Thinking of exploring a career on the cutting edge of technology as an artificial intelligence engineer, data scientist, or AI architect? West Valley College is helping aspiring machine learning and AI professionals start off on the right academic path. 

New for fall 2025, West Valley has launched its first introductory course in artificial intelligence, with a second course slated for spring 2026. A top goal: making AI education accessible to community college students. 

Nationwide, careers in machine learning and data science are expected to grow by approximately 36% by 2033, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections. 

Seeing rising interest among West Valley students along with a growing Silicon Valley workforce need sparked the new additions, said Takyiu Liu, WVC computer science department chair and instructor. Structured around project-based learning, coursework emphasizes labs, mini-projects, and reproducible research workflows. 

“These courses not only empower students with AI expertise but also attract talent, enhance employability, foster local partnerships, and fuel economic growth, ensuring community development and industry relevance,” Liu said.  

West Valley students taking the fall course, Foundations of Machine/Deep Learning with Python (CIST007), and the spring course, Essential Tools for Machine/Deep Learning in Python (CIST008), will gain hands-on experience building and training models. They will also develop familiarity with key industry tools, including PyTorch, Scikit-Learn, TensorFlow, and Keras. 

The knowledge base students build, Liu said, will help prepare them for internships, entry-level AI roles, or further coursework at a four-year institution. Both WVC courses are transferrable to the California State University and University of California systems. 

The courses are targeted to students pursuing transfer pathways in computer science or data science; developers seeking practical AI skills; and students with a background in basic Python and programming. Introduction to Python (CIST 005) is a prerequisite. 

Liu explained that West Valley’s course offerings represent what he called a “stackable pathway,” meaning courses can stand alone or form part of a planned computer science certificate. 

“Addressing the high demand in San Francisco Bay Area's tech industry as well as offering machine learning and deep learning courses at community colleges, this course will bridge the skills gap,” Liu said. 

View West Valley College's catalog to view additional course details.