligence. Each department will offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
"The rapid pace of technological advancement makes it critically important to integrate cyber into the foundation of AI and data operations," Eighmy said.
The new college will align with two university-level research centers at UTSA: the AI Consortium for Human Well-Being and Open Cloud Institute. It also will unite the Institute for Cyber Security, Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security and Cyber Center for Security and Analytics under a single administrative structure.
Shipley said the restructuring "will amplify UTSA's ability to secure competitive funding, foster transdisciplinary partnerships and deliver real-world solutions."
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