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Rutgers Business School is revamping its curriculum to integrate artificial intelligence across disciplines. The move aims to ensure students have the necessary tools to keep up with the workforce of the future.

The school also partnered with Google Public Sector and tech consulting company Slalom to provide students and educators with generative AI in the classroom, the university announced Nov. 21. 

The new collaboration provides access to Google Cloud AI. The comprehensive platform offers more than 150 foundation models from Google and its partners, such as Meta’s Llama, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini. 

“Rutgers University is positioning itself as an innovator in these revolutionary technologies by producing ground-breaking insights and educating students in AI’s useful applications,” Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway said in a statement. 

The business school initiative follows a $10 million investment into a multi-pronged AI and data science initiative. Announced in October, the program centers on the establishment of the Rutgers Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (RAD) Collaboratory. 

Keeping with the times

Rutgers Business School Dean Lei Lei said the speed at which technology, such as AI, is advancing “has fundamentally shifted the landscape of the business world and is making a transformative impact across industries.” 

“As a large public business school, our ambition is to prepare graduates with the skills and talent most in demand by industry,” Lei added. “Today, that requires revamping the learning experience, creating innovative and disruptive content, to ensure that our students gain a strong understanding of the emerging technologies, including AI, that companies are eager to use.” 

Rutgers is the first public business school to adopt Gemini, added Brent Mitchell, vice president of go-to-market, Google Public Sector.

On social media platform X, Gov. Phil Murphy applauded Rutgers Business School for preparing students for the future.

The governor has made AI a priority in the state. Past actions include launching programs such as AI Moonshot “to pioneer a series of AI-powered breakthroughs,” as well as the AI Hub in collaboration with Princeton University and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Great to see @RutgersBSchool incorporate AI into its classrooms and into every major – preparing students for our fast-changing workforce.https://t.co/1eiXhmjIzj

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 22, 2024

What students can expect 

The revamped coursework will span disciplines including accounting, marketing and supply chain management. Changes will include:  

• New MBA concentration in AI: Launching in spring 2025 with featured courses, including:
  • Introduction to AI;
  • Leading with AI-Strategies for Business Management;
  • Data Mining;
  • Algorithmic Machine Learning.
• Master of Accountancy in Accounting and Analytics: Offers a specialization in AI; will include some of the advanced AI coursework taught in the Rutgers Master of Information Technology and Analytics Program. 
• Undergraduate integration: Core undergraduate business courses will incorporate AI concepts and tools, providing students with a foundational understanding of AI. 

Rutgers also emphasized a focus on security as well as responsibility with the initiative. The school noted measures such as Zero Trust architecture, encryption and AI-powered threat detection will be employed.

“At Google Public Sector, we’re committed to empowering the next generation of leaders with the responsible AI tools they need to succeed, as well as advancing education for everyone,” Mitchell said, adding that the collaboration “prioritizes student data privacy and ethical considerations, allowing educators to confidently bring cutting-edge AI into their classrooms.” 

See also:

Rutgers was one of only two higher education institutions in New Jersey named to Newsweek’s America’s Top Online Colleges for 2025. See who else made the list >>