Boston University Online Applied AI and Machine Learning Graduate Certificate

This is Boston University's short, technical way in. It is four courses and 16 units, listed at $14,850 for part-time study, and it covers Python data science, classic AI, neural networks and generative AI. Pick it if you want real machine learning content from a name-brand school and you can handle the price.

The Applied AI and Machine Learning Graduate Certificate comes from BU Metropolitan College, the part of Boston University built around working adults. You can take it fully online or in evenings on campus. This page covers the online version.

It is a graduate certificate, not a degree. You complete four courses totaling 16 units, and the school describes its certificates as building blocks toward a master's degree. If you already know you want the full degree, ask an advisor how the certificate would fit before you enroll, and whether you would need to apply separately.

Boston University also runs several online AI master's programs, including Computer Science and AI and Enterprise AI, each listed at $25,000 for 30 credits. This certificate is the smaller commitment from the same school.

The school says you can study evenings on campus or fully online. Courses begin in fall, spring and summer, so you get three start dates a year.

Ask first whether online classes are live or self-paced, how long each term runs, and how long the certificate usually takes. A certificate with four courses could take a few terms, but the pace depends on how many you take at once.

Because Metropolitan College serves working adults, you can reasonably expect evening or flexible scheduling. Still, get the details in writing before you plan around your job.

Who It Fits

• You are a developer, analyst or engineer who wants a structured path into machine learning and already likes working in Python.
• You want a recognizable school name on your resume without committing to a full master's right away.
• You can start in fall, spring or summer, and you want the choice of fully online or evenings on campus if your plans change.

Who Should Skip It

• You are watching every dollar. The $14,850 price is among the higher ones for an AI certificate, and other schools on our list charge far less for a similar number of credits.
• You want a business-focused overview of AI with no programming. The course titles here lean toward data science, neural networks and model building.

The notable courses are MET CS 577 Data Science with Python, MET CS 664 Artificial Intelligence, MET CS 767 Advanced Machine Learning and Neural Networks, and MET CS 788 Generative AI. Together they move from data handling to general AI methods, then into deeper learning models, and finally into generative systems.

That order is a sensible one, and it is more technical than most certificates at this level. The Python course comes first in the list, so expect to write code from the start. The school says a total of four courses is required, which is where the 16 units come from.

Ask admissions how much programming and math you should have before the advanced machine learning course.

Courses the School Names

• MET CS 577 Data Science with Python
• MET CS 664 Artificial Intelligence
• MET CS 767 Advanced Machine Learning and Neural Networks
• MET CS 788 Generative AI

Boston University lists part-time study tuition and fees at $14,850 for the 16-unit certificate, using 2026-2027 rates. Courses numbered 100 to 599 are $585 per unit, and courses numbered 600 to 999 are $1,030 per unit.

Those two rates matter. The notable courses here carry numbers in the 500s, 600s and 700s, so which course falls in which price band affects what you pay. Ask the school to show you the exact course list and the total it expects for your path.

For comparison, the Boston University master's programs on our list are $25,000 for 30 credits. The certificate costs less overall, but it is not cheap per unit. Ask about financial aid before you apply.

You would earn a Graduate Certificate from Boston University, a private nonprofit school in Boston. It is not a master's degree, and it does not by itself prepare you for a professional license, since AI has none.

The school's graduate admission does not require the GRE or GMAT, which keeps the barrier to entry low. For employers, the value is the school's reputation and the specific skills listed in the course titles.

If a master's is your end goal, ask whether these four courses can count toward one, and whether you would need to apply separately.

Where this degree can lead: Data Scientist Jobs, Jobs You Can Get With an AI Degree.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At $14,850 for 16 units, it costs more than many other online AI certificates on our list.
• The two price bands, $585 and $1,030 per unit, make the final bill depend on which courses you take.
• It leans technical, so a manager without a Python background may struggle in the first course.

• Which of the four courses fall in the $585 band and which in the $1,030 band, and what is my exact total?
• Are online classes live, recorded or self-paced, and how long is each term?
• How much Python and math should I know before MET CS 767?
• Can these 16 units count toward a Boston University master's, and do I apply separately?
• What fees come on top of the $14,850 figure?
• Is financial aid or employer billing available for this certificate?
• How many courses can I take at once while working full time?

Offered by BU Metropolitan College.

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