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U of G AI Degree: What Students Need to Know

Written by Zoe Patterson • Published October 19, 2026 • Last verified October 19, 2026

What you need to know:

U of G plans to launch a four-year honours Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence with a human-centred AI major.

Pending formal quality council and government approvals, the first student cohort is targeted for the 2027-28 academic year.

The program is delivered by the School of Computer Science within the College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences.

The curriculum emphasizes computing fundamentals, ethics, societal impact, and responsible AI governance.

Prospective applicants should monitor official U of G admissions pages for finalized high school prerequisites.

The University of Guelph is set to launch a dedicated undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence, joining a select group of Canadian universities offering specialized bachelor-level credentials in the field. Announced by the university in October 2026, the proposed program will be a four-year honours Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence (BAI) delivered through the School of Computer Science, with an initial cohort planned for the 2027-28 academic year, pending final quality council and ministerial approvals.

What distinguishes Guelph's program is its curriculum focus. While many technical programs concentrate exclusively on algorithms and computing models, Guelph's degree features a human-centred artificial intelligence major. The curriculum bridges computer science, data structures, and machine learning with ethics, human factors, and social impacts. Students will study not only how to build artificial intelligence models, but how those technologies affect workplaces, community governance, data privacy, and ethical decision-making.

The new credential will be housed within the university's College of Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, one of eight academic colleges that make up the institution following the Senate's 2025 restructuring. Across all faculties, the University of Guelph enrols roughly 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across more than 85 major programs. Adding a specialized artificial intelligence degree aligns with the school's existing research hubs in computing, agricultural robotics, and bioinformatics.

For current high school students mapping out university applications, the projected 2027-28 launch offers a clear timeline. While formal admission requirements will be published closer to program rollout, applicants should plan for senior-level high school mathematics (including Advanced Functions and Calculus) alongside computer science and English, which form the prerequisite foundation for Guelph's computing and data science degrees.

The local tech ecosystem in Guelph and Waterloo Region also stands to benefit. Expanding local graduate output in machine learning and applied computing supports area employers, research labs, and spin-off ventures seeking technical talent with an understanding of safety, compliance, and human interaction.

Current University of Guelph students interested in artificial intelligence do not have to wait for the new degree. The School of Computer Science already delivers artificial intelligence and machine learning electives within its Bachelor of Computing and Software Engineering streams, alongside interdisciplinary research opportunities across campus.

Because the Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence remains subject to formal institutional governance approvals before admissions formally open, prospective students and parents should monitor the University of Guelph admissions portal at admission.uoguelph.ca for official curriculum updates, prerequisite confirmations, and application dates.

U of G AI Degree: What Students Need to Know

What you need to know:

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