Newhouse joins fellow SU schools in introducing new AI program
Newhouse joins the iSchool, ECS and Maxwell as the fourth college to introduce an AI program. Lindsay Baloun | Contributing Photographer
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Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications will offer a new artificial intelligence minor beginning in the fall 2026 semester, according to a Thursday announcement.
The 18-credit minor, AI and Emerging Media, will help students become more “AI literate” through learning generative tools and data strategies, according to Newhouse’s website.
“The Newhouse School has a responsibility to prepare students not only to use these tools, but to lead with creativity, judgment and integrity in an evolving communications landscape,” Newhouse Dean Mark Lodato said in the release.
The minor comes just weeks after SU announced its first AI major at the School of Information Studies, which specializes in the “mathematical knowledge” and societal impact of the technology.
The College of Engineering and Computer Science will also launch an AI Science and Engineering minor this fall, focusing on the computer chip technology behind AI.
Two AI programs are already available for SU students to enroll in: an Applications of AI minor at the iSchool and an AI Policy minor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
There are four required courses for the Newhouse minor, including MMI 435, Generative AI for Content Creation, MMI 311, Foundations of AI and Emerging Media, MMI 345, Generative AI Ethics, Law and Policy in Communication and MMI 442, Data and AI for Audience Engagement. The minor also allows students to select elective courses from AI, emerging media and web development.
“Students entering the communications field today need to be comfortable experimenting with new tools, but they also need to be strategic thinkers,” Adam Peruta, a Dean’s Leadership Fellow at Newhouse, said in the release.
The release specifically highlights MMI 435, a hands-on course providing students with generative AI tools to use for “creative development, storytelling, production and media innovation.”
To be eligible for the minor, students must have completed 30 credits at SU with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
“This minor gives them a foundation in AI and emerging media that they can apply across careers, whether they want to create content, build products, understand audiences or lead innovation inside an organization,” Peruta said.
