The US Navy is rolling out a new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) degree aimed at training future military leaders to better understand and employ AI in operational settings.
Starting in July 2026, the one-year curriculum at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, will be open to US servicemembers and allied officers.
The program is designed to help close the gap between rapidly advancing AI technologies and the officers expected to integrate them into real-world defense operations where faster, more informed decision-making can offer a decisive edge.
Training Officers for AI-Enabled Ops
The MSAI degree program will dive deep into AI and how it can be used for everything tactical — from cybersecurity to surveillance to improving military command.
Students will get hands-on experience through lectures, lab work, and team hackathons, with lessons encompassing the applications of machine learning, computer vision, and robotics.
By graduating, students are expected to be fully equipped to apply AI to real military problems, gaining practical specialties in areas like data modeling and ethical AI use.
“This program is going to be quite intense, but advantageous, and will instill in our students knowledge of advanced AI techniques and skills that are needed to solve some of the most complex problems that our military faces,” said Dr. Gurminder Singh, chair of the computer science department at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Preparing for the ‘Age of AI’
The US Navy emphasized that AI is already shaping how wars are fought, and the new degree aims to prepare officers who can translate emerging AI capabilities into operational advantage across the fleet.
The initiative also aligns with the Pentagon’s broader push to maintain an edge in global AI competition, as rivals such as China continue to accelerate their own military AI development.
“We are in the age of AI,” Naval Information Forces Commander Vice Adm. Michael Vernazza said. “We must act with urgency to integrate this transformational technology and educate leaders who can employ it decisively and at scale across the fleet.”
“The Naval Postgraduate School has been a cornerstone of our efforts to empower and operationalize AI, and this new AI master’s degree underscores that commitment,” he continued.
