Resources for Students

(a subtopic of Resources)

AI Courses & Academic Departments Graduate School Resources Associations & Organizations Careers in AI & Employment Opportunities Something for EVERYONE: Equality & Diversity Competitions, Conferences & Events Exhibits & Collections How to ... Online Forums & Groups Responsible Scholarship and these other pages: Doing a School Report About AI - tips for getting started ... and some responses to Student Mail we've received about projects FAQs Software & Hardware Summer Camps, Courses, Programs & more

AI Courses & Academic Departments: Some of the entries may be outdated, but they nevertheless serve as good starting points. In other words, while the classroom may have been changed, you should still land on the right campus (and maybe even in the right building), and you will hopefully be able to find your way from there. And please keep in mind that there is no representation whatsoever as to either the quality of the individual resources referenced or that any of these lists are comprehensive or complete.

AI Academic Departments. Offered by dmoz, The Open Directory Project.

AI, Cognitive Science & Robotics Research Groups & Resources. Started by Stephanie Warrick and currently maintained by Uwe R. Zimmer. A great way to find research groups from around the world that are working in these areas: 1) Artificial Intelligence; 2) Cognitive Science, Psychology and Linguistics; 30 Neural Networks, Neurosciences, Genetic Programming, Artificial Life; and 4) Robotics, Agent Modelling and Vision.

"Universities with AI programs exist in many countries throughout the world. This page provides links to educational institutions that offer advanced degrees in AI, sponsor substantial AI research efforts, or operate AI laboratories." From AI International.

Intro to AI Courses - provided by Chuck Dyer at the University of Wisconsin.

AI and Related Courses - other than those taught by  Russell Greiner at the University of Alberta.

Principles of Artificial Intelligence: Study Guide (2006). Dr. Vasant Honavar, Department of Computer Science, Iowa State University. You'll find a wealth of information including online readings and Dr. Honavar's Overview of Artificial Intelligence.

The European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence (ECCAI) sponsors a specialized course in Artificial Intelligence, called Advanced Course on AI (ACAI), which is offered in odd-numbered years.

AI Graduate Schools - jump down to our collection of resources.

AI in Australia and New Zealand. By the Australian Computer Society National Committee for AI. IEEE Intelligent Systems (July / August 2004). "To provide an overview of AI in Australia and New Zealand, we offer snapshots of AI research throughout the region’s institutes and universities and review its industry and conference activities."

AI Activities in India: Academic Institutions. Compiled by the Special Interest Group in Artificial Intelligence (SIGAI) of The Computer Society of India (CSI). Q&A - Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. By Gopakumar Karakonam. The Hindu (October 5, 2004). Q: am 12th standard student. I would like to know about IITs and other institutions that offer courses in robotics and cybertronics."

AI Studies in the Netherlands: a list appearing in the article, Artificial Intelligence: A New Mecca for Multidisciplinary Research, by Robert Metzke. ScienceCareers.org (August 16, 2002). "Interested in the sciences and the humanities? The emerging field of artificial intelligence (AI) spans the intersection of psychology, informatics, and philosophy. And because AI students are trained in such a rich multidisciplinary environment, they have excellent career opportunities."

UK Undergraduate Courses in Artificial Intelligence. From The British Council.

Artificial intelligence courses meet growing industry demands. By Kate Hilpern. The Independent Online Edition (May 17, 2007). "Most people don't realise the extent to which AI is already used in our everyday lives, believes [Will] Browne. ... Little wonder that a growing number of universities across the UK are running degrees in the subject."

Computer Vision Course Home Pages. Maintained by Qiang Ji, Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Index of Machine Learning Courses. Maintained by Vasant Honavar, Artificial Intelligence Research Group, Department of Computer Science, Iowa State University.

The Discipline and Future of Machine Learning. Video of Tom Mitchell's March 1, 2007 seminar talk at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science's Machine Learning Department.

Robotics at Universities. A list of university programs from NASA's Robotics Education Project (REP).

UK undergraduate courses in robotics. From The British Council.

Artificial intelligence - Transforming the world we live in. By Kate Hilpern. Independent Online Edition of Careers Adviser Magazine (October 26, 2007). "The study of artificial intelligence (AI) - even at undergraduate level - has never been so advanced, particularly in the UK, Japan and USA. 'We have a current student on our BSc in AI who is looking at putting emotions on a robot so that if it could show if it was curious or angry,' says Will Browne, lecturer in cybernetics at the University of Reading. ... Most people don't realise the extent to which AI is already used in our everyday lives, believes Brown - making a degree in it an increasingly relevant qualification."

• Also see The Independent's A-Z of Careers: "Courses and qualifications are inexorably linked to careers and employers. This unique guide draws on articles from Independent's specialist education magazines for a broad range of expert advice, complete with web links, addresses and telephone numbers. All this is combined with details from featured employers to help young people plot their way to the future."

Computer Science - our overview page. That's where you'll find resources such as CollegeBoard.com's profile of a Computer Science major.

