AI Degree Requirements: What Online Programs Ask of Applicants

Most online AI master’s programs ask for an accredited bachelor’s degree, a GPA of about 3.0, transcripts and a resume. Technical programs add calculus, linear algebra, probability, statistics and programming. Eleven of the 45 master’s programs on our list say the GRE is not required. Management-focused programs often accept any bachelor’s field.

What Do Online AI Programs Require for Admission?

Requirements fall into five groups. Every program asks for something in each, though the details differ.

• Degree: an accredited bachelor’s for most graduate programs.
• GPA: a minimum or a typical level, usually near 3.0.
• Prerequisite courses: math and programming for technical programs.
• Documents: transcripts, a resume, sometimes letters or a statement.
• Tests: the GRE, where required, and English tests for some international applicants.

Our master’s ranking lists each program’s published rules. This guide shows what the pattern looks like and where programs break from it.

Because rules change, treat the numbers here as a snapshot from the school pages we verified on September 30, 2026, and confirm on the school’s page before you apply.

What GPA Do You Need?

Most programs that state a number say 3.0, and a few go lower.

• 3.0 minimum or typical: Purdue, NJIT, San Jose State (in your most recent degree), the University of Michigan-Dearborn, West Virginia University, the University of Arizona, Christian Brothers University and the University of Washington (cumulative). Johns Hopkins says a typical GPA is at least 3.0.
• 3.0 in the last 60 credits: Florida Atlantic University calls this desirable.
• 2.5: DePaul asks for a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
• No minimum: Georgetown lists no minimum GPA and recommends a 3.0.
• B average: the University of Cincinnati’s AI Management program asks for at least a B average.

Johns Hopkins offers provisional admission, which can help if your GPA or background has gaps. Saint Louis University says most successful applicants have a 3.0 or better.

If your GPA is below these, look first at programs with no stated minimum or with provisional routes, and consider a certificate to build a record.

Do You Need the GRE?

Often not. Of the 45 online AI master’s programs on our list, 11 appear on our no-GRE list, meaning the GRE is not required or is waived under stated conditions.

• Not required: The University of Texas at Austin (scores considered if submitted), Purdue, Florida Atlantic University, Maryville University, Boston University’s Enterprise AI and Software Engineering for AI programs, the University of Washington, Saint Louis University’s AI in Medicine program, Cincinnati’s AI Management program and the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
• Optional: George Washington University lists GRE scores as optional.
• Conditional: Cincinnati’s engineering master’s requires them only if your GPA is below 3.0 or your degree is in another field.
• International applicants: NJIT asks international applicants to submit a GRE and an English test, with a waiver for holders of an accredited US degree.

If you want to skip the test entirely, see our no-GRE ranking, which lists the programs with that stated rule.

What Math and Programming Do You Need?

For technical programs, the list is the same almost everywhere.

Johns Hopkins expects calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, and Python. NJIT lists prior coursework in calculus, programming, data structures and algorithms, probability and statistics, and linear algebra. San Jose State lists two or more programming courses or significant professional experience, plus data structures, algorithm design, calculus, linear algebra and statistics.

Purdue splits by track. Its AI and Machine Learning major requires programming experience and coursework in algorithms, calculus, linear algebra and probability. Its AI Management and Policy major requires at least 24 months of work experience instead.

West Virginia University wants a bachelor’s in computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity or a closely related field. Other fields may be considered provisionally with a year of AI or machine learning experience.

DePaul asks for Calculus 1 and 2 and says programming experience strengthens an application. Drexel requires a strong computer science background.

If you cannot list these courses, you have two options: take them first, or choose a program that does not need them.

Which Programs Accept Any Bachelor’s Degree?

These programs state that applicants from any field are welcome, though some still ask for background.

• Georgetown’s MPS in AI Management: any field, no minimum GPA, 3.0 recommended.
• The University of Cincinnati’s MS in AI Management: any field, at least a B average, a resume, a goal statement and one letter of recommendation.
• The University of Bridgeport’s MS in AI: any academic field, no engineering or computer science background required.
• Saint Louis University’s Applied AI and Decision Analytics master’s: no prior STEM degree required, with a 3.0 GPA typical for successful applicants.
• The University of Arizona’s MS in AI for Business: any field, a 3.0 GPA, an entry test in statistics, Python and SQL, and six credit hours of business coursework.

For the full list, see our career changers ranking, and read our guide to AI degrees without coding.

What Documents Will You Need?

Most programs ask for the same short set, with small differences.

Every program asks for transcripts. Cincinnati and the University of Washington each ask for one letter of recommendation, and NJIT asks for at least one. The University of Michigan-Dearborn says letters are not required.

