Program director Dr. Andrew Lensen said it is one of the largest taught (non-thesis) master’s courses at the university, with more than 30 students enrolled this year.
Enrollment numbers have also increased in other bachelor’s and postgraduate courses. The first-year introductory course has around 230 students this year, an increase of 50% compared to 2023. Lensen expects almost 300 students next year.
The university sees a significantly higher number of registrations for such courses in 2025 than in 2024.
Lensen said there was also an increase in interest from students outside computer science, such as from health, geography, ecology and legal fields.
After hosting postgraduate programs in AI for the first time this year, the University of Auckland plans to expand the number of places next year to meet growing demand.
The university has a Master of Artificial Intelligence degree, in addition to a postgraduate certificate and diploma.
Professor Yun Sing Koh, from the School of Computer Science, said this year there was a cohort of about 30 students and there were numerous applications for registration.
The University of Canterbury has been offering a Master of Artificial Intelligence degree for the past two years.
Professor Richard Green, who leads the course, said it chose to offer the course in response to high demand from students and the technology industry. There are currently 18 students enrolled.
“Interest in the master’s degree has been huge as many graduates realize how many AI-related jobs are available in the sector,” he said.
Green note sign-ups have noticeably increased since the emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
The University of Waikato has also launched a master’s course on the subject, with the first registrations expected next year. It has offered an introductory undergraduate paper on AI since the early 2000s.
The university said in a statement that it was accustomed to the interest of its computer science students, but is now also seeing interest from students with degrees in related fields, such as data analytics.
AUT has been teaching AI in one form or another since its founding in 2000, and this year just under 700 students took AI-related courses.
This number has steadily increased since 2017, when 355 students took these courses, AUT said.
Vice Chancellor Damon Salesa said generative AI has helped drive interest.
AUT is also working to integrate the use of AI across the curriculum and assessments.
“We need to produce graduates who are able to use AI and enter the industry on day one, or create their own jobs, and make a difference using AI,” Salesa said.
The University of Otago has a Master of Applied Science in Artificial Intelligence and teaches several undergraduate papers on AI and related topics.
Head of the School of Computing, Associate Professor Grant Dick, said student interest is high; the 300 level AI paper is the most popular, with around 100 students per year. Postdoctoral papers typically have 25-35 entries.
He said interest from both students and employers has grown significantly over the past decade, and Otago is seeing more and more graduate roles specifically looking for data science and AI skills.
Dick said AI has been a fundamental part of computer science since its inception, and teaching the subject has been a natural response to the way the field of computing has evolved. However, the master’s degree and a level three paper are a “response to a perceived need for and general awareness of AI concepts in society,” he said.
Massey University said it offers a number of courses covering aspects of AI dating back to 1994.
Lincoln University was asked about its AI courses but did not respond before publication.
Shannon Johnstone is a journalist at Newstalk ZB, based in Auckland, covering education and general news. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2021 and previously worked at Hawke’s Bay today.
