Intelligent Systems Program Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences University of Pittsburgh

The Intelligent Systems Program (ISP) at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt)

Intelligent Systems is a multidisciplinary graduate program at the University of Pittsburgh devoted to the application and development of artificial intelligence (AI). The program combines aspects of biomedical informatics, cognitive psychology, computer science, education, information science, and law to create a unique atmosphere for the study of complex interactions between humans and machines.

The University of Pittsburgh offers both a master's degree and a doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Intelligent Systems.

A Top Program at Pitt

The Center for Measuring University Performance has ranked Pitt, along with only 6 other schools, in the top tier of US public research universities. "US news and World Report" has ranked the University of Pittsburgh consistently in its top 20 for public schools nationwide and among the top 50 in the world. Pitt has always been a pioneer in information science and systems with programs reaching back over 100 years and going strong well into the future.

Trailblazing ISP Research at Pitt

Five research concentrations are available for students in the ISP program. The artificial intelligence and law examines ethical and systems choices facing users of artificial intelligence, the legal challenges facing them, and possible methods by which artificial intelligence may be used to improve the practice and understanding of law.

The biomedical informatics concentration focuses on the application of Bayesian modeling, machine learning, and natural language processing to the field of healthcare, including such diverse uses as training of medical personnel, the discovery of molecular biomarkers, and disease outbreak detection.

In the intelligent tutoring systems and educational technology concentration, graduate students explore community-based systems such as adaptive web systems and digital libraries.

The research in machine learning and decision making concentration focuses on solving complex problems in multivariable conditions. Applications include treatment error detection in medical science, financial planning in organizations, genome analysis, and the control of traffic.

In the natural language processing and information retrieval concentration, researchers unlock the secrets of statistical language processing, spoken dialogue systems, and sentiment analysis.

Requirements for Master's Degree in Intelligent Systems at Pitt

Students seeking master's degrees in ISP are each required to complete 24 semester hours of coursework and a significant research project. Each project should be of a quality to qualify for publication in a refereed journal or presented at an academic conference.

Requirements for a PhD in ISP at the University of Pittsburgh

PhD students will undertake 72 credits of coursework including dissertation. A comprehensive exam on the field of intelligent systems is required at the conclusion of the curriculum.

Esteemed Faculty Members at Pitt

Faculty members in the Intelligent Systems Program at the University of Pittsburg are highly accomplished. Diane J. Littman is Director of the school's ITSPOKE laboratory and an expert in artificial intelligence. Former Chair for the North American Chapter of the Association of Computational Linguistics, Dr. Littman is also a member of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, the International speech Communication Association, and the American Daffodil Society. Professor Littman's research concentrates on learning, questions and answers, and spoken dialogue recognition.

Jan Wiebe is Director of the Intelligent Systems Program at Pitt. Editor for the Transactions of the ACL, Professor Wiebe is also on the editorial boards of the IEEE Journal of Affective Computing, Language Resources and Evaluation, and Computational Linguistics. She currently serves on the board of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics. Dr. Wiebe's research covers topics such as artificial intelligence and natural language processing. Current interests include "subjectivity analysis" and the recognition and interpretation of opinion.

Professor Christian Schunn is an expert in the neuroscience of complex learning. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Psychology association, Dr. Schunn has served as Chair of the Executive Committee for the International Society for Design and Development in Education as well as Chair of the 'Eddie' Prize Committee on several occasions. Professor Schunn's research focuses on the neuroscience of learning, peer instruction, spatial problem solving, design-based learning, and innovative cognition.

World-class Facilities at Pitt

Pitt researchers have access to a range of computing options, including the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center -- among the fastest, most powerful such machines in the northeast -- and several scientific computing centers, including one specializing in the use of healthcare data and others specializing in simulation, modeling, and biomedical informatics.

Pitt students have access to over 100 programs at little or no cost and have access to such networks as Internet2, LambdaRail, Esnet, and KINBER. PittNet, the campus wireless network, is free to all students.

A Vibrant Community, an Exciting Urban Campus

The campus of the University of Pittsburgh comprises 132 acres in the historic Oakland district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Two campus buildings, the Allegheny Observatory and the Cathedral of Learning Tower, are in the National Register of Historic Places. The university features numerous artistic endeavors as well as regular festivals, bashes and other events. The fall brings the annual Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert where world renowned musicians such as Sonny Rollins and Max Roach are available free to the public.

Notable alumni and faculty members have included Jonas Salk who developed his polio vaccine at Pitt; 2004 Nobel Prize winner Wangaari Maathi; author Michael Chabon; and current US Senator Orrin Hatch.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Science (MS)
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 6
• Doctoral Degrees 3
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? No
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Yes

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required
• Doctoral Degrees Required and Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied38
• Accepted8
• Acceptance Rate21%
• Enrolled7
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $50
• Application Fee - International $50
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline February 1st February 1st Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$18,774
• Out-of-state tuition *$30,736
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$740.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsFebruary 1
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Research Assitantships, Federal Work-Study, Health Care Benefits, Institutionally-sponsored Loans, Scholarship and/or loans, Traineeships, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students23
• Female Percentage26%
• Male Percentage74%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students23
• Part-time Percentage0%
• Full-time Percentage100%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino0%
• Black / African American0%
• White / Caucasian75%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian25%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown0%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty28
• Full-time Percentage100%
• Part-time Percentage0%
• Female Percentage21%
• Male Percentage79%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchMedical artificial intelligence, expert systems, clinical decision support, plan generation and recognition, special cognition
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported