Universities With an AI Graduation Requirement
As of October 2026, 8 U.S. colleges and university systems require every undergraduate to meet an AI requirement to earn a degree. Another 9 require incoming students to complete an AI module.
8
Degree-level AI requirements in force
2 more are phasing in
9
Required AI modules
For all incoming or all enrolled students
82
Campuses covered
64 are in the SUNY system
17
School-level requirements
Business, law, medical and nursing schools
Degree-Level AI Requirements
Every undergraduate at these institutions must complete AI coursework, an AI credential or a general education outcome that names AI to earn a degree.
| Institution | State | What is required | Applies to | Starts | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ohio State University | OH | AI Fluency: generative AI instruction in the required General Education Launch Seminar and first-year workshops. | All undergraduates, Class of 2029 onward | Fall 2025 | In force | Ohio State |
| Campus | Online | Applied AI Concentration: six courses in every associate degree. | All associate degree students | July 2026 | In force | Campus |
| Creighton University | NE | AI learning outcomes in the Magis Core Curriculum’s Designated Technology course in every major. | All undergraduates | Fall 2026 | In force | Creighton National Today |
| Purdue University | IN | AI working competency: one of 22 approved courses, worth 1 to 4 credits. Covers West Lafayette and Indianapolis. | All undergraduates entering fall 2026 or later | Fall 2026 | In force | Purdue |
| Saint Leo University | FL | IBM SkillsBuild AI modules, a baseline AI certification and a digital skills portfolio. | All students, all majors | Fall 2026 | In force | Saint Leo Fox 13 |
| State University of New York (SUNY) | NY | AI added to the Information Literacy core competency in general education at all 64 campuses. | All associate and bachelor’s students entering fall 2026 or later | Fall 2026 | In force | SUNY |
| University of Dayton | OH | Two courses: AI Fundamentals and Human Dignity in the Era of AI. | All first-year students | Fall 2026 | In force | Dayton WHIO |
| University of Tampa | FL | One-credit online AI literacy course in the Spartan Studies general education program. | All sophomores | Fall 2026 | In force | Tampa GovTech |
| DeVry University | IL | AI literacy embedded in every course by the end of 2026. | All students | 2026 | Phasing in | DeVry |
| Miami University | OH | AI in the Majors: AI competencies built into every major. 13 departments started in fall 2026 and all 49 are due by 2027–28. | All undergraduates, by department | Fall 2026 | Phasing in | Miami |
Required AI Modules
These institutions require an AI literacy module for all incoming students or all enrolled students.
| Institution | State | What is required | Applies to | Starts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nevada, Reno | NV | Introduction to AI module in the NevadaFIT program. | All entering students | Summer 2025 | Nevada |
| North Carolina Central University | NC | IBM SkillsBuild AI module inside the required course UNIV 1100. | All freshmen | Fall 2025 | NCCU |
| Georgia Southern University | GA | AI Fundamentals: a 60 to 90 minute non-credit online course, completed before coursework starts. | All incoming undergraduate and graduate students | Spring 2026 | Georgia Southern |
| Agnes Scott College | GA | Universal AI: a three-part curriculum inside two required first-year courses. | All first-year students | Fall 2026 | Times Higher Education |
| Cornell University | NY | AI Critical Literacy Program: a two-hour online course. | All first-year undergraduates | Fall 2026 | Cornell Cornell Daily Sun |
| St. Bonaventure University | NY | AI literacy unit inside the required first-year seminar, BONA 101. | All first-year students | Fall 2026 | St. Bonaventure |
| Manhattan University | NY | Getting Started with Artificial Intelligence: a three-hour IBM SkillsBuild course. | All first-year students | Not stated | Manhattan |
| Savannah State University | GA | Getting Started with Artificial Intelligence: a three-hour IBM SkillsBuild course in the First-Year Experience curriculum. | All freshmen | Not stated | Savannah State |
| Washington University in St. Louis | MO | AI Literacy for the WashU Scholar: a 30-minute online module on the pre-arrival checklist. | All incoming students, Danforth Campus | Not stated | WashU |
School-Level AI Requirements
These requirements apply to the students of one school or college. They are counted separately from the requirements above.
