Learning Outcomes: UIC’s Online Master of Engineering with a focus area in AI and Machine Learning

The merging of traditional engineering disciplines and the transformative powers of artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is shaping the future of innovation. The University of Illinois Chicago’s Online Master of Engineering with a focus area in AI and Machine Learning (MEng) program equips engineering students with a powerful set of tools to navigate and contribute to a world increasingly shaped by data-driven decision-making.

Fostering intellectual growth and skill development, the MEng curriculum is taught by a dynamic faculty that includes some of the top researchers in AI and ML. The MEng learning outcomes embody the knowledge and skills students should acquire by the program’s completion.

MEng Learning Outcomes:

• Solve complex problems with a wide range of AI and Machine Learning tools.
• Apply AI and Machine learning techniques to real-world applications and a broad range of data sets.
• Develop applications that include AI and Machine Learning functionality.
• Learn leadership skills relevant to innovation and project management.
• Gain a fundamental understanding of ethics and fairness in the development and application of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Carmen Lilley, UIC Associate Professor and MEng Program Director, says the process behind the program’s learning outcomes was a collaborative effort.

“The learning outcomes are a consensus among the faculty in MEng that are experts in either AI, ML or business leadership,” said Dr. Lilley. “It was their feedback on what the new curriculum and course design should reflect and what are the most relevant technical skills that are high impact for somebody within the program.”

Dr. Lilley emphasizes the importance of application which is reflected in the learning outcomes. While engineering programs often emphasize theoretical concepts and mathematics, the MEng curriculum prioritizes students not only grasping these fundamental principles but also acquiring the practical skills to effectively apply their knowledge. A course example includes CS 412: Intro to Machine Learning where students learn to apply existing machine learning tools to a broad range of data sets. The MEng faculty wants to ensure that students can apply their knowledge to their current career or one they plan on pivoting to.

“With professional students in mind, we created the learning outcomes while thinking about how they are using AI and ML in their everyday careers, or the potential to pivot to a new area,” said Dr. Lilley. “You see the integration of AI in industries like finance, because it’s such an adaptive area they can quickly apply these new skills to their industry.”

The finance industry isn’t the only industry adapting AI and ML. The integration of AI enhances speed and accuracy across a variety of fields, and the MEng faculty is aware of the diverse backgrounds and industries from which MEng students originate. A course example includes CS 411: Artificial Intelligence where students experience a range of AI tools and learn to apply them to problems they may face during their career.

“I read all the MEng applications and I see the wide array of fields students are coming from,” said Dr. Lilley. “By enrolling in our online program, they are getting core strengths in understanding how AI is used and developed, but also the limitations which is really important.”

As one of the learning outcomes, students also study engineering law and ethics like in the course, MENG 400: Engineering Law. The faculty feels it is critical that MEng students receive a variety of perspectives to understand what the limitations of AI and ML are and how it’s being used to make decisions.

“Some of the issues that emerge in AI and ML are due to technology not being fully tested or vetted yet,” said Dr. Lilley. “When we think of fairness, ethics and bias of using AI and Machine Learning, it’s because some of the data wasn’t fully tested or thought out. Having students learn from their peer’s perspectives helps them think through the implications of these types of technology.”

Whether MEng students are aspiring to become engineers, data scientists, business leaders, or policymakers, a foundational knowledge of AI and ML empowers them to be active participants in shaping a future where these technologies play a vital role in solving complex challenges and driving positive change.

“AI and ML is such a flexible skillset to me,” said Dr. Lilley. “It’s being used in ways we haven’t even thought about, and it’s going to revolutionize a lot of our experiences and how we make decisions.”

Learn more about UIC’s online Master of Engineering with a focus area in AI and Machine Learning (MEng) program and talk to an enrollment specialist today.