Two documents from Aaron Sloman [School of Computer Science, The University of Birmingham] pertaining to the academic study of AI:

• "This is a vast, and misleadingly named, multi-disciplinary field of research and teaching which grew up in parallel with computer science and software engineering, while also building on and overlapping with other subjects like linguistics, philosophy, psychology, biology, mathematics, and logic. There are some who think it also needs advances in quantum physics in order to make progress. Not only is it multi-disciplinary in its origins and contents: courses in AI are taught not only in computer science departments, but also in others, e.g. psychology departments. Likewise degree courses in AI may include components that would often be found in other degrees, e.g. courses in philosophy of mind or philosophy of science, courses in linguistic theory, courses in human perception, or development or other aspects of human psychology." - from Artificial Intelligence - An Illustrative Overview
• "Not all university teachers will agree with the view of AI presented here, and it is likely that AI degrees will differ considerably in their content because of different local expertise and different views of the subject. E.g. some will be more engineering oriented and some more science oriented. Some of the latter may be closely linked to psychology, others to philosophy, logic or mathematics. Applicants for university degree courses should therefore look carefully at what is on offer before choosing." - from What is Artificial Intelligence?

Stuart Russell on the Future of Artificial Intelligence. Ubiquity; Volume 4, Issue 43 (December 24 - January 6, 2004). One of the questions he's asked is: Is the AI community in the US pretty much the same as it is everywhere, or is there a European school and a US school and so forth?

Courses - Artificial Intelligence. Independent Online Edition of its Which Course Magazine (February 27, 2007). "*Who applies? Anyone with an interest (as well as A-levels) in computing, IT and business studies could look to a career in artificial intelligence (AI). Those who are fascinated by complex systems and the technologies evolving to help us create and manage such systems should, perhaps, look to the rising number of courses offered by UK universities in AI-related fields. *What does the course involve? ... *What career options are there when the course is completed? ... *Current student ... I wanted to study AI because the prospect of getting a computer to learn something on its own is really exciting. ... *Recent graduate ... I wanted to study technology because it is a large part of the world that we live in, and helps to make it more fun. ..."

The robot revolution - As a roboticist you could help build a team of C-3POs and change how we all live forever. By Kate Hilpern. Careers Adviser Magazine / The Independent Online (September 11, 2006). "As with so much else in the stranger-than-fiction world of artificial intelligence and humanoid beings though, the search for the ultimate in robot technology to construct our cars, clean our floors and even perform delicate microsurgery on us, is never going to be that simple. Take the academic background of roboticists themselves. ... "

Outsized effort powers robots in 'Almost Human.' Book review by David Templeton. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (March 14, 2007). "[I]t's the dramatic tale of Carnegie Mellon University roboticists working to build robots that feature human-like abilities when they move, see, record, learn, and even understand. Lee Gutkind, the self-described 'godfather of creative nonfiction,' tells their story in his latest book that provides an inside look into Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. 'Almost Human: Making Robots Think,' the 320-page book published by WW Norton.... 'It's a great test of character to get them to work,' Mr. Gutkind said of robots that do not make good eye contact with humans. 'The main thesis is that young people are making things happen.'"

Interviews with students: What is it really like to study Artificial Intelligence? From the Department of Artificial Intelligence of the University of Groningen (RUG: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), Netherlands. "We have asked the experts: the students themselves. ..."

Also see our collection of FAQs which includes:

• Q: I am planning on entering a career in robotics and artificial intelligence and was unsure if my course selection for university next year is suitable.
• Q: How do I prepare for a job in AI?

Be sure to check out the Resources section of the General Index to AI in the news for articles such as Welsh uni to turn science fiction into fact. By David Williamson. The Western Mail / available from i c Wales (August 2, 2004). "Students at a Welsh university are to begin preparing for a world shared with intelligent robots. A new degree in robotics will teach students how to apply science fiction in science. The release of the big-screen adaptation of Isaac Asimov's I, Robot has fuelled speculation about whether robots designed as servants could attempt to become our masters. Dr Mike Reddy at the University of Glamorgan is determined to take these questions from the realm of science fiction and explore them in the new BSc Science (Robotics) degree. ... The science fiction of the 20th century, he argues, not only created the concept of the robot but demonstrated the complexity of the threats, opportunities and moral dilemmas their arrival would spark. ... The degree will be launched next year, but the areas involving the social and ethical concerns of scientists and the need for effective communication of scientific concepts with the public, can currently be studied in BSc (Hons) Science and Science Fiction."

. . . and for those of you considering graduate school, here are some additional resources:

Articles about Graduate School from ACM Crossroads, include:

• Advice for Undergraduates Considering Graduate School. By Phil Agre. (1997). ACM Crossroads. "This document contains informal advice for undergraduates who are thinking about graduate school. Graduate school comes in three varieties: professional schools (law, medicine, education, etc.), master's programs, and doctoral programs. I know little about either professional schools or master's programs, so I will concentrate on doctoral programs. In particular, I will use the term "graduate school" to refer to doctoral programs."
• How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors. By Marie desJardins. (1994). ACM Crossroads.

