A milestone in undergraduate AI education
Ohio State has reached a major milestone in its AI Fluency initiative as colleges across the university have developed academic roadmaps showing how undergraduates will build and use AI skills within their majors.
The goal is ambitious. By the time the Class of 2029 graduates, every student will be fluent in applying artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively within their field of study.
While each college’s roadmap is unique, the collective effort represents a large-scale coordinated approach to ensure students in every discipline learn to use AI thoughtfully, responsibly and creatively. Once implemented, roadmaps will touch nearly 53,000 undergraduates across the university, from engineering and health care to the arts and humanities. Ohio State is the only university in the country embedding AI across every major.
“I am so impressed by the thoughtful work happening across our colleges,” said Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education Norman Jones. “Each is outlining how our AI Fluency learning outcomes will be introduced, reinforced and applied within degree pathways, through existing or new courses, without adding credits or extending time to degree. The focus remains squarely on the discipline, with AI serving as a tool to deepen learning, expand inquiry and support innovation where it adds real value.”
From foundations to applied learning
Although tailored by discipline, roadmaps follow a similar arc. Early coursework introduces essential AI concepts and expectations for responsible use. As undergraduates advance, AI becomes integrated into assignments, projects and experiential learning tied directly to disciplinary practice.
Students progressively build fluency in foundational AI principles, examine the benefits and limitations of AI within their fields, and develop the ability to evaluate and apply AI tools responsibly in authentic, discipline-specific contexts. For many, this culminates in a capstone or final project that incorporates AI in a meaningful way.
Hands-on learning and real-world applications
In one new course, students will explore how large language models can transform the analysis of ancient literature, mapping linguistic patterns in historic texts and contributing to a shared scholarly resource. Across other programs, undergraduates will use generative AI under clear guardrails to support research, design and technical work, with opportunities to engage in concept development, literature review, mock user interviews, market research, visualization, debugging and technical writing.
These experiences help students think flexibly about AI’s potential and practice applying it in real-world analytical situations. Assignments are designed to teach both the possibilities and limitations of AI, with guided reflection built in to ensure responsible, informed use.
Collaborative design and shared momentum
Roadmap development involved faculty, department chairs and academic leaders across the university. Colleges have also outlined how they will stay current as AI tools evolve, communicate expectations to students, and measure progress over time.
“This work reflects a remarkable moment of academic innovation at Ohio State,” said Associate Vice President for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Shereen Agrawal. “Our faculty have thought deeply about how to equip our students to leverage AI in pursuit of the discipline — keeping the field of study and critical thinking front and center. It’s exciting to see the breadth and depth of expertise at the university take on such a unique challenge and together empower our students to excel in a rapidly changing world.”