If there’s one school that understands where the future of business is heading, it’s the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. A globally recognised leader in management education and research, Smith School strives to foster innovation, promote inclusivity, and equip you with the tools to address complex global challenges, including artificial intelligence (AI).
“Business school graduates should know how to make decisions using AI, what problems it can help solve, and what kinds of biases and unintended consequences could arise,” says Prabhudev Konana, Dean of the Smith School and Professor of Information Systems. “And they need to know how to come up with the strategy and governance for implementing it. That’s why the Smith School is going all in on AI.”
Many Smith School events are held in the Thomas G. Pownall Atrium, including the Annual Career Premiere. Source: University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business
The AI hub bridging education, research, and innovation
In 2024, the Smith School took its first steps to redefine the future of business education by launching the Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Business. Working alongside the University of Maryland’s Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute, the centre is shaping future AI-savvy leaders who prioritise responsible AI use to drive business growth.
“What the AI Centre represents is interdisciplinary research and engagement at its very best,” says Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Wedad Elmaghraby. “With faculty from every discipline, we have the expertise to collaborate with practitioners and academics to address the challenges and opportunities AI presents.”
But that’s not all; the school continues to recruit new faculty members to grow its already distinguished research community — 21 Smith School professors are ranked among the top 2% of the world’s most-cited scholars and scientists worldwide. Their industry insights shape the curriculum, where you will learn the practical skills needed for success in a data- and AI-driven world through experiential learning projects.
“Business schools are tremendous enablers of AI,” says Professor Balaji Padmanabhan, the Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Business. “Research is always a key part of what we do, as well as designing programmes to educate students who are actually going to go out into the real world to make these things happen.”
A new era of business education
The Smith School offers various undergraduate and postgraduate business programmes, each designed to turn you into a creative problem solver who can use AI to create value. “I think a lot of business schools are trying to do more, but the way we’ve structured our AI specialisation at the Smith School is unique and quite comprehensive,” says Padmanabhan.
AI learning is weaved through the school’s 10 STEM-designated business master’s programmes. The in-person programmes cover a range of specialisations, including business analytics, accounting, finance, marketing analytics, management studies, supply chain management, quantitative finance, and information systems, with business analytics and management studies also available online.
Meanwhile, the STEM-Designated Full-Time MBA programme has expanded to include a specialisation that covers AI fundamentals, governance, and systems design. This timely addition reflects the increasing demand for professionals with such expertise. Flex MBA graduate Elena Maican, who is already using AI as a knowledge management analyst at the World Bank, says, “I strongly believe we need to have a progressive mindset and embrace the change.”
Being in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., metro area means you get direct access to one of the region’s top business networks. Source: University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business
Shape your AI career in the US capital
Even the school’s location in Washington, D.C., is a fitting backdrop for anyone looking to dive into AI. The evidence? Smith School’s very own UMD-LinkUp AI Maps jobs tracker. Created by Smith professors Anil Gupta, Siva Viswanathan, and Kunpeng Zhang in partnership with LinkUp and Outrigger Group, the tracker uses AI technology to monitor the growing number of job postings nationwide that require AI expertise.
“We combined academic rigour, employment data, and expertise in AI methodologies to help figure out how the demand for AI skills is evolving throughout the US,” says Gupta, the Michael Dingman Chair and professor of Strategy, Globalisation and Entrepreneurship.
The state is known for hosting a variety of professional conferences and entrepreneur events too, and the Smith School makes sure you can take full advantage of these opportunities. “The career coaching that I received at Smith was unmatched. The connections I made and continue to make are invaluable, whether it’s connecting me with someone I need to meet, or connecting someone looking for guidance with me,” says Sherika Ekpo, MBA graduate and the President at Shaw Ekpo Enterprises .
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