Graduate Certificate in Ethical Artificial Intelligence
Purpose
The Certificate in Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) is designed to offer professionals and graduate students the opportunity to acquire a deeper grasp of the ethical, legal, and policy issues and implications of developments in artificial intelligence, addressing areas of impact including pharmaceutical and healthcare research and distribution, business application practices in data and finance, law enforcement, live and social media, information and news development and filtering, autonomous transportation (including automobiles and mass transit), the availability and distribution of government services, and other sectors in society. The program consists of three courses and a short research report on a specific application of ethical issues to AI. The award of the certificate means the holder has completed the required courses and research project at an acceptable level of academic accomplishment. The certificate indicates to potential employers and to other academic programs that the holder has achieved a foundation in the basic principles of artificial intelligence, the latest developments in AI, and their ethical implications for society.
Admissions Requirements and Procedure
Selection for admission to the program will be based on applicants’ academic background, work experience, and personal recommendations. We have two distinctive admissions procedures: one for matriculated graduate students at SF State and another for area professionals and non-SF State students who have completed a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college with a 3.0 GPA or better.
For matriculated SF State students, any graduate student is eligible to take the required courses and will be eligible for the certificate course of study. The student need only follow the curriculum outlined below and the certificate will be awarded upon graduation.
For non-matriculated SF State students, the certificate is available through application to SF State’s Graduate Division (see http://bulletin.sfsu.edu/about-sfsu/degrees-offered/certificates/) for any student applicant who is eligible to take the required courses and has earned a Bachelor’s degree.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. Students will understand the basic principles and technologies of AI and related issues of privacy, security, and transparency.
2. Students will understand how to balance ethics with business needs and apply ethical automated decision-making in various business areas.
3. Students will understand the ways to enforce ethical standards and compliance with laws and rules related to the ethical use of AI.
4. Students will understand the significance of ethical AI for society.
5. Students will be able to analyze and apply knowledge of ethical AI in the form of a case study.
Certificate in Ethical Artificial Intelligence – 10 units
Students must take one course of 3 or more units in each of three areas: (1) AI Technologies and Applications, (2) Business Ethics and Regulatory Compliance, and (3) Ethical Principles.
In addition, students must write one 10-page single-spaced research paper. This paper will ensure that students apply the knowledge they obtained by engaging in a case study type of analysis at the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, and ethics. The paper will be evaluated by one of the faculty members in charge of the certificate program, selected to match the technical and educational background of each student.
AI Technologies and Applications (3 units)
Select one in consultation with an Ethical AI Certificate advisor:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSC 859 | AI Explainability and Ethics | 3 |
| CSC 869 | Data Mining | 3 |
| CSC 872 | Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence | 3 |
Business Ethics and Regulatory Compliance (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MGMT 850 | Ethics and Compliance in Business | 3 |
Ethical Principles (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 827 | Philosophy and Current Applications of Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| PHIL 828 | Philosophical Issues in Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
Research and Reflection Paper (1 unit)
Select one:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CSC 899 | Independent Study | 1 |
| MGMT 899 | Independent Study | 1 |
| PHIL 899 | Independent Study | 1 |