What companies like Nvidia, Apple, & Google see in SCAD students
SCAD, a creative-focused academic institution, has traditionally been known for its fashion and design programs. But SCAD has recently pushed focus towards artificial intelligence, most recently through its Applied AI degree.
Tech and business giants like NVIDIA, Google, Adobe, Deloitte Digital, Canva, Amazon, Netflix, and The Coca-Cola Company were out in full force at the SCAD AI SUMMIT 2026, which took place earlier this year. For students, it was a chance to highlight their skills and get in front of potential employers.
This year’s summit focused on how AI’s role in creative workflows, as well as the guardrails required for it to be used responsibly in our AI-augmented future.
The Big Winners On Campus
A key part of the Summit was the NVIDIA-sponsored AI Jam, a hands-on program where student teams utilized OpenUSD to prototype a new innovation in a 48-hour studio environment. The winning project, REM, transforms photos and videos into immersive VR.
The winning team was comprised of Ramon Abreu (B.F.A., animation), Nikil Krishnadass (M.F.A., interactive design and game development), Brendan Sapp (B.F.A., industrial design), Lane Wallace (B.F.A., visual effects), and Nathan Mashke (B.F.A., animation).
“The recent SCAD AI Summit has been a powerful demonstration of how quickly this field is moving,” said Dan Schneider, NVIDIA Professional Visualization Solution Specialist. “I was impressed by the level of companies SCAD brought together and how this year’s summit clearly moved from ideas to action, especially with the launch of their Applied AI Bachelor of Design program.”
SCAD graduates have gone on to work at Nvidia, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, among many other leading companies in the industry, the school told Hypepotamus.
Applied AI Opportunities
SCAD, a creative-focused academic institution, has traditionally been known for its fashion and design programs. But SCAD has recently pushed focus towards artificial intelligence, most recently through its Applied AI degree.
“The coursework for the program spans interaction design, computational thinking, storytelling, and systems modeling, all essential for working with agentic technologies in creative industries,” the SCAD team explained to Hypepotamus. “As part of real-world partnerships and professional studio work, students in the degree program craft intuitive experiences, shape and choreograph machine behavior, and design with intent.”
Since the program was announced in Fall 2025, 8 students have declared Applied AI as their major, and 46 have declared it as their minor.
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