AI Education resources from ECCAI, the European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence, has information about AI masters programs.

UK Postgraduate Courses in Artificial Intelligence. From The British Council.

A Brief Guide to Studying Artificial Intelligence in the UK. Provided by Felix Agakov. "This list is far from being complete, but may provide a starting point for recent graduates and last-year undergraduate students willing to study Artificial Intelligence in the UK."

Cognitive Science Graduate School Programs. Compiled by the Cognitive Science Society.

Graduate Programs in Robotics. FAQ 6.1 in Kevin Dowling's collection of Robotics FAQs.

UK Postgraduate Courses in Robotics. From The British Council.

FAQ: "I am applying for a Masters course in AI, but in the interim I would like to get a head start in AI programming. Can you suggest which programming language(s) I should learn ?"

FAQ: "I'll be applying this fall/winter to graduate school. I just want to find a few graduate schools with decently interesting Machine Learning/AI programs.... Where should I look?"

How to Choose A Grad School - Figure out what you want and who can give it to you. By Susan Karlin. IEEE Spectrum Online (September 2005).

Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science: an annual talk given by Mor Harchol-Balter. You can access it in different formats from her homepage. As stated in the Introduction: "This document is intended for people applying to Ph.D. programs in computer science or related areas. The document is informal in nature, and is meant to express only the opinions of the author. The author is currently an assistant professor of computer science at CMU, and has been involved in the Ph.D. admissions process at CMU, U.C. Berkeley, and MIT." The 5 topics covered in the 2003 update are: Do I really want a Ph.D.? & What does a Ph.D. entail?; The Application Process; Fellowship Information; Choosing the right Ph.D. program for you; and, Current 2002 Rankings of CS Ph.D. programs in the U.S.

What's Google's Secret Weapon? An Army of Ph.D.'s. By Randall Stross. The New York Times (June 6, 2004). "Rajeev Motwani, a computer science professor at Stanford, says: 'Good Ph.D. students are extreme in their creativity and self-motivation. Master's students are equally smart but do not have the same drive to create something new.' The master's takes you where others have been; the doctorate, where no one has gone before."

Ranking Caution and Controversy. From the Education and Social Science Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Many people question the use and usefulness of rankings services such as those found at this site. Without a doubt, knowledge of how rankings are constructed, leavened with a dash of skepticism, can go a long way to ensuring they are used appropriately. In addition to the print articles listed in our rankings bibliography, many interesting Internet-based articles may be found concerning what one should make of rankings. ..."

• With that said, here's their collection of Graduate and Research Program Rankings.

Some helpful pages from US News & World Report:

• Best Graduate Schools home page
• Education home page: links to college and grad school rankings & articles, resources about financial aid, and much more.
• Computer Science (Ranked in 2006)
  • Specialties:
    • Artificial Intelligence (Ranked in 2006)
    • Systems (Ranked in 2006)
    • Theory (Ranked in 2006)
• Engineering Specialties: Computer Engineering (Ranked in 2006)
• Psychology Specialties: Cognitive Psychology (Ranked in 2005)

What's Up, Postdoc?- How to climb the academic ladder. By Prachi Patel-Predd. IEEE Spectrum (September 2006).

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Some of the many Associations & Organizations:'''

OVERVIEWS:

• AI's Geographic Outreach: Mexico and Latin America. By Francisco J. Cantu. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 18 (3) 78-80 (May/June) 2003. Societies mentioned include: The Argentine Society for Informatics and Operations Research (SADIO), Special Group on Artificial Intelligence (SGAI); The Brazilian Computer Science Society, Special Commission on Artificial Intelligence; The Chilean Computer Science Society (SCCC); The Mexican Society for Artificial Intelligence (SMIA); and The Venezuelan Association for Artificial Intelligence (AVINTIA).
• AI Matures and Flourishes in North America. By David Mike Hamilton, Tom M. Mitchell, and Carol M. Hamilton. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 18(4): 87-88, c3 (July/August 2003). "Separate artificial intelligence organizations in North America have existed for nearly 40 years. From humble beginnings, when a small interest group served the field, to today, when AI groups serve every niche, AI is flourishing.The oldest AI organization in the region is SIGART, the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence. SIGART began publishing a newsletter for its members in the mid 1960s...."

A VERY GOOD LIST:

• AI International's list of scientific societies that further research activies in AI.

AAAI: see Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence

The A.I. Honor Society, National Chapter at The George Washington University

Artificial Intelligence Student Union (A.I.S.U.). One aspect of its mission is: "Arousing public and students' awareness and interest in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in Hong Kong."

Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence: "Founded in 1979, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) (formerly the American Association for Artificial Intelligence) is a nonprofit scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. AAAI also aims to increase public understanding of artificial intelligence, improve the teaching and training of AI practitioners, and provide guidance for research planners and funders concerning the importance and potential of current AI developments and future directions."

