After identifying his love for AI at NU, Mohammed Faisal sets to Master it at the University of North Texas

Renowned for technology-based education as one of its core principles, NIIT University offered alumnus Mohammed Faisal platforms to get hands-on exposure to emerging technologies. The B.Tech. CSE Class of 2022 student chose Artificial Intelligence as his specialization after discovering his interest in the field. After his Industry Practice and PPO with IBM, he has now gone on to pursue his Masters In Artificial Intelligence at the University of North Texas. He retraces his steps to the campus where his journey into the future of AI began.

Throughout the course of his programme, Mohammed received thoughtful mentorship from his faculty members. He benefited from it when choosing his Masters programme and believes that he can rely on it through his professional life. “It was during the sixth semester where I could choose my specialization in AI. The faculty members at NU provided an outstanding level of instruction in the subject. It motivated me to pursue my interests in the field, and the Masters programme is a result of that,” he explains his decision.

At NU, Mohammed also revelled in opportunities to get practical exposure to emerging technologies. It gave him the confidence to put his best step forward for the Industry Practice placement interviews during the seventh semester. “I was offered an Industry Practice and PPO by IBM. I accepted the offer and continued my preparations for GRE and IELTS exams. My professors also helped me in providing LOR on time so that I can start applying to Universities,” he reveals.

Starting off as Cognitive Data Scientist with IBM, Mohammed later took on the role of Data Scientist in AI and Analytics. During this stint, he collaborated with the organization on the research paper ‘Stock Prices Prediction Using Sentiment Analysis’, which was published in The Journal Of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research. While handling several projects and responsibilities, he remained focused on his higher education. “The successful publication of this paper definitely was an additional achievement on my profile,” he admits.

Mohammed received offers from renowned US universities – California State University Long Beach (CS), NYIT (DS), UMass Boston (CS), and UNT (AI). He chose the latter because of their depth in the field of AI and emphasis on research. “I also sought support and recommendations from my NU professors and IBM managers, who were extremely helpful. My time with NU has been extremely rewarding and has led me to identify, and build on my interest in AI, which I will continue to do at UNT,” he concludes looking ahead.