Certifications

AI Certifications and Certificate Programs

A degree and a certification do different jobs. Compare the credentials AI graduates earn, and check which degree rules apply before you pick a program.

Taylor Rupe, Founder & Editor, B.S. in Computer Science

Edited by , Founder & Editor · B.S. in Computer Science

Last updated

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Smiling graduate in cap and gown holding up a certificate after earning an AI credential

Certifications Compared

16

Issuer pages, September 2026

AI CertificationsCompare AI certifications from AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Databricks, IAPP and CompTIA by goal, cost and status, including which ones retired.AI Certificate ProgramsCompare online AI graduate certificate programs by price, credits and prerequisites, from a $5,004 technical track to no-coding business options.AWS AI PractitionerThe AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) costs $100: 65 questions, 90 minutes. See what it covers, who it fits and how it relates to an AI degree.AWS ML Engineer AssociateThe AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate costs $150 for MLA-C01. See the MLA-C02 beta, the four domains and how it fits with an AI degree.AWS ML Specialty (Retired)AWS retired the Certified Machine Learning Specialty on March 31, 2026. See what holders keep, which AWS exams replace it and how a degree fits.AWS GenAI Developer ProThe AWS Certified Generative AI Developer Professional costs $300 with 75 questions in 180 minutes. See who it fits and how it relates to an AI degree.AI-102 RetiredMicrosoft retired the AI-102 exam and the Azure AI Engineer Associate on June 30, 2026. See what to take now, what AI-103 covers and how a degree fits.Databricks ML AssociateWhich Databricks certification fits an AI or ML path? The Machine Learning Associate costs $200, runs 90 minutes and needs no degree.Google Cloud ML EngineerThe Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer exam costs $200 and runs two hours. See what it covers, who should take it and how a degree fits.AI-901 and AI-900Microsoft retired AI-900 on June 30, 2026 and replaced it with AI-901. See what the exam covers, the 700 passing score and how it fits an AI degree.Google Generative AI LeaderThe Google Cloud Generative AI Leader exam costs $99, runs 90 minutes and needs no prerequisites. See what it covers and how it compares with an AI degree.IBM AI Engineering CertificateThe IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate is a 13-course Coursera series, not an exam. IAPP AIGPThe AIGP certification from IAPP covers AI governance. The exam costs $799 ($649 for members), has 100 questions and needs no degree.DP-100 RetiredMicrosoft retired DP-100 and the Azure Data Scientist Associate on June 1, 2026. See the closest current exam, AI-300, and how an AI degree fits.Google AI EssentialsGoogle AI Essentials is a beginner Coursera course you can finish in 10 hours or less, not a proctored exam. See what the certificate is and what it isn't.CompTIA SecAI+CompTIA's AI certification is SecAI+ (CY0-001), launched February 17, 2026. See the exam format, four domains and who it fits.NVIDIA Generative AI LLMThe NVIDIA-Certified Associate: Generative AI LLM exam (NCA-GENL) costs $125 and runs one hour. See who it suits and how it fits with an AI degree.

Credentials

Artificial Intelligence Credentials Compared

Who issues each credential, whether it needs a degree, and how many programs we track that state preparation for it.

Certifications for AI graduates
CredentialIssued ByDegree Rule TodayPrograms Stating Prep
AWS Certified AI PractitionerAWSNo degree required
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - AssociateAWSNo degree required1
AWS Certified Machine Learning - SpecialtyAWSNo degree required
AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - ProfessionalAWSNo degree required
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (Exam AI-102)MicrosoftNo degree required
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (Exam AI-901, replaces AI-900)MicrosoftNo degree required1
Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate (Exam DP-100)MicrosoftNo degree required
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning EngineerGoogle CloudNo degree required
Google Cloud Generative AI LeaderGoogle CloudNo degree required
NVIDIA-Certified Associate: Generative AI LLMNVIDIANo degree required
Databricks Certified Machine Learning AssociateDatabricksNo degree required
IBM AI Engineering Professional CertificateIBMNo degree required
Google AI Essentials CertificateGoogleNo degree required
Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP)IAPPNo degree required
ISACA Advanced in AI Audit (AAIA)ISACANo degree required
CompTIA SecAI+CompTIANo degree required
Certifying bodies' own pages, retrieved October 1, 2026; program counts from school pages
Best AI Certificate ProgramsOnline graduate certificates in artificial intelligence ranked by cost per credit, credits required, format and how soon you can finish.Best Online AI DegreesEvery online AI degree program we verified, ranked on cost, outcomes, flexibility and depth, with real per-credit prices.Best AI Engineering DegreesOnline AI engineering and applied artificial intelligence degrees at every level, ranked by cost, format and the skills the curriculum covers.Best Machine Learning DegreesOnline machine learning degrees at every level, ranked by cost per credit, format, depth of coursework and what graduates go on to do.

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Compare Online Artificial Intelligence Programs

See the online AI degrees ranked by cost and flexibility.

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