MUSC to launch an AI-integrated curriculum for Healthcare Studies in fall 2025

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is launching a strategic redevelopment of the online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Studies (HCS) program in fall 2025. The new curriculum is fully artificial intelligence (AI)-integrated, with the goal of preparing a future-ready, AI-competent health care workforce. It is supported by the MUSC Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) AI in Education grant, as part of a larger, ongoing effort to enhance MUSC’s mission of improving health across South Carolina. 

“By integrating AI into the program, we are providing students with the tools to drive health care innovation, improve patient care, and lead within their communities,” said Lauren Gellar, Ph.D., director of the Division of Healthcare Studies.

As part of the redevelopment, courses will incorporate generative AI tools, predictive and analytical AI applications, decision-support systems, AI-powered simulations and other emerging technologies to enhance the learning experience and prepare students for the evolving health care landscape. Gellar and her faculty team have integrated AI into all 15 courses, the expanded AI practicum experience and a new interdisciplinary clinical AI seminar series. The 16-month degree completion program is fully online, so students can complete their classwork on a schedule that works for them while building a strong foundation in AI in health care, health care systems and population health. 

“We are shaping health professionals who are not only knowledgeable in their fields but are also equipped to navigate the evolving technological landscape of health care," said Gellar.

More than 95% of the students in the HCS program are South Carolina residents. They’re also non-traditional students, often first-generation college students, who work full-time and have several years of experience in their fields. The ability to implement immediately what they’re learning in real-time has not only affected the curriculum creation but is also improving health care resources in local and rural communities across the state.

Students like Julie Pleasant, an administrative coordinator in the MUSC James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine and a student in the HCS program, are excited about the developments within the program. While the fully integrated AI-enhanced curriculum will officially launch in the fall, several summer courses have begun piloting AI integration. Pleasant has been able to implement some usage of AI tools and is looking forward to learning more. 

“Within the College of Dental Medicine, we recently transitioned to Epic, and I feel like I could use AI to say, ‘How can I make treatment planning easier in Epic software?’” said Pleasant, referring to MUSC’s electronic health record. “That’s a massive time saver.” 

 

Alongside Gellar, at the forefront of this development, are faculty members like Ashley Newton, Chinieka Jackman-Rogers and Gage Quarles, all of whom graduated from the HCS program prior to the integration of AI and subsequently earned advanced degrees in their chosen fields.

Faculty development is essential to integrating AI into health care education. “Equipping faculty with the knowledge and tools they need to teach AI effectively is just as important as integrating AI into the curriculum itself,” said Gellar. All HCS faculty have been actively participating in training focused on AI in health care, health care education and general AI use to ensure that students are well-prepared for graduate study and an AI-informed health care workforce.

“Being so familiar with the content prior to incorporating AI, that’s what makes it so special to me,” said Jackman-Rogers. “All of our perspectives are unique in the sense that we’ve seen the before and the after, and we are intentional in incorporating AI into each class to make sure our students are even more prepared than they were without the AI integration.” 

 

Jackman-Rogers, who currently teaches a leadership course with Gellar, said they’re encouraging students to use ChatGPT to help them to think more broadly. It helps students to think creatively and prepare for unexpected questions, aiming to improve both personal and professional relationships.

AI can also enhance how students from different backgrounds understand and implement new information. Newton teaches Etiology and Pathophysiology for the program. With the integration of AI, she utilizes 3D model programs to show what happens to a healthy body when a condition like diabetes or cardiovascular disease occurs and how treatments affect the body. 

“I think it’s going to make it more approachable for students that don’t have a clinical background, and even those who do have a clinical background will be able to see and correlate it with their real-world experiences,” said Newton. Students who don’t have a background in anatomy and physiology will be able to gain from simulated experiences, so they’re even more prepared by the time they have a patient encounter. 

“The big thing about this program is that it’s not a degree in artificial intelligence. It’s Healthcare Studies with a focus on how artificial intelligence can help the health care field,” said Quarles. “What we’re wanting to make sure is that, with more and more jobs requiring some sort of AI-type role, we stay ahead of the curve so our students feel better prepared and further ahead.” 

By implementing AI into undergraduate curricula, students are better prepared to progress at a faster rate with a stronger sense of digital literacy. “For our students, this AI integration is a game-changer. It opens up new opportunities for personalized learning, critical thinking and better decision-making,” said Gellar.