Mesa Community College offering AI intro, programming courses in spring

PHOENIX — Mesa Community College will offer two AI courses beginning in spring 2026 due to an influx of U.S. jobs requiring skills in this ever-evolving area, the school announced Thursday.

Students will not be required to take any prerequisites before enrolling in the pair of new courses: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Introduction to Python Programming.

The AI intro course will be built for “students from all majors” and not just those specializing in computer science, according to MCC faculty member Jeff Holden. It will also double as a prerequisite for the recently added AI bachelor’s degree at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, which is a sister institution in the Maricopa County Community College District.

“This is a fantastic starting point for anyone curious about AI, data or emerging technologies,” Holden said. “I’m very excited about this course and hope it can help build momentum toward offering more advanced AI courses in the future.”

The Python programming course provides any student with a foundational knowledge of one of the “most widely used languages in AI and data science.” Like the first intro course, it is a building block elsewhere, as Arizona State University will accept the credits as the equivalent to its own Introduction to Java Programming.

At MCC, students are able to obtain an associate degree in science (with an emphasis in computer science) over two years, with the possibility to turn this into a bachelor’s degree at ASU, North Arizona or Arizona.

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