GVSU unveils degrees to blend technology across disciplines

DETROIT — As artificial intelligence and rapid technological shifts reshape the modern workforce, higher education is scrambling to adapt.

On Friday, Oct. 23, Grand Valley State University made a major move to bridge the gap between technical fluency and specialized domain expertise, unveiling a cross-disciplinary push designed for the modern economy.

At its Oct. 23 board meeting held in Detroit, the GVSU Board of Trustees officially approved five new integrated bachelor’s degree programs under a flagship initiative dubbed Computing+X. Set to launch in fall 2027, the degrees are structured to blend advanced tech skills directly with health care, business, mathematics and the liberal arts.

Developed by GVSU’s College of Computing, the initiative represents a collaborative partnership alongside the College of Health Professions, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Seidman College of Business.

“Michigan’s employers require a workforce capable of working with emerging technologies, like AI, with forethought and vision,” said GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella. “With these degrees, GVSU students will have the necessary digital skills to make an immediate impact in their respective field.”

The initial suite of five degrees includes:

• Computing and allied health sciences
• Computing and business
• Computing and mathematics
• Computing and anthropology
• Computing and modern languages

A fully integrated blueprint

Rather than requiring students to stack a major with a separate minor or certificate, each Computing+X offering operates as a single, cohesive 120-credit program. This setup matches the standard timeframe of a traditional bachelor's degree while embedding dedicated “integration courses” where students apply computing concepts to real-world challenges within their chosen discipline.

Marouane Kessentini, dean of the College of Computing, framed the initiative as a foundational transformation in how the university approaches technology education.

“The College of Computing views computing as shared infrastructure that can accelerate discovery, innovation and impact across disciplines,” Kessentini said. “Computing+X brings computing expertise together with deep knowledge of another field to address problems that neither discipline can solve as effectively alone.”

Kessentini added that these initial five programs are only the baseline, noting the framework is built so that virtually any discipline across Grand Valley can eventually pair with computing.

Human-centered innovation

The practical applications span diverse industries:

• Healthcare: Graduates in computing and allied health sciences will apply digital skills to build responsible technologies aimed at improving clinical practice, medical research and patient care delivery.
• Commerce: Students pursuing computing and business will combine technical proficiency with economic strategy to build tech-driven products, services and ventures.
• Culture and AI: In fields like anthropology and modern languages, students will leverage deep cultural and linguistic insight to inform the development of AI models and communication systems — ensuring emerging technologies are built with human context in mind.

Academic leaders stressed that ethical responsibility remains at the core of the curriculum.

“Through the Computing+X initiative, GVSU students will learn ethical and responsible ways to engage with emerging technologies, including AI,” said Jennifer Drake, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “These degrees will empower our students to think creatively in solving everyday problems they will face.”

With formal approval secured, Grand Valley now turns toward curriculum implementation ahead of the fall 2027 launch, positioning its graduates to step directly into a tech-driven marketplace.

— Submitted by Grand Valley State University. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.