Northeastern in Seattle’s New Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Stresses Ethical Competence and Industry Readiness
Twenty years ago, artificial intelligence floated somewhere between a theoretical discipline and science fiction. Today, it’s a practical skill set to be applied in any industry that wants to take advantage of the opportunities data offers. And Northeastern University in Seattle is responding to the shifting landscape, moving beyond individual courses in AI and offering a fully-fledged Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence, starting in the fall of 2025.
Eight classes, designed to be spread over two years, will deepen students’ understanding of the statistics and linear algebra that underpin machine learning, explore a variety of model design and data processing techniques, and create a solid foundation in AI ethics to ensure students can build what they intend without causing unintended harm. Students will also have opportunities to explore specific disciplines like computer vision, human-computer interaction, and robotics with Northeastern University’s global-caliber domain experts, Microsoft and Amazon, as well as leaders and innovators in industries like software, aerospace, and clean energy who are looking to build out their AI business.
But for Bethany Edmunds, Assistant Dean of Computing Programs for Northeastern in Seattle and Director of the new master’s in AI, the most exciting feature of the new program is its capstone course.
“The application of theoretical AI ethics information didn’t seem as practical, so instead AI ethics is going to be students’ last course and happen alongside developing a capstone project. Students are going to think about how ethics interplays with the world the entire time,” Edmunds explained. “It’s more baked in and applied to think about it as you’re developing a project and be able to tie it to real decisions that you’re making in the engineering process. Students coming out will be able to put their capstone portfolio piece out to companies to show they really have the skill set. It’s not theoretical – they can program and deploy projects.”
Edmunds found it important to ensure that the new AI master’s students would graduate prepared for roles as in-house machine learning engineers, software engineering managers, and AI engineers; after all, the program was developed in response to an increasing demand among students for industry-relevant AI expertise. Students with a Northeastern Masters in AI will also be prepared to pursue a PhD in AI, like Edmunds herself did; her biggest priority is getting students set up for whatever their definition of success is.
“Our faculty here are so student centered, it’s amazing. While they’re doing cutting edge research and coming up with these fantastic ideas, their focus really is on making their students shine”
It’s a priority her faculty share. “Our faculty here are so student centered, it’s amazing. While they’re doing cutting edge research and coming up with these fantastic ideas, their focus really is on making their students shine,” Edmunds said. “Shanu Sushmita had her students on stage with her when she was presenting at a conference last month. Divya Chaudhary brought two of her students to AAAI, which is the largest AI conference in the world. Yifan Hu just had two students accepted into PhDs for next year. Our faculty are listening to their students’ desires and getting them into the roles they’re looking for; it’s really heartwarming.”
The campus’s smaller size and intimate class sizes let students get to know their professors personally, and they will soon be able to further cultivate opportunities to collaborate in the robotics lab and maker space unique to the Seattle campus. It also creates opportunities for students to collaborate in other ways; across disciplines, and with Northeastern in Seattle’s many industry partners.
“I would encourage prospective students to think about what they’re looking for after they complete their degree, and what they’re looking for along the way. What kinds of companies are they interested in, what’s the culture of the region – where do they want to live? You will get an equal quality degree regardless of which campus you pick, but we have relationships with different employers in the different regions,” said Dave Thurman, the Dean and CEO of Northeastern in Seattle. “Our MS in AI is designed for people that want a multidisciplinary approach to AI. We’re really trying to attract people from a wide variety of disciplines to this program and help them understand how to apply AI in particular domains.”
Another core characteristic of Northeastern in Seattle’s new program? Its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. “I see that globally, the number of women in machine learning is very small, the number of projects focused on underserved communities is very small, and the implications don’t always think of everybody,” said Edmunds, who served as the former board president of Women in Machine Learning and current board president of the AI Network of BC. “Northeastern in Seattle doesn’t do that ‘look to your left, look to your right, only some of you will succeed’ thing. Supporting all of our students so that we have a more diverse set of engineers and computer scientists is extremely important. It leads to better problems being solved, and better products that are more representative of the general population.”
While those core values – preparing all types of students to thrive in AI – aren’t going to change any time soon, Edmunds is excited to see how the program itself continues to shift to meet the ever-changing needs of students and the AI industry.
“New courses are being developed as we speak; the program evolves quite quickly, because frankly, the world is evolving quickly. It’s nice to know that your faculty are well versed in the state of the art, and your curriculum will reflect that,” Edmunds said. “Northeastern really pushes the limits of academia sometimes, because the administration and the mindset that we have allows us to pivot to what our industry partners are saying they need, and what the world is doing.”
By Madelaine Millar