Florida State College at Jacksonville launches artificial intelligence associates degree program (Courtesy of Jacksonville Business Journal) — In an effort to get out in front of the seemingly inevitable future need for employees trained in artificial intelligence, Florida State College at Jacksonville has launched a new two-year associate’s degree for just that purpose.
The program’s creation was influenced by the college’s work with local manufacturers, according to Doug Brauer, FSCJ’s dean of engineering, technology and industry.
“Broadly, every industry will be, or is, using some aspect of AI,” Brauer told the Business Journal in an email. “For our students, there will be an ongoing and growing need for technicians to maintain AI-driven systems, which creates new career opportunities into the future.”
It was the college’s work with companies like the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Beep and Holon, among others, that really inspired the degree’s composition from the perspective of smart transportation, the dean said. The degree was also influenced by Jacksonville manufacturers from a smart productivity management perspective, Brauer said, such as quality control and robotics machine learning.
The AI-focused degree’s introduction comes after multiple companies announced plans over the summer to eventually produce and launch autonomous vehicles in the city.
In August, the city approved plans to build the Bay Street Innovation Center that will support autonomous transit vehicles that JTA plans to launch downtown.
Holon, a German manufacturer of autonomous, electric shuttles, announced its intent to build a production center in Jacksonville in September, with its completion expected in 2026.
At FSCJ, the new degree focuses on developing a future “hands-on” technician for diagnosing and correcting problems with AI-interactive technologies, Brauer said.
Some students have already begun initial classes in the degree program this semester, said Jill Johnson, FSCJ’s chief communications officer, but the 60-credit hour program will officially launch at the start of the 2025 fall semester.
“AI is here and is not going away,” Brauer said. “Its engagement with all technologies and industries will continue to expand. Automation and other forces will continue to reshape the labor market.”