MIAMI DADE @MDCollege | /MDCollege | @MDCollege | Miami Dade College | /MiamiDadeCollege www.mdc.edu/collegeforum | COLLEGE Miami Dade College is leading the charge on artificial intelligence (AI) education, and its efforts are already proving to be impactful. This fall alone, nearly 300 stu-dents enrolled in AI courses. That’s significant, because it’s been less than a year since MDC received state approval to offer two College Credit Certificates (CCC) in AI Awareness and AI Practitioner, as well as an Associate in Science (A.S.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Applied AI. “Colleges and universities already offer courses in AI, but Miami Dade College is taking it one step further; it is the first college in the state that will offer a bachelor’s degree in AI,” said renowned data scientist Aaron Burciaga , who helped de-velop MDC’s AI curriculum. According to Antonio Delgado, MDC’s vice president of Innovation and Technology Partnerships, new programs typically start with only 20 to 30 students. MDC’s enrollment numbers demonstrate high interest in the evolving field, which needs more trained employees every day. “Miami Dade College’s associate and bachelor’s degrees do a great job at preparing candidates for new AI jobs that are growing and in high demand,” he said. Unlike some other career tracks, the majority of students enrolled in the AI courses are not incoming high school students. More than two-thirds, or about 70%, are over the age of 26, and nearly one-third, or about 30%, are over age 41. This shows that working profession-als are recognizing the significance of AI’s role in the changing work-force and are turning to MDC to upskill and reskill to be up to date with the technology. Continued on page 12 MDC Leading in Artificial Intelligence Education AI Courses See Unprecedented Increase in Enrollment 288 70% 30% of enrolled students are 26+, and are 41+ student success in AI across disciplines f orum December 2023 • Volume 28 • Number 4 AI at MDC: By the Numbers students enrolled in AI courses in fall 2023 500+ faculty trained for MDC opened two state-of-the-art AI Centers at the North and Wolfson campuses. New Scholarship Helps Students Attend MDC Tuition-Free Miami-Dade high school students will now have “no excuses” when it comes to getting a college degree, says the county’s mayor. Beginning next year, qualified graduating seniors will be eligible for the newly launched Future Ready Scholarship at Miami Dade College. The scholarship, announced by MDC President Madeline Pumariega and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava , will offer an estimat-ed 2,000-plus graduates the opportunity to earn an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree at MDC, tuition free. “This scholarship program marks a historic moment for both our institution and our community,” Pumariega said. “I look forward to witnessing how this initiative will change the lives of countless stu-dents and pave the way for greater economic mobility.” The goal is to help close the gap in educational opportunities. Students must graduate high school, live in Miami-Dade County and have at least a 2.0 GPA. Camila Garcia Llaurado, a biolo-gy student in The Honors College, knows the impact of a scholarship. “As a low-income student, re-ceiving a scholarship through The Honors College was the only way I was able to afford further ed-ucation,” she said. “All of a sud-den there were doors opening that I didn’t know existed, and my growth and achievements are far from slowing down because of the bounty of resources available.” Miami-Dade County has com-mitted nearly $3 million toward the multi-year initiative. “Investing in education today is investing in the future of Miami-Dade County,” Levine Cava said. “This scholarship is a win-win-win for our youth, our community and our economy.” In addition, CareerSource South Florida will pay for wrap-around services for scholarship recipients, including transportation and child care. Rick Beasley, executive director, said leaders recognize the impor-tance of holistic support. “Our goal is to empower stu-dents with comprehensive op-portunities that go beyond the classroom and strengthen the path to their future success.” – CT Executive V.P. and Provost Dr. Malou C. Harrison, President Madeline Pumariega, County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, center, with students at the scholarship announcement MIAMI DADE COLLEGE f orum
College Forum Volume 28 • Number 4: Page 1
