{"id":188002,"date":"2026-02-16T09:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/16\/stc-cybersecurity-program-introduces-new-associate-degree-in-artificial-intelligence\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T17:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T22:10:15","slug":"stc-cybersecurity-program-introduces-new-associate-degree-in-artificial-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/16\/stc-cybersecurity-program-introduces-new-associate-degree-in-artificial-intelligence\/","title":{"rendered":"STC Cybersecurity program introduces new associate degree in Artificial Intelligence"},"content":{"rendered":"

STC Cybersecurity program introduces new associate degree in Artificial Intelligence<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/news.southtexascollege.edu\/stc-cybersecurity-program-introduces-new-associate-degree-in-artificial-intelligence\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-02-16 09:36:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: news.southtexascollege.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
\n \u201cI see real potential for growth, especially with this planned AI curriculum,\u201d said Cybersecurity expert and current STC adjunct faculty Dirce Hernandez, who is already set to be among those full-time faculty starting with the new AI associate degree. \u201cMy background will always be cybersecurity, but I\u2019m excited to eventually teach in STC\u2019s AI program.\u201dCoursework will cover topics such as machine learning, Python programming, operating systems and database integration. Salinas emphasized that while programming like Python is already taught for Cybersecurity, the focus on AI will be on applying coding to build intelligent applications and robotics.Salinas is also looking at partnerships with leading technology companies including Intel and Google to embed industry certifications into the degree. These certifications are highly valued by employers and serve as external validation of student skills.\u201cWhen students earn Google or Intel certifications, industry leaders recognize their abilities,\u201d Salinas said.While academic transfer pathways to universities may be limited because of the technical nature of the degree, STC has ensured students can transition into the college\u2019s bachelor\u2019s programs, particularly the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Computer Information Technology (BAT-CIT).Similar to the existing Cybersecurity track, this pathway keeps all credits intact, allowing students to move directly into a bachelor\u2019s degree without losing time.By building the program with direct input from employers and aligning it with local needs, STC\u2019s new AI associate degree aims to prepare students to adapt to exciting changes in the workforce as a result of AI, according to industry leaders.\u00a0\u201cIf you don\u2019t get on board with AI, you\u2019re going to be left behind. That\u2019s true not just in IT or cybersecurity, but in marketing, HR, manufacturing and every other sector,\u201d said Hernandez. \u201cAI is already becoming a minimum requirement in job descriptions. Students who ignore it will struggle to compete in the job market. The smart students will use AI to enhance their skills and make themselves more efficient and attractive to employers.\u201dSalinas stressed that AI is already mainstream and students who do not learn it risk being left behind in the workforce.\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you embrace AI or not because industries already expect you to know it,\u201d Salinas said. \u201cWhether you go into healthcare, IT, Cybersecurity or manufacturing, AI knowledge is becoming a must.\u201dFor more information on STC\u2019s AI program, visit\u00a0www.southtexascollege.edu\/academics\/cybersecurity\/\u00a0or call 956-872-3461.
\n ‘;<\/p>\n

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STC Cybersecurity program introduces new associate degree in Artificial Intelligence https:\/\/news.southtexascollege.edu\/stc-cybersecurity-program-introduces-new-associate-degree-in-artificial-intelligence\/ Publish Date: 2026-02-16 09:36:00…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":188003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/content.presspage.com\/uploads\/2206\/33b45f21-8e3f-410c-8b80-333aa7138941\/1920_aiassociate.jpg?10000","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[26,20,24],"class_list":["post-188002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cybersecurity","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-cybersecurity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188004,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188002\/revisions\/188004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}