Aquinas Launches AI, Cybersecurity Majors As Michigan Races To Build Tech Workforce
Aquinas Launches AI, Cybersecurity Majors As Michigan Races To Build Tech Workforce
Publish Date: 2026-06-09 14:50:00
Source Domain: mitechnews.com
GRAND RAPIDS – As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, cyberattacks become more sophisticated, and the digital gaming industry continues its explosive growth, colleges across Michigan are rethinking how they prepare students for the jobs of the future.
Aquinas College is the latest institution to adapt, announcing three new technology-focused majors that will launch in Fall 2026: Artificial Intelligence Literacy, Cybersecurity, and Esports and Gaming Administration.
The move reflects a broader transformation taking place across Michigan higher education. From Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo to Mount Pleasant, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Southfield, colleges and universities are redesigning curricula around artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital technologies as employers compete for workers in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying occupations in the economy.
More importantly, the careers tied to these fields are among the most lucrative available to recent graduates.
Six-Figure Careers Driving Demand
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts—the core occupation supported by cybersecurity programs—earned a median annual salary of $124,910 in 2024. Employment in the field is projected to grow nearly 29 percent through 2034, making it one of the fastest-growing occupations in America.
Artificial intelligence careers are generating even larger paychecks. Industry compensation surveys show AI engineers earning average salaries approaching $145,000 annually, while companies increasingly hire workers with AI-related skills for positions in consulting, training, operations, software development, marketing and data analytics.
The broader computer and information technology sector remains one of the highest-paying segments of the U.S. economy, with median annual wages exceeding $105,000 and hundreds of thousands of projected job openings expected during the next decade.
For Michigan families…
