LMU Seaver College Launches New Artificial Intelligence Certificate

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, Loyola Marymount UniversityFrank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering is launching a new Artificial Intelligence Certificate program beginning in Fall 2026. The graduate-level credential is designed to help software engineers and product managers advance their skills and gain specialized AI expertise while emphasizing the ethical responsibilities that accompany the technology.

The three-course certificate is intended for students with backgrounds in computer science or related fields to deepen their knowledge of artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI, large language models, and other emerging AI applications. Students can typically complete the certificate in about two semesters, depending on course selection and schedule. Courses completed through the certificate may also be applied towards LMU's Master of Science in Computer Science degree.

"There's tremendous interest in AI right now, but also a lot of misconceptions about what it is and how it works," said John David Dionisio, professor and chair of LMU's Computer Science Department. "We wanted to create a program that helps students understand the technology deeply while giving them the technical skills to build, train, and implement AI systems."

What distinguishes LMU's program is its focus on the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence. Throughout the curriculum, students will examine questions of fairness, accountability, and transparency while exploring the societal implications of AI technologies.

"Every class will pause to consider not just what a technology can do, but how it should be used," Dionisio said. "Whether students are working with training data, developing machine learning systems, or applying AI in healthcare, they'll be challenged to think critically about ethical considerations and real-world impact."

The certificate's flexible curriculum allows students to tailor their studies to specific interests, including generative AI, natural language processing, healthcare applications, and AI-driven game development. Some course sequences can help students build expertise in high-demand areas such as large language models and generative AI.

Hands-on learning is a key component of the program. Many courses culminate in projects that give students practical experience designing and applying AI systems. Recent examples include an application that uses natural language processing to analyze meals spoken into an app and generate nutritional information; projects that train AI models to analyze social media and predict political outcomes; and using Large Language Model-Assisted Rule-Based Machine Translation to help revitalize endangered indigenous languages.

"As AI becomes part of more industries and more jobs, people need to understand what's happening under the hood," Dionisio said. "The goal is not only to prepare students to build AI systems, but to help them become thoughtful, effective leaders and users of the technology."

Applications for the Artificial Intelligence Certificate are accepted year-round. The AI certificate program can be started in the fall, spring, or summer semester. Level up your career. Apply today.