University of Louisiana at Lafayette
LA · AI Readiness #156 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 6.0 /10
Louisiana's first Critical AI Studies minor launched at UL Lafayette in fall 2026, an 18-credit interdisciplinary program open to students from any major that weaves ethics, history, philosophy, and business into a single credential.
UL Lafayette undergrads across every college can pair that minor with MGMT 455: AI and Emerging Tech in Business, the free Empowering AI Literacy microcredential available through the UL System, and hands-on internships through the IRI Emerging Tech Internship program, which has placed students at AI startups building chatbots and analytics tools. Behind those programs sits the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence, led by Dr. Raju Gottumukkala, with more than 30 industry partners including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon AWS, and an NSF-funded multi-university healthcare AI center in development.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: C-
- Curriculum: C+
- Partnerships: B-
- Research: B
A(I)ttitude™: neutral
Selected Highlights
- CAAI is a genuine cross-disciplinary AI hub with named director (Dr. Raju Gottumukkala), 30+ named industry partners, NSF-funded AHeAD multi-university center, and active government grants -- strong R-track research hub signal.
- AI concentration embedded throughout BS Computer Science curriculum with dedicated AI/ML education page; no standalone AI major but meaningful curricular depth confirmed.
- Three distinct named components confirmed -- ODL 150 (faculty/student AI essentials), Empowering AI Literacy Microcredential (UL System, free, self-paced, badge-bearing, available to all enrolled students), and CAAI AI4ALL workforce program -- satisfies Q3 (available university-wide).
- AI integration confirmed across at least three non-STEM undergraduate-accessible departments: Business (MGMT 455, Dr. Wolverton), Education (AI in ASREs FLC, Dr. Samsonov, 80+ undergrad/grad students), and Liberal Arts (Critical AI Studies minor spanning history, philosophy, psychology).
- Critical AI Studies minor (College of Liberal Arts, Fall 2026) is open to students from any major -- first of its kind in Louisiana -- satisfies Q2 for full 8 pts.