Silicon Valley to get its first two-year degree focused on AI

As artificial intelligence continues to make waves in higher education, changing the way students are learning and forcing educators to rethink traditional assessments amid cheating concerns, Silicon Valley is about to get its first two-year degree in AI.

De Anza College’s new Associate in Science degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence will be available this fall, along with six new AI-focused credentials and more than 20 additional new degree and certificate programs, the school announced this week.

The dramatic rise in artificial intelligence has sparked a boom in credentialing programs and degrees as colleges and universities compete to offer training to students for an AI-driven economy.

In just one year, the number of programs offering bachelor’s degrees in AI more than doubled in the U.S., going from 90 programs in 2024 to 193 programs in 2025, according to findings by Degree Prospects, a D.C-based publisher of higher education resources and degree directories.

The group called AI “the degree of the decade,” with 153 universities in the nation offering master’s degrees in AI and 85 universities offering bachelor’s degrees in 2025, it says.

Currently, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University and Stanford University offer graduate programs in artificial intelligence. The University of San Francisco also offers a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence.

The rapid growth comes as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment opportunities for data scientists is projected to grow 41.7% through 2033.

Ram Subramaniam, De Anza’s vice president of Instruction, said the college’s new offerings reflect De Anza’s recognition that AI is one of the defining technologies of our time.

“We believe that we need to actively provide our students with the knowledge and training to make informed choices about engaging with AI,” Subramaniam said. “These programs are directly aligned with our institutional core competencies of information literacy, personal responsibility, and critical thinking.”

The new AI programs will cover basic AI concepts and methodologies and allow students to advance through technical certificates focused on machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, prompt engineering and AI agents, the college said. The programs will also prepare students to continue their studies at a four-year institution, with the curriculum including courses that are transferable to UC and CSU schools.

De Anza said the curriculum will feature a strong emphasis on responsible AI development and ethical practice.

Other new programs that will be available in the fall at De Anza include a new Associate in Science degree in Automotive Service and Repair and a new Associate in Science degree in Engineering, with an electrical engineering track for students preparing to transfer into four-year programs.

The college has also added five mathematics certificates: applied mathematics, pure mathematics, statistics, mathematics for business and social sciences and elementary mathematics education.

Two new transfer-focused associate degrees, in music and child and adolescent development, guarantee CSU admission for students who complete the degree, the school said.

Students can also enroll in new programs available this fall in Mandarin translation and interpretation, animated film, professional photography, journalism, nonprofit management and community impact.