The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has introduced a new Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in artificial intelligence (AI). This pioneering degree program aims to equip educators with the necessary skills to effectively integrate AI into their teaching practices.
The initiative was led by Olga Kosheleva, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of mathematics education at UTEP. Kosheleva emphasized that AI is becoming increasingly integral to technology interaction, including in educational settings. “Teaching educators how to make practical use of AI will make them more efficient,” Kosheleva noted. “From reducing the time needed to create lesson plans to creating more robust means of assessing students’ progression, the biggest value will be the increased time that AI will give teachers to focus on working individually with students and forging the personal relationships that support academic growth.”
The degree program will cover skills in instructional design, data science, and systems thinking. Key courses include “Foundations of Generative AI,” “Ethics, Culture, and Society in the Age of AI,” and “Data Science for Educational Professionals.”
Clifton Tanabe, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education, highlighted the regional and national demand for AI expertise. “This master’s degree reflects UTEP’s mission to transform the lives of its graduates and our community,” Tanabe said. “In addition to being at the forefront of producing AI engineers, UTEP will also be a leader in teaching and learning about effective uses of AI in education.”
The new master’s degree is a fully online program that can be completed in 16 months. Admission does not require a GRE score, and the program is open to any student with a bachelor’s degree. Graduates will be prepared for various roles, including curriculum developers, school administrators, educational coordinators, and policy analysts.
Applications for the Fall 2025 semester are currently being accepted through the UTEP Graduate School. For more information, prospective students can contact the UTEP Graduate School at (915) 747-5491 or at gradschooladmissions@utep.edu.
