MSIS Students Learn Keys for Success in Artificial Intelligence
Faisal Akkawi, PhD
Artificial intelligence (AI) has many important business applications, including computer vision, natural language processing for translation and transcribing of text-to-speech and speech-to-text, as well as software robotics enabling autonomous processes. These applications are seen across all industries.
MSIS Careers in Artificial Intelligence Rely on 3 Pillars
Recent breakthroughs in AI are largely a result of an exponential growth in available data, as well as increased processing power of computers—both of which are prerequisites to building neural networks for deep learning. To be successful in implementing AI solutions and to prepare for leadership roles within various industries, professionals need to develop technical skills in machine learning, data management, and cloud computing, which can be gained through advanced study covering the three pillars of AI: large data sets for training models (big data), computing power (cloud-based computing), and efficient deep learning algorithms.
- Big Data. Data science projects can succeed or fail based on the quality of data. Data scientists often spend 80 percent or more of their time gathering and preparing data for input to models. What originally started out as small data sets with dozens of columns and thousands rows of structured data, perhaps analyzed in an Excel file on a local machine, has evolved to become databases with thousands of columns and millions of rows. As part of their normal business operations, many organizations also rely on petabytes or exabytes of unstructured data, including images, text, and video.
- Cloud–Based Computing. Cloud computing gives organizations an ability to grow their computing infrastructure as their needs for data storage grow. Cloud-based resources accommodate the processing demands of batch, interactive, and streaming data. It has become ever more important to leverage technologies available in the cloud to store, analyze, and engineer data for machine learning. Compared with local data centers, cloud-based resources have lower costs and allow for auto-scaling. Clouds can also provide prebuilt frameworks for machine learning and artificial intelligence, solutions applicable to a wide-variety of business applications.
- Algorithms. As the volume and variety of data increase, it becomes ever more important to implement efficient data science methods and algorithms. Students need to choose the right set of tools for each research project and application. They need to match data with methods and algorithms. They need to match methods and algorithms with business applications and needs.
MSIS Specialization in Artificial Intelligence
The Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) program from Northwestern University School of Professional Studies offers an in-depth specialization in Artificial intelligence (AI). The AI specialization prepares students for a wide range of information systems roles that require expertise in machine learning methods and deep learning. Details are available online.
Faisal Akkawi is the faculty director of Northwestern University’s Master of Science in Information Systems program. His area of specialization is software architecture for concurrent systems, and his research interests also include reactive/adaptive intelligent systems and design issues of concurrent programming languages. Selected for the NASA Faculty Fellowship Program in 2003, Akkawi designed and implemented a framework that was used in the advanced diagnostic and caution and warning system for the International Space Station. He has an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in computer science from Illinois Institute of Technology.
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies offers many degree and certificate programs, with evening and online options available. To learn more about how Northwestern University's MS in Information Systems (MSIS) program prepares graduates to advance their careers in IT management or to move into an IT career, fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you soon.