With the rise in AI use and jobs, Fullerton College will introduce a new associate degree in AI in business. The spearhead of the program is Gary Graves, a professor of entrepreneurship.
Fullerton College’s page on the Artificial Intelligence in Business associate in science degree explains the required classes. The requirements for the degree are also listed on the FC course page, including BUS 108 F – Living in an Online World and BUS 256 F – AI and Prompt Engineering for Business.
Classes such as “BUS 108 F – Living in an Online World” focus on human behavior in an increasingly online society and how it affects the various aspects of one’s life. The course is 54 hours of lecture per term and counts for Degree Credit for AA, GE and CSU.
“BUS 256 F – AI and Prompt Engineering for Business” is another required class for the AI degree and is more focused on AI as a tool. The NOCCCD course catalog page for 2025-2026 states that students taking the course will learn to harness AI to solve complex business problems, automate tasks, and enhance decision-making.
CIS 201 F – Intro to Python Programming is another of the requirements for the AI degree is a program class that focuses on the Python programming language, which is used for machine learning, data analysis, and web development.
Some classes on the NOCCCD catalog for the AI Degree have no description currently: BUS 257 F AI applications for Business and CIS 258 F – Applied AI: ML, DL & NLP.
BUS 257 is being taught by Graves in the fall. He states that it’s a class in which they’ll look at how AI is used in the real world, whether it be in the medical field or at Google. The class prepares you for what to expect from AI, how it’s being used, and how it will be used.
CIS 258 is focused on the technical side of machine learning, how machine learning works, and learning the language that’s used in machine learning. Graves believes that these class descriptions should be up on the NOCCCD course catalog by July.
The AI space is growing and being implemented in our daily lives. Google, one of the most used search engines, uses AI to provide an overview of a search. Google itself has a Learning Essential AI Skills. Apple phones have Siri, an AI tool built into every iPhone, to help people in their day-to-day lives. With AI so prevalent, especially at companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft, those interested in the business field may require a basic understanding or skill level with AI.
AI is an ever-changing technology that’s still in the early stages of what it might become.
“[AI] is constantly changing,” said Graves. “And so we’re constantly monitoring, we have an advisory group of professionals who also we talk to at least a couple times a year about the new skills our students are going to need.”
Recently, FC’s transfer center sent out a student interest survey on the Applied Human – AI Collaboration and Leadership Bachelor’s Degree, with the intent to get feedback on whether the program should be developed.
Graves recently sent out an email to suggest using AI tools to help the business department with a Study Abroad Program trip to Florence, Italy. Graves used AI to create a crochet collectable called “Florence-Bound Hornet” that resembles the FC’s Hornet mascot. They were trying to reach a pre-order goal, and if they reached the goal, then they could produce it, and 100% of the proceeds would fund scholarships and trip-cost reductions for the Florence Study Abroad program, but the idea was not carried through.
AI is a popular topic of conversation in most people’s lives, and as technology evolves, people going into the business field may need to be prepared. Fullerton College is still trying to find its footing with AI and how students will move forward. With the new business degree in AI coming to Fullerton College, students might be more prepared than the average person.
