Boston University Online Master of Science in AI in Business

This is the Boston University master's for managers who need to lead AI work without writing code. It costs $25,000 for 32 credits and can be finished in as little as 16 months, or stretched across up to 6 years. It is the one to pick if your goal is a leadership role.

The Online Master of Science in AI in Business comes from Boston University's Questrom School of Business. The page says no coding background is required, and the focus is on leading AI-enabled change, workflows and governance. That is a different promise from the computer science and enterprise programs at the same school.

It is 32 credits, the most of the four Boston University master's on our list, and it is delivered 100% online. If you manage people, run operations or advise companies, you would use this degree to decide where AI belongs in a business and how to oversee it, not to build the models yourself.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

The program mixes asynchronous learning with live online sessions with faculty and peers. You can finish in as little as 16 months, and the school allows up to 6 years.

That range is unusually wide, and it is helpful if your workload changes. The live sessions mean you will have some fixed times, though, so ask how often they meet and whether they are recorded. Also ask what happens if you pause for a semester, and whether a long gap affects the price or your place in the program.

Who It Fits

• You are a manager, consultant or business analyst with no programming background and you want to lead AI projects.
• You want flexibility to finish in as little as 16 months or to slow down for work and family, since the school allows up to 6 years.
• Governance and oversight interest you, because one of the four modules is dedicated to it.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to write code and train models. The Computer Science and AI program at the same school is built for that.
• You work in education and want a degree about teaching with AI. The school's Ed.M. in AI and Education is aimed at that field.

The degree is built from four integrated modules numbered QST AI 710 through 740, and it includes an AI in Business Playbook project. Module 4, QST AI 740, covers governance.

A four-module design means each module is a large block of related work, not a string of small separate courses. The playbook project is where you would apply the material, so ask to see sample playbooks. That gives you a concrete idea of what you will produce and whether it is something you could show a current or future employer.

Standout Features

• Build an AI in Business Playbook and put it to work on real business needs immediately
• No coding background required; focused on leading AI-enabled change, workflows and governance

Total tuition is $25,000 for the 32-credit degree, according to the school. That is less than the $30,000 Boston University charges for its Ed.M. in AI and Education, and the same price as the Computer Science and AI and Enterprise AI master's.

Because the price is stated as a total, the pace you choose does not change it in the way a per-credit price would. Ask whether the figure includes fees, and whether it holds if you take the longer route over several years instead of finishing in 16 months.

You would earn a Master of Science (M.S.) in AI in Business from Boston University, a private nonprofit school in Boston. The program is run through the business school, so the credential reads as a management degree with AI focus.

If you plan to use the degree for a promotion or a career change, ask the school how graduates have described it to employers and what roles they moved into.

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

• It requires 32 credits, two more than the other Boston University AI master's on our list, though the total tuition is the same.
• Live sessions mix with self-paced work, so you cannot do it fully on your own clock.
• With no coding background required, you will learn to direct AI work more than to build it, which can limit technical roles.
• A tied score with three sibling programs means the ranking does not tell you which Boston University program is best. Your goal does.

• How often do the live sessions meet, and are they recorded for students who miss them?
• What does the AI in Business Playbook project look like, and can I see examples?
• If I take up to 6 years, does the tuition or the curriculum change along the way?
• Does the $25,000 total include fees, and are there any extra costs for materials?
• How do graduates with no technical background describe the degree to employers?
• Which module covers governance, and how much of the coursework is about law and policy versus managing teams?

Offered by BU Metropolitan College.

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