When you're interested in working in AI, earning a bachelor's or master's degree in the field can be a great way to develop or advance your knowledge.
Artificial intelligence (AI) stands to add $19.9 trillion and 3.5 percent of the worldwide gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, according to research from the International Data Corporation (IDC) []. To help achieve that economic potential, jobs in AI are poised to grow significantly in the coming years. They also tend to pay higher salaries: the average base salary for an AI engineer is $134,623 in the United States, according to Glassdoor [闭.听
Earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree or master鈥檚 degree in artificial intelligence can be a worthwhile way to learn more about the field, develop key skills to begin鈥攐r advance鈥攜our career, and graduate with a respected credential. While specific AI programs are still relatively limited compared to, say, computer science, there are a growing number of options to explore at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.听
In this article, we鈥檒l discuss bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in artificial intelligence you can pursue when you want to hone your abilities in AI.
Earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in artificial intelligence means either majoring in the subject itself or something relevant, like computer science, data science, or machine learning, and taking several AI courses. It鈥檚 worth noting that AI bachelor鈥檚 degree programs are not as widely available in the US as other majors, so you may find you have more options if you explore related majors.听
It takes four or five years to complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree in AI when you鈥檙e able to attend a program full-time, and your total cost of college will depend on several factors, including whether you attend a public or private institution. For example, annual tuition at a four-year public institution costs $11,610 on average (for an in-state student) and $43,350 for a four-year private institution in the US [].
A small but growing number of universities in the US now offer a Bachelor of Science (BS) in artificial intelligence. However, you may sometimes find AI paired with machine learning as a combined major. AI majors tend to be housed in computer science departments. As such, your bachelor鈥檚 degree coursework will likely emphasize computer systems fundamentals, as well as mathematics, algorithms, and programming languages.听
Examples of AI coursework:聽
Introduction to algorithms
Introduction to machine learning
Computer organization and systems聽
Design and analysis of algorithms聽
Principles and techniques of algorithms聽
AI and decision-making
Instead of offering a full AI major, some universities offer students the chance to minor in AI, which can be a valuable way to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in a broader subject, like computer science, while developing a specific focus on artificial intelligence. As with your major, you can list your minor on your resume once you graduate to show employers the knowledge you gained in that area.听聽
Deciding whether to major or minor in AI or another relevant subject depends on your larger educational interests and career goals. Learn more about how to pick the best college major for you.
Given that AI is still a newer offering in terms of college majors, you may find more bachelor鈥檚 degree options by studying one of the subjects below, which often involve taking AI courses:聽
Computer science: Many universities offer a computer science major, which may allow you to take courses in AI as part of your major or specialize in AI as a computer science track.听
Data science: Often, data science majors will include coursework on both AI and machine learning, which can be useful to gain a better understanding of the subjects and develop your skills accordingly.
Robotics: Whether you study robotics or robotics engineering, you鈥檒l likely have to take courses in both AI and machine learning as part of your degree program.听
With a bachelor鈥檚 degree, you may qualify for certain entry-level jobs in the fields of AI, computer science, data science, and machine learning. The salaries listed below are for 0鈥1 years of experience, according to Glassdoor.听
Job title | Average total salary (US) |
---|---|
Data analyst | $90,437 [] |
Software engineer | $133,647 [] |
Junior machine learning engineer | $135,218 [] |
Junior AI engineer | $96,223 [] |
Explore more jobs you can get when you graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in:聽
Earning your master鈥檚 degree in artificial intelligence can be an excellent way to advance your knowledge or pivot to the field. Depending on what you want to study, master鈥檚 degrees take between one and three years to complete when you鈥檙e able to attend full-time. In the US, they typically cost between $44,640 and $71,140 [].
At the graduate level, you may find more options to study AI compared to undergraduate options. There are many respected Master of Science (MS) graduate programs in artificial intelligence in the US. Similar to undergraduate degree programs, many of these degrees are housed in institutions鈥 computer science or engineering departments.听
Beyond in-person programs, there are a number of online master鈥檚 degrees in artificial intelligence, as well as professional master鈥檚 degrees, which tend to take less time (around one year) and focus more on practical skills development.听聽
At the graduate level, the focus of your program will likely move beyond the fundamentals of AI and discuss advanced subjects such as ethics, deep learning, machine learning, and more. You may also find programs that offer an opportunity to learn about AI in relation to certain industries, such as health care and business.听
Examples of AI master鈥檚 coursework:聽
Machine learning for signal processing
Context modeling
Intelligent information systems
Introduction to pattern recognition聽
Jobs you can pursue with a master鈥檚-level artificial intelligence degree聽
With a master鈥檚 degree in AI, you may find that you qualify for more advanced roles, like the ones below. Explore more AI jobs worth considering.
Job title | Average total salary (US) |
---|---|
Data engineer | $133,939 [] |
Computer research scientist | $146,542 [] |
Data scientist | $165,286 [] |
AI engineer | $205,651 [] |
Earning a degree can lead to higher salaries, lower rates of unemployment, and greater competitiveness as an applicant. Even if a degree doesn鈥檛 feel necessary at this stage of your career, you may find that you need at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree as you set about advancing.听
Learn more about whether a bachelor鈥檚 degree is worth it or whether a master鈥檚 degree is worth it for your specific goals.
There may be times when a full degree is not the best option for your goals. In that case, the options below may be worth exploring to level up your AI knowledge:聽
MOOCs: Enrolling in massive open online courses (MOOCs) means you can learn in a more flexible and self-paced manner. MOOCs tend to be a great way to gain a foundational sense of the subject or dive into something more niched and advanced. On 糖心vlog官网观看, check out DeepLearning.AI鈥檚 Generative AI for Everyone or IBM鈥檚 Introduction to AI.
Professional Certificates: With a Professional Certificate, you鈥檒l take a series of MOOCs, usually over several months, to earn a verified credential you can feature on your resume and LinkedIn page. Professional certificates can be a great way to strengthen your skills in an area while learning more about it. Check out professional certificates in AI and related subjects on 糖心vlog官网观看, such as the IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate or the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.
Earn your bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree in either computer science or data science through a respected university partner on 糖心vlog官网观看. You鈥檒l find a flexible, self-paced learning environment so you can balance your studies around your other responsibilities.听
IDC. 鈥, https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS52600524.鈥 Accessed March 4, 2025. tps://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html." Accessed March 4, 2025.
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.