• Also see:
  • Online membership brochure
  • Information about AAAI's new name:
    • AAAI Changes Name to Reflect Its International Nature. AAAI press release (March 1, 2007).
    • AAAI Is Now the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Official announcement.

Association for Computing Machinery Student Chapters (ACM).

• Also see SIGART, the ACM Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence.

"The Association for Women in Computing (AWC) is a not-for-profit, professional organization for individuals with an interest in information technology." Some of the student chapters can be found at:

• Miami University
• Montana State University Chapter
• University at Buffalo Chapter
• Virginia Tech

Associations - General AI, in a particular country (FAQ 3-1b). From AI FAQs, written by Ric Crabbe, Amit Dubey, and Mark Kantrowitz. See their index for other categories of associations such as Logic Programming, NLP, and Robotics.

Associazione Italiana per l'Intelligenza Artificiale (AI*IA)

Australian Computer Society’s (ACS) Committee for Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems’ pages.

British Computer Society (BCS) Specialist Group on Artificial Intelligence (SGAI), founded in 1980 as SGES (Specialist Group on Expert Systems).

Canadian Society for Computational Studies of Intelligence (CSCSI)

Coalition to Diversify Computing (CDC)

Computer Society of India (CSI) Special Interest Group in Artificial Intelligence (SIGAI). Be sure to see the special AI issue of CSI Communications.

"Computing Research Association (CRA) is an association of more than 200 North American academic departments of computer science, computer engineering, and related fields; laboratories and centers in industry, government, and academia engaging in basic computing research; and affiliated professional societies. ...

CRA's mission is to strengthen research and advanced education in the computing fields, expand opportunities for women and minorities, and improve public and policymaker understanding of the importance of computing and computing research in our society."

euCognition network, The European Network for the Advancement of Artificial Cognitive Systems. "A key objective of the network is to foster interaction between all the many different scientific sectors involved in this multi-disciplinary area and to help create truly inter-disciplinary perspectives."

European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence (ECCAI) represents more than 20 member societies.

Florida AI Research Society (FLAIRS)

Icelandic Society for Intelligence Research (ISIR)

IEEE Computational Intelligence Society.

• Scope: "The Field of Interest of the Society shall be the theory, design, application, and development of biologically and linguistically motivated computational paradigms emphasizing neural networks, connectionist systems, genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, fuzzy systems, and hybrid intelligent systems in which these paradigms are contained."

Israeli Association for Artificial Intelligence (IAAI)

Japanese Society for AI

Oxford University Artificial Intelligence Society - started in 1979.

Portuguese Associaition for Artificial Intelligence.

"The Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour (SSAISB) is the largest Artificial Intelligence Society in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1964, the society has an international membership drawn from both academia and industry. It is a member of the European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence."

"The Technology Student Association (TSA) is the only student organization devoted exclusively to the needs of technology education students. Open to students who are enrolled in or who have completed technology education courses, TSA is composed of over 100,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in 2,000 schools spanning 45 states. TSA is supported by educators, parents, and business leaders who believe in the need for a technologically literate society. Our members learn through exciting competitive events, leadership opportunities, and much more!"

And check out related news articles in our Resources news archive. That's where you'll find articles such as:

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Careers in AI & Employment Opportunities

Careers in IT leaflets from BCS (British Computer Society): Artificial Intelligence.

Best Careers 2008 - 31 Careers With Bright Futures. U.S. News and World Report (December 19, 2007).

• Best Careers for a Changing Job Landscape. By Marty Nemko. "It has only been a year since U.S. News published Best Careers 2007, yet much has changed. As a result, in Best Careers 2008, we've dropped five of the 25 profiled careers and added 11 new ones. We've also added a new section on Ahead-of-the-Curve Careers. These 12 careers are too nascent or narrow to justify inclusion as a Best Career, but they are currently viable and promise to grow further in demand and importance to society. If you'd enjoy being on the cutting edge, they're certainly worth a look."
  • Ahead of the Curve - Here’s a look at a dozen cutting-edge careers, viable now and poised for future growth. They stem from megatrends like globalization, digitization, and the wave of environmentalism sweeping the world. By Marty Nemko. "Health informatics specialists will, for example, develop expert systems to help doctors and nurses make evidence-based diagnoses and treatments. ... An under-the-radar career that is core to the digital enterprise is data miner. Online customers provide enterprises with high-quality data on what to sell and for individualized marketing. Another star of the digitized world is simulation developer. ... The dawn of clinical genomics. Decades of basic research are finally starting to yield clinical implications. ... [T]he unsung heroes who will bring this true revolution to pass will include computational biologists...."

Cool Careers in Science. From Scientific American Frontiers. Among the questions addressed are: What inspired you? - What do you do during a typical day at work? - If I'm a student thinking about a career designing and building robots, what can I do now to prepare?

