AI Revolution Sparks Surge in Computer Science Interest at Colleges
WHO:
AP News - Faith Maeba, a 21-year-old psychology major at Virginia Commonwealth University.
AP News - Peter Stone, chair of computer science at the University of Texas at Austin.
AP News - Samir Khuller, chair for computer science at Northwestern University.
AP News - Benjamin Guerrero, assistant music professor at Eastern Mennonite University.
AP News - Murtaza Ali, doctoral candidate at the University of Washington.
AP News - Paul LeBlanc, visiting scholar at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
AP News - Andrew Arroyo, senior vice provost of academic affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
AP News - Althea Pappas, a music composition major entering her sophomore year at Virginia Commonwealth University.
AP News - Makenzie Stovall, a 20-year-old biology major at Virginia Commonwealth University.
WHAT:
AP News - Purdue University has implemented a new AI graduation requirement.
AP News - Harvard University is teaching students in freshman writing classes about large language models and exploring AI topics such as copyright and disinformation.
AP News - Ohio State University has introduced an AI fluency requirement that includes hands-on workshops.
AP News - Northwestern University is adding an AI major and streamlining prerequisites for nonmajors to take AI or machine learning classes.
AP News - Johnson County Community College recently offered a non-credit "vibe-coding" class to teach nontechies to create working software.
AP News - An online graduate certificate program in applied AI is being added at Virginia Commonwealth University this year.
AP News - Faith Maeba is now pursuing a minor in AI.
AP News - Enrollment in computer and information science programs has been declining.
AP News - College enrollment in computer and information sciences is down more than 8% at four-year institutions from the spring of 2025.
AP News - Northwestern University is adding an AI major and streamlining prerequisites for nonmajors.
AP News - Virginia Commonwealth University is adding an online graduate certificate program in applied AI this year.
AP News - Johnson County Community College in Kansas City is offering an AI certificate and plans to tailor AI classes to specific occupations.
WHERE:
AP News - Virginia Commonwealth University, located in Richmond, Virginia.
AP News - University of Texas at Austin, located in Austin, Texas.
AP News - Northwestern University, located in Evanston, Illinois.
AP News - Eastern Mennonite University, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
AP News - Johnson County Community College, located in suburban Kansas City.
WHEN:
AP News - A new AI graduation requirement is being implemented at Purdue University.
AP News - Classes for a new AI minor at Virginia Commonwealth University are being designed in a matter of months and sometimes weeks.
WHY:
AP News - Students are facing questions about their AI skills from potential employers.
AP News - Colleges are responding to changes in student demand for AI education.
AP News - The decline in hiring for entry-level software developers is attributed to work increasingly being done by AI agents.
HOW:
AP News - Andrew Arroyo, senior vice provost of academic affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, stated that course design and approval processes have been expedited to a matter of months or weeks.
AP News - Peter Stone developed an introductory course on AI essentials for noncomputer science majors.
AP News - Community colleges are able to offer non-credit classes quickly due to less cumbersome approval processes.
(UPDATED August 3, 2026 18:42 UTC)
Purdue University has introduced a new AI graduation requirement, while Ohio State University has implemented an AI fluency requirement that includes hands-on workshops. Meanwhile, Harvard University is teaching freshman writing students about large language models and exploring topics like copyright and disinformation, and Northwestern University is adding an AI major with streamlined prerequisites for nonmajors. Additionally, Virginia Commonwealth University is launching an online graduate certificate program in applied AI this year, with senior vice provost Andrew Arroyo noting that course design and approval processes have been expedited significantly.
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(UPDATED August 3, 2026 16:28 UTC)
Virginia Commonwealth University is responding to a growing demand for AI education by designing classes for a new AI minor and launching an online graduate certificate program in applied AI. Meanwhile, Northwestern University is adding an AI major and streamlining prerequisites for nonmajors, while Johnson County Community College is introducing an AI certificate tailored to specific occupations. The shift comes as college enrollment in computer and information sciences has dropped over 8% at four-year institutions since the spring of 2025, prompting schools to adapt to the evolving job market where students are increasingly questioned about their AI skills by potential employers.