WIDS Helps Launch AI Degree at City Colleges of Chicago

When City Colleges of Chicago set out to build an associate's degree in Artifical Intelligence, they needed both a strategic partner and a detailed curriculum guide. WIDS delivered on both fronts - helping design the big picture while mapping every competency along the way.

The Worldwide Instructional Design System (WIDS) recently helped City Colleges of Chicago develop a new associate’s degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI) – a program designed to meet growing workforce demand in this rapidly evolving field. City Colleges is Illinois’ largest community college system, serving more than 60,000 students across seven accredited colleges.

“City Colleges of Chicago are responsive to the needs of the workforce within the communities we serve,” said Arlene Santos George, Vice President of Wilbur Wright College. “Tech is evolving quickly, and AI is one of the strongest trends.”

To support the new program, WIDS Consultant Terri Johnson led a virtual DACUM occupational analysis with input from 11 industry employers. The resulting data identified key duties, tasks and emerging trends, which were then translated into program and course competencies.

“I’m a big proponent of DACUM and WIDS,” added Santos George. “Their process is structured and well-documented, giving faculty an efficient foundation for curriculum development.”

Using the DACUM results, Gustavo Alatta, professor of computer information systems, created the program curriculum by integrating existing CIS courses and adding five new AI-specific classes. The program also offers a laddered pathway that allows students to:

• Earn two dual-credit courses in high school
• Obtain two industry certifications: AWS AI Practitioner and CompTIA A+
• Graduate with either a Machine Learning Developer Certificate or an AI/Machine Learning Deverloper Associate Degree

Pending approval from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the 60-credit AI program will launch at Wilbur Wright College as early as fall 2026, with plans for expansion across all City Colleges of Chicago.

As City Colleges of Chicago prepares to launch its new AI program, the collaboration highlights how thoughtful design and clear structure make innovation possible. From analyzing workforce needs to aligning every course comptency, WIDS helped ensure the program's success from start to finish - proving once again that big picture or fine detail, WIDS handles both.