• "Meet Maja Mataric. Maja is working on developing the next generation of intelligent robots!"
• "Meet Roger D. Quinn. He's teamed up with biologist Roy Ritzmann to design and build a robot that imitates the cockroach, an insect with superior locomotion."
• "Meet Manuela Veloso. With her students at Carnegie Mellon University, Manuela designs soccer-playing robots that have won international RoboCup competitions."
• Also see this interview from the Carnegie Mellon Look Who's Talking collection.

Profile: James McLurkin. NOVA Science NOW (broadcast date: January 25, 2005) "James McLurkin of MIT is one of the world's leading designers of robot 'swarms' -- groups of robots that work together for a greater purpose. ... See the 10-minute broadcast segment chronicling McLurkin's personal and work life." [Also see this other broadcast about his career.]

Hot Skills, Cold Skills - The IT worker of 2010 won't be a technology guru but rather a 'versatilist.' By Stacy Collett. Computerworld (July 17, 2006). Page 5: "Internet - HOT ... * Artificial intelligence * Data mining ... In the online banking industry, businesses want to manage all of their customers' money -- from mortgages to school loans to retirement accounts. To be successful in 2010, they must create Web sites that are user-friendly, with artificial intelligence, data mining and data warehousing capabilities, [David] Foote says. ... Business Intelligence - HOT ... * Data mining ..."

Hot 6-figure jobs now. By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com (2007). "We asked 6FigureJobs.com, TheLadders.com and SimplyHired.com to ferret out $100,000 jobs where there has been a spike in listings in recent months. Here are 5 areas where the demand for talent appears to be outpacing the supply. ... Engineering jobs - Manufacturing: To compete, manufacturers need to further automate the production process and make it more cost-efficient. That has put talented mechanical engineers and robotics engineers in the catbird seat career-wise."

It's a woman's world wide web. By Celeste Biever. New Scientist (November 25, 2006; Issue 2579: pages 58-59). "'There is nothing traditional or geeky about me,' says Wendy Hall. Her insight and wit may betray her intellect, but there are no outward signs that she is a computer scientist. In fact, this gregarious woman with a warm, cheeky laugh and a strong London accent is among the best and brightest. As well as heading the University of Southampton's world-class electronics and computer science department, Hall is senior vice-president of the Royal Academy of Engineering; sits on the Council for Science and Technology, which advises the prime minister; and works in close collaboration with Tim Berners-Lee, the 'father of the web'. So why does a woman who is indifferent to writing computer code or discussing processor speed choose a career in IT, a field with an undeniable reputation for being dominated by nerdy men? ... "

Artificial intelligence - Transforming the world we live in. By Kate Hilpern. Independent Online Edition of Careers Adviser Magazine (October 26, 2007). "The study of artificial intelligence (AI) - even at undergraduate level - has never been so advanced, particularly in the UK, Japan and USA. 'We have a current student on our BSc in AI who is looking at putting emotions on a robot so that if it could show if it was curious or angry,' says Will Browne, lecturer in cybernetics at the University of Reading. ... Most people don't realise the extent to which AI is already used in our everyday lives, believes Brown - making a degree in it an increasingly relevant qualification."

• Also see The Independent's A-Z of Careers: "Courses and qualifications are inexorably linked to careers and employers. This unique guide draws on articles from Independent's specialist education magazines for a broad range of expert advice, complete with web links, addresses and telephone numbers. All this is combined with details from featured employers to help young people plot their way to the future."
  • Artificial Intelligence and Robotics - The development of robotics and artificial intelligence is likely to affect all our futures. By Dr Margaret Fraser, Robert Gordon University School of Engineering, Aberdeen (September 4, 2002).
  • Informatics - The science of information is rapidly gaining importance and popularity. From Which Course? Magazine. Issue 30.4  (January 29, 2002). "Informatics is developing as a science ­ concerned with the processing and communication of information in all its forms, by both artificial (for example, by computer) and natural means (the human brain)."

Fuzzy Logic, Adventures in Artificial Intelligence. By Clinton Parks. ScienceCareers.org (November 7, 2003). "[Ayanna] Howard has always been driven by her desire to 'build seamless human-robot interface systems. As a third grader I watched The Bionic Woman and became interested in robotics and making robots smarter,' she says. ... [H]er internship at JPL [NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory] in 1990 introduced her to the world of artificial intelligence (AI) research. She enjoyed the experience so much that she returned to JPL every summer. After completing her B.S. in computer engineering at Brown, Howard decided to turn her summer research sessions in AI into graduate-level study."

3 articles from Newsweek's September 23, 2002 report on Hot Tech Careers:

• A Solution to Flight Risk: The military gives a starring role to unmanned aircraft.
• Gray Market For Gadgets: Technologies to help the elderly live on their own.
• Surviving a Dot-Bomb: My first dot-com flamed out.

