Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Built for the Future
Across every degree program, UMSI faculty are continuously evolving the curriculum to prepare students for an information landscape shaped by AI, emerging technologies, and the enduring need for human-centered leadership.
At the University of Michigan School of Information, curriculum innovation isn't a one-time redesign project. It is an ongoing commitment to preparing students for a rapidly changing world. Behind that work are faculty program directors and curriculum committees who continuously evaluate what students need, what employers are seeking, and how information professionals can have the greatest impact.
Over the past academic year, faculty leaders worked across UMSI's academic programs to strengthen learning experiences, rethink degree structures, and ensure graduates leave with the technical skills, human-centered perspectives, and ethical foundations needed for the future of information work.
A common focus across every program has been understanding how education must evolve alongside emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. Faculty recognize that AI is not simply another topic to add to the curriculum. It represents a fundamental shift in how students learn, analyze information, and solve problems. In response, discussions have centered on helping students use these new tools while strengthening the distinctly human capabilities that define UMSI: judgment, collaboration, ethical reasoning, and contextual understanding.
For the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Information program, the BSI Committee focused on strengthening the student experience by developing new program learning objectives centered on four key areas:
Understanding the human contexts of information and technology
Sociotechnical thinking
Interdisciplinary communication and leadership
Ethical, responsible, and equity-oriented information practices
These goals provide a robust framework for future course development and assessment. The committee also incorporated feedback from students, alumni, and employers to better align the curriculum with evolving career pathways, resulting in expanded AI competencies and more intentional preparation for internships.
That same commitment to technical relevance shaped the Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) program. This year, the MADS Committee approved a recommendation to integrate generative AI directly into the core curriculum through two new required one-credit courses: Fundamentals of Generative AI and Agentic Engineering. To lower barriers for incoming data scientists, a recruitment task force successfully overhauled the admissions framework, shifting from rigid up-front testing to a flexible, conditional admission and placement process designed to guide students toward success.
The MSI Committee explored how foundational program structures, including pathways, shared foundations, and mastery experiences, can continue evolving to better prepare students for AI-enabled workplaces. Updates to areas such as user experience research and design, and information and data analysis have made these pathways more flexible while strengthening their relevance to employers.
Meanwhile, the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program underwent a significant curriculum redesign centered on human-technology interaction, analytics, and ethical health informatics. Faculty also developed a new capstone model that allows students to address real-world challenges through client-centered problem-solving and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Innovation extended beyond degree programs as well. The 2025-2026 academic year marked the inaugural year of the ALI Committee, a faculty group focused on expanding non-credit learning opportunities. Following a competitive analysis of peer institutions, the committee laid the foundation for independent program delivery by launching the UMSI Campus Hub on Michigan Online and creating Discover. Design. Deliver., a hybrid six-week professional learning experience that combines human-centered design with applied AI to address workforce needs in Detroit.
Across UMSI, these initiatives reflect a shared philosophy: preparing students for the future requires more than teaching the newest technologies. It means helping them understand the intersection of people, information, and society so they can apply technology thoughtfully, ethically, and responsibly to solve the complex challenges of tomorrow.