| University | School | Field | What is required | Starts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | Kogod School of Business | Business | AI courses and workshops in the undergraduate core curriculum. | Fall 2024 | American University |
| Case Western Reserve University | School of Law | Law | Introduction to AI and the Law, a certification program for all first-year law students. | Spring 2025 | Case Western Reserve |
| Galen College of Nursing | Pre-licensure nursing programs | Nursing | An 11-week AI and digital literacy course in the first quarter. | January 2026 | Galen |
| Georgetown University | McDonough School of Business | Business | Core AI foundations course and AI bootcamp for all MBA students. | Fall 2026 | Georgetown |
| Harvard University | Harvard Business School | Business | Data Science & AI for Leaders, a required first-year MBA course. | Spring 2025 | Harvard Business School The Harvard Crimson |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Kelley School of Business | Business | Two AI courses, one in fall and one in spring, for all incoming undergraduates. | Fall 2026 | Indiana University |
| James Madison University | College of Business | Business | AI built into COB 204, a course required for every business major. | 2026–27 | James Madison |
| Marquette University | College of Business Administration | Business | AI for All, a course required for every first-year business student. | Fall 2025 | Marquette |
| Mississippi Christian University | School of Law | Law | AI and the law certification program for all first-year law students. | Spring 2026 | MC Law |
| Quinnipiac University | School of Business | Business | CIS 101, a three-credit course on applied AI and business analytics in the business core. | Not stated | Quinnipiac |
| Quinnipiac University | School of Law | Law | Generative AI unit inside a required first-year legal research course. | Not stated | Quinnipiac |
| Stanford University | School of Medicine | Medicine | AI curriculum for all MD and physician assistant students. | Fall 2025 | Stanford Medicine |
| Suffolk University | Law School | Law | Generative AI learning track inside the required Legal Practice Skills course for first-year law students. | Fall 2025 | Suffolk University |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | William S. Boyd School of Law | Law | Introduction to the Responsible Use of AI, a required first-year course. | Fall 2026 | UNLV |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | School of Law | Law | Mandatory three-session AI literacy program for first-year law students. | Spring 2026 | UNC School of Law |
| University of San Francisco | School of Law | Law | Generative AI instruction inside the required Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis program. | 2024–25 | USF |
| Yale University | School of Management | Business | Required AI course in the fall of the first-year MBA core. | Fall 2026 | Yale SOM |
Proposed AI Requirements
These institutions, systems and state boards have announced, proposed or voted on an AI requirement for all students. None is in force.
| Institution | State | Where it stands | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Missouri | MO | The president announced an AI general education requirement in September 2026. The Faculty Council has not approved it and no start term is set. | KBIA KOMU |
| South Dakota Board of Regents | SD | The AI Ready plan calls for AI competencies across programs, with recommendations due in December 2026 and implementation in fall 2027. | Board of Regents |
| Fayetteville State University | NC | An AI foundations certificate for all students is planned for about fall 2027. | Greater Fayetteville Business Journal |
| Central Michigan University | MI | The Academic Senate voted in February 2026 to name AI in a general education outcome. The earliest reported start is fall 2029. | Central Michigan Life |
| Xavier University | OH | An AI literacy module is recommended for the 2026 incoming class and is due to become required in future years. | Xavier |
| University of Southern Mississippi | MS | A task force recommended in December 2025 that AI Fundamentals pathways move from optional to required, with a pilot in fall 2026. | Southern Miss |
| University of Texas at Arlington | TX | A planning group proposed AI literacy outcomes for all undergraduates in February 2026. They have not been adopted. | UT Arlington |
| Utah Board of Higher Education | UT | A December 2025 resolution set a goal that students graduate with AI literacy and created a task force. | Utah System of Higher Education |
How We Update This Tracker
Each semester, we check every requirement on this page against its source. New requirements are added as universities announce them.
All changes are recorded in the log below.
Update Log
Oct 9, 2026
Added School of Law at Quinnipiac University. Updated details for University of Missouri and Harvard Business School.
Oct 8, 2026
Replaced 6 news sources with the institutions’ own pages.
Oct 7, 2026
First release: 19 colleges and university systems and 16 schools.
What We Consider AI Requirements
Degree-Level Requirements
A degree-level requirement applies to every undergraduate at the institution or system. Put another way: each student must, in order to earn a degree, complete AI-specific coursework, an AI credential, or a general education or core outcome that names AI.
Required Modules
A required module is a mandatory AI literacy module for all incoming students or all enrolled students.
School-Level Requirements
A school-level requirement is mandatory only for the students of one school or college, such as a law or business school. These are listed separately and are not added to the degree-level count.
Status
In force means the requirement applies to students who entered in fall 2026 or earlier. Phasing in means the rollout has started but doesn’t impact all students.
University Systems
A system-wide mandate is considered one entry. The campuses it covers are counted separately. For example, SUNY’s requirement covers 64 campuses.
What Is Not Included
Optional AI courses, AI courses that are one option within a general education category, free microcredentials, AI majors, minors and certificates, access to AI tools, task forces and AI-use policies are not counted. The tracker covers U.S. colleges and universities.
Sources
Every entry is based on the institution’s own announcement, catalog or program page (where one exists). If the page does not state the requirement is mandatory or when it starts, we link the news report that does.