Amanda Smith knows the question is coming.
At just about every admitted student info session at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering these days, it’s only a matter of time before a prospective student or parent asks how the college is incorporating artificial intelligence into its curriculum. It’s a similar story whenever Smith, an interim assistant dean for academic affairs, talks with current undergraduate students.
“I probably get asked about AI more than anything else,” says Smith, who’s also an associate teaching professor and associate chair for undergraduate affairs in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “Students want to know how they’re going to be trained to use AI to be a better employee and to be more employable because employers are expecting that students have these skills.”
With that in mind, the college is launching a new certificate—UW-Madison’s version of a minor—in applications of AI in engineering starting in the fall 2026 semester. The program, which will consist of 13 to 16 credits depending upon a student’s course selections, will mix foundational AI knowledge with practical skills and ethical considerations.
“Students and parents are asking how AI is shaping engineering and how graduates will thrive alongside it,” says Devesh Ranjan, Grainger Dean of the College of Engineering. “This certificate is about giving our students fluency with AI tools while grounding them in the critical thinking, ethics and human judgment that technology can’t replace. Importantly, we’re offering this certificate in the context of the Badger engineering experience, where our students work side by side with each other, and with their professors and instructors, learning what excites them, and building confidence and relationships that will carry them through their careers.”
Available to all undergraduate students across the college as well as those majoring in biological systems engineering in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the certificate includes coursework in AI methods, applications and ethics from across the college and from other parts of campus, plus a hands-on experience. The latter can consist of a capstone course, co-op experience at an industry partner, research work or advanced AI coursework—providing students with the flexibility to tailor their educations to their career interests.
The addition of a formal certificate program builds upon AI-related coursework that’s grown across engineering departments in recent years, including application courses such as Materials Science and Engineering 561: Machine Learning in Materials and special topics offerings in civil engineering (AI and Data Science in Transportation), industrial and systems engineering (AI for People) and mechanical engineering (AI in Mechanical Engineering).
“Every department is putting its own flavor around how students interact with and use AI,” says Smith. “We want to bring together what those departments are already doing independently and create a space where students in those programs can be recognized for the extra work they’re doing to learn how to use AI tools within their degree program.”
As part of the certificate program, Kelvin Santiago, a teaching faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is developing a new broadly accessible, interdisciplinary introductory course called INTEREGR 180: Foundations of Computational Engineering Design. Through lecture and lab components, the course will introduce students to fundamental data science techniques like clustering, linear regression and supervised learning, ask them to work on a design project that integrates AI, and explore ways to use AI as an aid in their college lives.
“We’ll cover a little bit of everything,” says Santiago. “I don’t expect anyone to walk out with expertise in any of the topics, but I do expect them to know how to apply them, how to implement something basic with each.”
And, as Smith notes, the ethical questions around AI are just as important as the technical elements. To satisfy the certificate’s ethics and AI requirement, students will take one of three courses: Industrial and Systems Engineering 562: Human Factors of Data Science and Machine Learning, Electrical and Computer Engineering/Industrial and Systems Engineering 570: Ethics of Data for Engineers, or Philosophy 244: Introductory Artificial Intelligence and Data Ethics.
The college projects 250 students will enroll in the certificate program within three years, with continued growth from there.
“Although individual departments are already training students in effective use of AI tools, we view this certificate as a key step in integrating AI training in the education of all engineering students,” says Smith, “and providing them with a formal credential that showcases their ability to apply AI in their careers.”
Students interested in pursuing the certificate can submit an online declaration form starting in June 2026.