AI literacy is in focus across Pitt’s new course offerings for spring

Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, classrooms and career paths, and, in response, the University of Pittsburgh is evolving its course offerings to prepare students for this new reality.

From AI literacy and predictive algorithms to Africa's art industry and public health ethics, Pitt's spring 2026 lineup opens fresh paths for students across disciplines, pairing technical skills with critical thinking for a rapidly shifting world.
Here are the new course offerings you should be aware of as you build your spring schedule. Learn more about enrollment from the Office of the University Registrar.

The Dietrich School's Jewish Studies program is reinstating its one-credit course Antisemitism Then and Now (JS 1649/RELGST 1649), which examines how antisemitism has historically affected Jewish and non-Jewish communities and explores its ties to Islamophobia, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination. Students will meet in person once a week to process these difficult topics.

Other new and reclassified courses expand global perspectives - and the school's array of general education options. Learn about cross-cultural communication complexities in People and Language (ANTH 0708/LING 1408), fill your brain and belly with Savoring the Language in Chinese Food Culture (CHIN 1029) and get an Introduction to East Asian Cinema (KOREAN 1085). Also gaining gen ed status are courses like Latin American Film and Literature (SPAN 0326) and Latin American Economic Development (ECON 1610).

Whether you're into media - Propaganda and Misinformation in the 21st Century (COMMRC 1117) - or ancient history - Roman Architecture (ARC 1152/CLASS 1524) - there's something new that will interest you in the Dietrich School. Creatives may enjoy exploring new cultures through Arts of Africa (HAA 0025), Art of Europe (HAA 0070) and Exhibitions and Museums in Africa (HAA 1028).

And, the Department of Psychology is partnering with the Learning Research and Development Center to offer Language: Context and Cognition (PSYC 2441), which asks how linguistic patterns reveal and influence our social networks. The course is open to all graduate students.

School of Business

The School of Business is rolling out a set of credentials aimed at the intersection of AI, analytics and management. Undergraduate offerings include certificates in Foundations of AI for Business, Public Accounting and Fundamentals of Business Management. Graduate students can also pursue a micro-credential and a certificate in Foundations of AI for Business, programs that emphasize analytics-driven decision-making and the responsible application of AI across organizations.

School of Computing and Information

SCI is expanding its human-centered topics along with its technical electives on AI, machine learning and ethical use of these tools. For example, the Department of Informatics and Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center are jointly launching AI Literacy: Foundations for Critical Thinking and Informed Use (INFSCI 1499), which teaches undergraduates how to recognize the use of artificial intelligence in everyday life, evaluate what it can and cannot do, and communicate its implications across education, government and media. And, for graduate students, the Master of Library and Information Science program is offering Empowering the Underserved: Designing Interventions with Immersive and Emerging Technologies (LIS 2970).

In the Department of Computer Science, Computer Vision (CS 2770) has been renovated to include multimodal large language models, agentic AI, efficient training strategies and open-vocabulary detection and segmentation. The department has also added and updated courses across levels, from a graduate component to software engineering (CS 2030) and a functional programming course (CS 1521) to a PhD seminar on augmented reality (CS 3670, cross-listed with LIS 3970).

School of Public Health

At Pitt Public Health, undergraduates can now get hands-on training in predictive modeling for population-level decisions in Data to Prediction: Machine Learning for Public Health (PUBHLT 0413). Other undergrad highlights include Health Law and Politics (PUBHLT 0446) and Public Health, The Common Good and Human Flourishing (PUBHLT 0502), which both explore legal, political and ethical frameworks for community well-being, as well as Health Consequences of Atmospheric Pollution and Climate (PUBHLT 0421), which examines how air quality and climate change shape health outcomes.

Graduate students can gain new methods and applied tools through offerings such as Grant and Thesis Proposal Writing for Public Health (PUBHLT 3100), Epidemiology with Electronic Health Care Data (EPIDEM 2450), Target Trial Emulation (EPIDEM 3140) and Current Topics in Public Health Genetics (HUGEN 2059).

School of Public and International Affairs

Pitt's School of Public and International Affairs is introducing three undergraduate courses that address the global economy, sustainability and labor. Workers Without Borders (PIA 1107) looks at labor migration and the policy frameworks that shape cross-border labor flows; Global Sustainability Policy (PIA 1108) examines environmental challenges and international policy responses; and Multinational Corporations and Global Policy Challenges (PIA 1103) explores how global firms and governments interact on topics like trade, regulation and corporate responsibility.