New Artificial Intelligence Engineering Program Starts at SDSU

South Dakota State University's Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering now offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and doctoral degrees in artificial intelligence engineering.

The program was approved by the South Dakota Board of Regents at its July meeting and started this fall.

"We are excited to begin offering this collection of artificial intelligence engineering programs at South Dakota State University," Provost Dennis Hedge said. "Progression through these degrees aligns with student goals of learning and application at the undergraduate level, increased specialization at the master’s level, and discovery and innovation at the doctoral level. With a strong foundation in artificial intelligence and engineering design, graduates of this program will be prepared to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges and lead innovation in areas such as precision agriculture, intelligent sensing, power systems and advanced manufacturing."

The program will equip students with the analytical, computational, hardware and ethical foundations needed to design intelligent technologies that learn from data and support human decision-making. Students will then apply these skills in SDSU's established engineering strengths. 

The doctoral program will prepare students to conduct original research at the intersection of AI, computer science and engineering. Graduates will be prepared for technical and leadership roles in the modern AI workforce.

The new program will support South Dakota's growing workforce needs. The state currently supports 10,000 computer-related jobs, with roughly 7,800 positions directly connected to AI and cybersecurity. Sioux Falls has seen rapid growth in technology-related employment, with job openings in AI and cloud computing increasing by roughly 12% in 2025.

Nationally, there is a growing demand for AI intensive roles. Projections show roughly 129,000 openings per year for software developers, software analysts and testers. Software developers alone are projected to grow 16% nationwide and 27% in South Dakota from 2022 to 2032. Because many of these roles require engineering graduates who can integrate AI into operational systems, the gap is especially pronounced for candidates with interdisciplinary engineering preparation rather than narrow software-only training.

Written by Addison DeHaven, University Marketing & Communications