A Career in Artificial Intelligence. New Scientist Graduate - Choose a Career. "Until Steven Spielberg's movie came along, the two things that spring to mind when most people heard the term AI were artificial insemination or very crude robot brains. But slowly artificial intelligence is making its way into the mainstream and the process is drawing in graduates from a many fields as its full potential begins to dawn."

A Day In The Life. From ACM Crossroads. A collection of interviews which provide a peek into the lives of computer scientists, interface designers, and others. Computing Careers from ACM: "Welcome! In all likelihood, you have come to this site to find out more about the exciting field of computing." Be sure to download their Cool Careers brochure.

Career perspectives after studying AI. From the Department of Artificial Intelligence of the University of Groningen (RUG: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), Netherlands. "[T]he best impression of what you can do after studying Artificial Intelligence comes from the real world. We will therefore quote some graduated students: ... "

What's Up, Postdoc? - How to climb the academic ladder. By Prachi Patel-Predd. IEEE Spectrum (September 2006). "Roughly 28 percent of all electrical and computer engineering Ph.D.s follow the academic career path, according to a 2003 survey of doctoral recipients by the U.S. National Science Foundation. After five or six years as graduate students -- a grueling stretch of time spent in proving that they can develop their own ideas and become well versed in research methods and goals -- freshly minted Ph.D.s find themselves at the bottom rung of the academic ladder. Now their objectives must be to prove themselves in their fields, contribute to the learning in those fields, and in countries where it is offered, get tenure. ... The system varies widely in Europe. In most countries, including France, Germany, and Italy, only senior academics are appointed professors, a venerable, tenured position. Junior faculty members, typically called lecturers, can have fixed-term or permanent contracts, but they usually do not move up the ranks at the same university."

The Princeton Review explores a career as a Robotics Engineer in a series of pages that include A Day in the Life, Past & Future, and Facts & Figures.

Dream Jobs 2005. IEEE Spectrum Online (February 2005) - Ayanna Howard: Robot Wrangler. By Stephen Cass."She's designing future generations of robotic explorers to bring back even more science for the buck. Her goal: a robot that can be dropped off on a planet and wander around on its own...."

Information about a career in robotics. See our response to this student inquiry.

How about a careers as an Artificial Intelligence Analyst with the Internal Revenue Service: "As an Artificial Intelligence Specialist, you will apply artificial intelligence techniques and other advanced computing skills to solve IRS business problems using neural networks, data mining, encryption, agent-based modeling, expert systems, text generation and natural language, and sophisticated Web applications."

Majors & Careers. From the College Board. Here is just a sample of what you'll find:

• Computer Science Major. "Computer science majors learn about computer systems and the way humans and computers interact from a scientific perspective. Instruction includes the theory and design of hardware and software."
• Ten Hottest Careers for College Graduates
• Also see related materials on our Computer Science page.

Career Pathways for Computer Science Majors. From the Career Education Center at Georgetown University. "There is no question that a computer science graduate has a bright future in today’s job market. ... A computer science degree offers more than just technical knowledge - many theoretical and mathematical concepts are used in developing software and hardware solutions to diverse problems. Additionally, there are computer science courses in which a computer is never used, such as investigating the theoretical nature of artificial intelligence."

"The high technology sector is where everybody from a computer programmer to a game designer, a chemist to a lab technician, and a telephone technician to a web designer works. ... Careers of the Future gives you a current snapshot of many of the jobs in those industries. The information is based on interviews with managers and employees in B.C. companies and post-secondary educational institutions." Gaming and Robotics are just two of the industries profiled in this resource from Future Works Training, Inc.

Our collection of AI Career & Employment Statistics

Internship Opportunities for Students, courtesy of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) --- and --- Internship Opportunity Links from ACM Crossroads.

How to find an internship. From CollegeBoard.com.

Find an Internship Abroad - Use this search to find internships in countries all over the world. Available from U.S.News & World Report.

Wooing interns to Silicon Valley. By Stefanie Olsen. CNET News.com (July 3, 2007).

Here's a very small sample of the variety of interships that might be available:

• ACCELERATE BC: "an internship program that connects B.C. [British Columbia, Canada] businesses with graduate student interns and their professors to help create innovative business practices, products and solve ongoing industry challenges."
• Google Engineering Summer Internships
• IBM Research Summer Internships &amp The Extreme Blue™ program
• Microsoft Intern Programs: US and UK
• Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) Intern Program
• Museum of Science, Boston - Technology Education Intern: "The staff, volunteers and exhibits of Cahners ComputerPlace provide a highly diverse group of visitors the opportunity to learn about computer science topics such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and programming and to explore computers as a tool for helping us understand and change our world."
• NIST: SURFing the Information Technology Laboratory: one of the seven Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) programs offered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
• Phoenix Student Interns Program: "NASA is committed to helping develop and inspire the next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers, and researchers. Now NASA wants to involve [selected teachers and their chosen students] in the excitement of Mars exploration and discovery! The Phoenix Student Interns Program (PSIP) is a unique opportunity to become part of the Phoenix Science Team for the 2007-2008 Phoenix Mars Lander Mission."
• "USC's Institute for Creative Technologies offers select interdisciplinary internships for creative and technical students wishing to pursue careers in simulation and virtual reality fields. ... Research and project work at ICT includes the following topics: * Artificial Intelligence * Emotional Models for Virtual Characters * Natural Language and Multi-modal Dialogue ...."