Resumes or CVs appear almost everywhere. Saint Louis University’s certificate asks for a statement of purpose of about 500 words. The University of Washington asks for a statement of purpose as well.

Rochester’s certificate asks for an online application, a resume and official transcripts from each college attended, with no application fee.

Order transcripts early. Colleges can take weeks to send them, and they are usually the slowest part of an application.

What If You Do Not Meet the Requirements?

Several programs publish a route in.

• DePaul offers introductory programming, data structures and statistics courses for students without a technical background, taken in addition to the 48 credits.
• City University of Seattle accepts a bachelor’s with coursework in programming, networking, data management and operating systems, or its Undergraduate Certificate in Foundations of Systems Development.
• NJIT offers a Graduate Certificate in AI as a pathway into the M.S., and a certificate GPA of 3.0 or higher guarantees admission.
• Drexel points to its Graduate Certificate in Computer Science as an entry point.
• Northeastern directs applicants without the statistics or engineering background to its Connect version.

These routes add cost and time, so compare the total. Our guide on how to become an AI engineer walks through the order of steps.

What Do Bachelor’s and Associate Programs Require?

Undergraduate programs publish fewer rules, because the entry point is high school or transfer credit. A few details stand out.

Full Sail’s computer science completion program with an AI concentration requires a math assessment to enroll and is best for students with prior college credit or an associate degree. University of Maryland Global Campus accepts up to 90 transfer credits toward its online BS in AI. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville estimates 48 months for its bachelor’s depending on transfer credits.

Overall admission rates for the schools offer a rough sense of selectivity, though they describe the whole school, not the AI program. Tennessee’s is 42 percent, Indiana University-Bloomington’s is 78 percent, Grand Canyon’s is 79 percent, Dakota State’s is 88 percent and the University of Advancing Technology’s is 98 percent.

Wayne Community College’s associate degree is the entry-level option. It is 65 credits, and the college describes it as North Carolina’s first associate degree specializing in AI. Tuition is $76 per semester hour in state and $268 out of state, plus fees.

Many undergraduate programs ask you to bring credits. If you have them, ask how many transfer. If you do not, Western Governors University’s term-based tuition rewards fast progress.

Does Online Mean No Campus Visits?

Not always. Several programs listed as online carry in-person parts, and the school pages say so.

• Duke’s online Master of Engineering in AI for Product Innovation requires two residencies on the Duke campus.
• Montclair State’s MS in Business Analytics and AI requires a 3 to 5 day domestic trip to see how leading organizations apply analytics.
• The University of Central Florida’s AI in Health certificate notes that not all elective options or prerequisites may be offered online.
• The University of Washington’s program can be completed fully online part time, but some optional component certificates are in-person only.

Check these before you apply, because travel adds cost and time off work. Each program page on this site lists onsite requirements where the school publishes them, so you can rule out the ones you cannot attend.

What Mistakes Hurt Applications?

Three are easy to avoid once you know them.

Missing a prerequisite and finding out late. Programs list their prerequisites on the program page. Read them before you pay an application fee.

Assuming the GRE rule is universal. The rule differs by program, even inside one university. Cincinnati’s AI Management program does not require it, while its engineering master’s requires it in some cases.

Overlooking a start date. The University of Washington lists one start a year. If you miss it, you wait twelve months.

A fourth is sending a generic statement. Where a program asks for a statement of purpose, use it to explain why this program and how it connects to your work.

What Do Doctorate Programs Require?

The two online doctorates on our list are at Capitol Technology University, a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and a PhD in Machine Learning. The machine learning page says the program is for current or experienced professionals in machine learning, AI, computer science or data analytics.

Both are research degrees. The AI PhD uses a European-model approach with an academic supervisor assigned almost immediately, and a dissertation with an oral defense assessed by an external expert. The machine learning PhD allows a thesis or three accepted academic journal articles, with an oral defense.

Tuition is $980 per credit for 60 credits plus a $55 per credit technology fee. Prior achieved credits may be accepted.

How Should You Prepare?

Do these five things in order.

1. List the math and programming courses you have finished, with grades.
2. Pick two or three programs and compare their rules to your list.
3. Fill the biggest gap first, with a course or a bridge program.
4. Gather transcripts, a resume and your recommenders early.
5. Check each program’s start dates. The University of Washington lists one start a year, while others start three to six times.

Then compare options in our online AI master’s ranking, which shows each program’s rules next to its price.

One last tip: keep a simple spreadsheet. List each program, its GPA rule, its GRE rule, its math list, its documents and its deadline. When the details sit side by side, gaps show up quickly, and you can see which two applications deserve your best effort.