Launching a new academic offering used to be a long-term bet. In the AI era, it can become outdated before the first cohort even graduates.
Almost 70% of U.S. employers report difficulty filling roles, with AI skills surpassing all other skill categories for the first time.
For colleges, launching the wrong program can put enrollment, graduate outcomes, employer relevance, and institutional reputation at risk.
So before investing months, or years, into a new offering, institutions need to ask better questions.
This blog discusses three questions colleges should ask before launching a new academic offering in the AI era.
AI is Changing the Jobs Colleges are Preparing Students For
AI is now part of how people work, how companies operate, and how jobs are redesigned across industries.
According to the World Economic Forum, AI is expected to displace 92 million jobs while creating 170 million new ones by 2030. That means the mix of roles, tasks, and skills is changing quickly.
For colleges, this makes decisions about new academic offerings more complex. No one can know exactly how jobs will evolve, but institutions can make informed predictions based on the patterns already emerging – and on what business and technology leaders are signaling about what comes next.
Bill Gates warned that there is a “very high chance” AI could have a net negative impact, arguing that the technology is advancing faster than governments and society are preparing for its consequences.
However, that uncertainty is definitely not a reason to wait. It is a reason to act more carefully. Colleges need to design programs around what employers need, and they also need to consider how the target role may evolve, which skills are likely to remain valuable, and whether the offering can adapt as technology continues to change.
3 Questions Colleges Should Ask Before Launching a New Academic Offering
Launching a new academic offering is a significant investment for any college. Before moving forward, institutions should make sure the degree is aligned with student demand, employer needs, and the direction of the job market.
1. Could AI significantly reduce demand for this role before our first cohort graduates?
If a degree takes two or three years to complete, the labor market that students will enter may look very different from the one that justified the establishment of the degree in the first place.
For example, if a program prepares students for roles such as computer programmers, graphic designers, content writers, or certain accounting roles, colleges should examine how demand for those roles is changing as AI increasingly takes over parts of the work – and whether employers will continue to need the same number of people performing those jobs in the same way.
That does not automatically mean the degree should not be launched. It may mean that it needs to prepare students for a more advanced version of the role.
Before moving forward, colleges should look at job-posting trends, employer conversations, industry forecasts, and how quickly AI is already being adopted in the profession.
2. What part of this profession is becoming more valuable because of AI?
AI eliminates tasks but also makes certain human capabilities more important.
If AI takes on more routine work, what will employers value more?
For a Data Analyst, manually producing basic reports is less important, while interpreting results, asking the right questions, validating AI-generated analysis, and communicating business implications is more valuable.
For a Full-Stack Developer, writing every line of code manually matters less, while architecture, debugging, system design, security, and evaluating AI-generated code matters more.
Colleges should identify these increasingly valuable capabilities and make sure they sit at the center of the curriculum rather than treating them as secondary skills.
3. How quickly can we update the program when technology changes?
A strong program at launch can become outdated quickly if it is difficult to change.
Colleges should think about curriculum flexibility before the program is approved.
Can individual modules be replaced without redesigning or accrediting the entire program? How often will the curriculum be reviewed? Who will monitor changes in technology and employer needs? Can faculty learn new tools quickly enough to teach them effectively?
For example, a program built around one specific AI platform may require major changes if employers move to another tool. A more flexible program might teach broader workflows and competencies while allowing individual tools to be updated regularly.
In the AI era, the ability to refresh an academic offering is almost as important as the original curriculum itself.
Asking these three questions can help colleges make smarter decisions before committing significant time and resources to a new academic offering. They can also have a direct impact on enrollment. Students are aware of how quickly AI is changing the job market, and many will think twice before investing in a program that appears disconnected from where the profession is heading. Who will choose a curriculum that teaches outdated tools or prepares students for tasks AI can already perform? A strong offering needs to give prospective students confidence that the skills they learn will remain relevant, that the curriculum will evolve with the market, and that the program leads toward employment opportunities. In that sense, future-proofing a program is about making the offering more credible, competitive, and attractive to students.
How Wawiwa Helps Educational Institutions Offer Programs for the AI Era
Wawiwa is a global education provider that supports colleges, universities, and training centers across the U.S. and around the world with education solutions built for the AI era.
Wawiwa continuously updates its programs and courses to reflect changes in technology, industry practices, and employer needs, helping institutions keep their academic offerings current and relevant.
A core part of our approach is lifelong learning. Graduates should not leave a program believing their learning is finished. They need to understand that technologies, tools, and employer expectations will continue to change, and that staying relevant means continuing to learn, upskill, and adapt throughout their careers. Companies can’t protect employees and jobs from AI.
At some point, that responsibility also belongs heavily to the individual. Institutions can provide the foundation, guidance, and opportunities to keep learning, but graduates need to take ownership of their own development. In the AI era, staying employable will increasingly depend on the willingness to keep learning long after graduation. That’s why college leaders should always emphasize the importance of lifelong learning.
Wawiwa’s JET Design™ methodology helps institutions build programs around job requirements and employer needs. Curricula are designed with a focus on practical skills, hands-on learning, and the competencies people need to perform in the workplace, while remaining flexible enough to evolve as roles and technologies change.
Examples include the Enterprise AI Implementation Specialist Program, which prepares professionals to identify, evaluate, and implement AI solutions across business functions, and the AI Full-Stack Developer Program, which prepares people to build applications while working effectively with AI throughout the development process.