Occupational Outlook Handbook (2006-2007), from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information about jobs in the computer industry, the employment outlook, salary ranges, related careers, and much more.

Related Career Titles for Computer Science Majors. From The University of Toronto Computer Science Department. Starting with Accountant and ending with Web Programmer, there's lots to consider.

AI Job Opportunities from the AI Magazine Job Bank.

Agent Job Finder from AgentLink, the European Commission's IST-funded Network of Excellence for Agent-Based Computing coordinated by the University of Liverpool and the University of Southampton.

Career Opportunities from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

Jobs in Machine Learning and Knowledge Discovery. From the Machine Learning Online Information Service, a web site funded by the European Commission.

Check out our FAQ: How do I prepare for a job in AI?

Some related news articles from the AI in the news - Resources collection:

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Something for EVERYONE: Equality & Diversity in AI and the Computer Sciences

AAAI Grants and Scholarships (click on the "Eligibility for AAAI Scholarships" link). "Through its Women and Minority grants, AAAI supports programs that specialize in reaching out to these communities to encourage careers in computer science."

"The Ada Project (TAP), originally located at Yale, is a WWW site designed to serve as a clearinghouse for information and resources relating to women in computing." And for the younger crowd, there's TAP Junior.

Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology. "Since 1995, ABI has developed tools and programs designed to help industry, academia and government recruit, retain and develop women technology leaders." - from the Mission statement.

CRA-W: "The goal of the CRA Committee on the Status of Women in Computing research (CRA-W) is to take positive action to increase the number of women participating in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) research and education at all levels."

"CS-Camp [Computer Science Computing and Mentorinng Partnership] is a support program designed to enhance the interest and persistence of female students in pre-college computer science." It is funded by the National Science Foundation and is one of the many programs at Rice University's Center for Excellence and Equity in Education (CEEE) which "seeks to promote greater participation of underrepresented groups in the sciences, and to encourage academic excellence for all." Other programs include: GirlTEC - " In response to a serious shortage of women in computer science and information technology, GirlTECH works to promote the participation of girls and women through K-12 student and teacher programs, university student admission and retention programs, and national outreach and awareness efforts."

CSE Colloquia - 2005, The University of Washington Computer Science & Engineering Colloquium Series, is available in video format from the ResearchChannel, and includes talks such as:

• Computer Science Participation: "Despite decades of intervention, women and minorities remain significantly underrepresented in computer science and engineering at all levels of the academic pipeline. In this CSE Distinguished Lecture, Professor Jan Cuny, University of Oregon, reviews a number of existing efforts at the national level and calls for broad new alliances to solve this problem."
• Gender, Lies and Video Games - Women and Computer Sciences: "Princeton University professor, Maria Klawe, explores how girls and women differ from boys and men in their uses of, and attitudes towards, computers and computing. From playing computer games to pursuing computing careers, the participation of females in the computer sciences tends to be very low compared to that of males. Klawe discusses research findings on this issue and initiatives designed to increase the participation of females in computing."

The Center for Women and Information Technology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The Center has a three-fold mission:

• to encourage more women and girls to study computer science and/or information systems and to pursue careers in IT
• to enable more women and girls to use IT comfortably and knowledgeably and to understand its rapidly increasing importance in every field, not just in science and technology but also in the arts, the humanities, and the social sciences
• to foster research concerning the relationship between gender and IT

Computer Girl: an Association for Computing Machinery's Committee on Women in Computing (ACM-W) project. "This web site is designed to focus on female high school students. Thus, all of the research on this site is specifically chosen to address their questions and concerns.

Diversity in Computing. An interview with Valerie Taylor "associate professor in the Electrical and Computing Engineering Department at Northwestern University" from Ubiquity, an ACM IT Magazine & Forum (Issue 26: August 28 - September 3, 2001).

Empowering Leadership Alliance.

• Empowering Leadership: Computing Scholars of Tomorrow Alliance Announces Mentoring Program for Minority Students (January 2, 2008 press release): "The National Science Foundation-supported 'Empowering Leadership: Computing Scholars of Tomorrow' Alliance (EL Alliance) has launched its online mentoring program designed to connect undergraduate and graduate minority students from research universities across the country with national leaders in the computing fields. Protégés and mentors are encouraged to sign up at http://www.empoweringleadership.org."

Ethical Considerations in Gender-Oriented Entertainment Technology. By Melissa Chaika. ACM Crossroads Student Magazine (2.2 / November 1995). "It is an established fact that women are not entering technical fields in anywhere near the proportions of men. What is often assumed, however incorrectly, is that this has always been the status quo."

The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences. An internet presentation from Mitchell C. Brown, Librarian, Princeton University. Be sure to scroll down to the entries for "Computer Scientists."

Gender Equity Project at the Berkeley Expert Systems Technology Lab "is a series of research and deployment projects aimed at increasing the number of women who enter and persist in engineering. Our approach is to remove inequities and barriers that have been shown to discourage underrepresented students and develop equitable learning environments that improve engineering education for both men and woman."

Gender Equity Project. Berkeley Expert Systems Technology Lab, Department of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. "The Gender Equity program is a series of research and deployment projects aimed at increasing the number of women who enter and persist in engineering. Our approach is to remove inequities and barriers that have been shown to discourage underrepresented students and develop equitable learning environments that improve engineering education for both men and women."

"Girls In Technology - a subcommittee of Women in Technology. "The mission of Girls in Technology is to support academic and community programs that engage school-age girls in technology and computer-related learning. This support can take many forms such as providing mentors and speakers, assisting with program and curriculum development, providing financial support, and collaborating with strategic partners to expose school-age girls to technology. ... Currently, GIT furthers its mission by supporting summer camps and after school computer clubs for girls that provide technology/math/science enrichment and promote leadership skills."

• Also see Kathleen Melymuka's interview with Marla Ozarowski, Chair of the Girls in Technology Committee, in Computerworld (January 24, 2005)

MESA USA. "California MESA is a founding member of MESA USA, a partnership of MESA programs from eight states that have joined together to support disadvantaged and underrepresented students to achieve academically in math, science and engineering and go on to attain math-based degrees. Members include MESA programs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington. ... Pilot MESA pre-college programs have been established in Missouri, Nevada and New York. In 2004 a Diversity in Engineering grant from HP established MESA community college pilot programs in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and New York."

• HP-MESA Community College Diversity in Engineering Initiative (2004): "HP is committed to the success of African American, American Indian, Latino, and female community college students in their pursuit of computer science and engineering degrees. This Diversity in Engineering grant initiative will help to establish up to ten (10) Diversity in Engineering centers at community colleges across the U.S. to support educationally disadvantaged students, and provide equipment to pilot the innovative use of wireless mobile technology in related math/science classrooms. This initiative is offered in partnership with MESA...."

MiSciNet, the Minority Scientists Network: "a collaborative effort involving the ScienceCareers Web site and the AAAS [American Association for the Advancement of Science] directorate for Education and Human Resources."

A National Analysis of Minorities in Science and Engineering Faculties at Research Universities. Report by Dr. Donna Nelson (October 31, 2007). Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science.

• About the Site. ""The pages themselves were created primarily by students, first at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and since 1997 at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)."
• The Diverse Workplace.

Online Resources For Women and Minorities in Science and Technology. Maintained by Bonnie Bracey.

STARS Alliance (Students & Technology in Academia, Research & Service). Their mission: "... to increase the participation of women, under-represented minorities, and persons with disabilities in computing disciplines through multi-faceted interventions focused on the influx and progression of students from middle school through graduate school in programs that lead to computing careers. ..."

UK Resource Centre for Women in SET [Science, Engineering and Technology]. As explained on the "About the Centre" page, it "is an innovative centre set up to complement the Government's new 10 year investment framework for Science and Innovation. It is the mission of the UKRC to establish a dynamic centre that provides accessible, high quality information and advisory services to industry, academia, professional institutes, education and Research Councils within the SET and built environment professions, whilst supporting women entering and progressing in SET careers."

WISE in Wales (Women Into Science and Engineering). Meet Dr. Lynne Moore who was featured in the article, Engineer keen to see more young people made aware of opportunities in her profession. (The Western Mail - August 16, 2002):

Women in Computer Science from the Computing Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research. "The field of computer science offers challenge, fun, and the chance to contribute to innovations that improve the quality of our lives. Traditionally, men have outnumbered women in computer science and engineering, but that trend has been changing. Increasingly, women are becoming successful computer scientists and engineers, reaping the career benefits, and telling their stories. Their successes are attracting more women to the field. This brochure tells the stories of a few of the many women in computing today." One of the women you can read about is Barbara Grosz, Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Women@SCS; School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. "The Women@SCS mission is to create, encourage, and support women's academic, social, and professional opportunities in the computer sciences and to promote the breadth of the field and its diverse community."

• Resources include:
  • Interviews
  • Links to sites and resources for Women in Computer Science
  • Job and Internship Opportunities
  • Outreach

Women and Minority grants. AAAI supports programs that specialize in reaching out to these communities to encourage careers in computer science. See Eligibility for AAAI Scholarships.

Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. A collection of resources from Ellen Spertus that includes: Women in AI. Researched and written by Dale Strok, Staff Editor, IEEE Expert. This article appeared in IEEE Expert, Vol. 7, No. 4, August 1992. Copyright 1992 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

• Also see: Mills teacher computes way to advance women. By Jessica Guynn. Contra Costa Times (January 3, 2005).

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