University of North Carolina at Charlotte
NC · AI Readiness #29 of 227
AIREDEX™ Score: 8.8 /10
UNC Charlotte became one of only two UNC System schools to offer a dedicated undergraduate AI degree when its B.S. in Artificial Intelligence launched in fall 2026, in addition to a cross-disciplinary AI minor open to every major on campus.
Charlotte undergrads also have access to the AI Fundamentals Minor, the Minor in AI in Business through the Belk College, and a Human-Centered AI concentration in the College of Humanities and Earth and Social Sciences. Enterprise-licensed tools including Google Gemini, NotebookLM, and Zoom AI Companion are available to all students. The Student AI Fellows program places undergrads in paid, hands-on internships with campus departments while earning a Google AI microcredential. The Charlotte AI Institute for Research, co-directed by Stephanie Schuckers and George Banks, anchors a growing research ecosystem that includes the AI4Health Center and the Center for Trustworthy AI, with a $10 million Honeywell partnership funding the new Innovation Hub on campus.
Pillar grades
- Commitment: A-
- Curriculum: A-
- Partnerships: B+
- Research: A
A(I)ttitude™: leading edge
Selected Highlights
- Beth Rugg holds the title Chief Workplace AI Officer at UNC Charlotte, a named institutional AI executive role, effective January 1, 2026.
- Three distinct AI governance bodies confirmed: OneIT AI Steering Committee (led by Rugg), AI in Teaching and Learning Task Force (Office of the Provost, co-chaired by Perez Quinones and Budhrani), and AI Research Council (Division of Research, co-chaired by Hartsfield and Rasmussen), all with cross-campus membership and public outputs.
- Multiple institutional AI strategy documents confirmed: OneIT Guiding Principles, 132-page AI Task Force Report to the Provost (August 2025), and CLTAI2 Strategic Plan 2026-2033.
- Charlotte AI Institute for Research (CLTAI2) confirmed as cross-disciplinary institute co-directed by Schuckers (Computing) and Banks (Management/Business), with three named sub-centers and active programming.
- B.S. in Artificial Intelligence approved by UNC Board of Governors September 2025, launching fall 2026; standalone degree, not a concentration.