The University of Memphis will now have a new concentration focused on artificial intelligence in its Polytechnic@UofM unit.
The Polytechnic@UofM Initiative, a subunit of Herff College of Engineering, was launched in July 2025. Polytechic@UofM focuses on “flexible, workforce-aligned degree pathways,” according to its website.
The new concentration will be in applied artificial intelligence and be a part of the Bachelor of Applied Science program. The concentration will begin in the fall semester.
U of M Provost David Russomanno said that the rapid movement in AI and the needs of the current workforce made the university move proactively to provide the concentration.
“We were thrilled to have the support of (Tennessee Higher Education Commission), the Academic Affairs team and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile to approve our request to add this additional concentration under our highly innovative Bachelor of Applied Science degree,” Russomanno said in a press release.
The degree concentration will not train students as AI developers, but rather prep students to deploy, evaluate and govern AI tools within their industries, the university said. It is also a flexible concentration and serves community college students at Tennessee College of Applied Technology, transfer students and current working professionals.
Traditional four-year students can also graduate with the degree concentration.
Students will learn through a curriculum that provides AI literacy, AI tools and ethics relating to the technology, according to a press release.
Students across the city and county are out of school for the summer, which might mean parents and guardians are looking for free or low-cost activities.
Here are some free summer activities in and around Memphis:
There are programs that run throughout the summer that do cost money. The University of Memphis holds camps for students throughout the summer, with different rates for different camps and whether a student is attending for one day or an entire week.
Visit their website or this link to learn more.
The YMCA of the MidSouth also holds summer camps for kids across the city and county. Camps start at $139 per week.
Please visit their website for more information.
There are no public meetings scheduled for the week of June 15.
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Brooke Muckerman is the education and children’s issues and politics reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com.
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