Drexel University Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Drexel's online MS in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is a full master's degree with a heavy price tag. Forty-five quarter credits at $1,400 each come to $63,000 before fees, and you need a strong computer science background to get in. You get four starts a year, 10-week quarters and a path to finish in as little as two years. Compare the cost closely before you apply.

Drexel University is a private research university in Philadelphia. The degree comes from its School of Computer and Information Sciences and is delivered through Drexel Online. It is fully online and ends with capstone courses.

Drexel's graduation rate is 78% across the university, and the tuition is high next to most other online AI master's programs. The degree is fully online, runs on four 10-week quarters a year, and ends with capstone courses, so you can plan around a clear start date and a finish in as little as two years.

The program is fully online. Drexel runs four 10-week quarters per year, so you can start four times a year, and the page says you can finish in as little as two years.

Ten-week terms move fast. Each course is compressed compared with a 16-week semester, so a full-time job plus two courses a term can be a lot. Ask whether classes are live or self-paced, and how many courses a typical working student takes at once.

Who It Fits

• Working software engineers and computer science graduates who want a master's with a capstone and can pay close to $63,000.
• Students who want frequent start dates, since Drexel runs four 10-week quarters per year.
• Professionals who lack the full background and plan to use Drexel's Graduate Certificate in Computer Science as an entry point.

Who Should Skip It

• Students watching cost. At $63,000 before fees, the tuition is high next to most programs.
• Career changers with no computer science background who want to start right away. Drexel says a strong background is required.

Drexel describes the program as 45 quarter credits and says it ends with capstone courses.

A quarter credit is smaller than a semester credit. 5 quarter credits, so 45 quarter credits is the same workload as 30 semester credits. Drexel offers Applied and Computational concentrations, an optional co-op experience (COOP 500), and room for up to 6 credits of independent study and up to 6 credits of approved graduate coursework outside the college.

Ask for the degree plan, the electives and the capstone requirements.

Standout Features

• Drexel's Graduate Certificate in Computer Science serves as an entry point for students without a computer science degree
• Optional co-op experience
• Reduced tuition rates for alumni, military members and partner organizations
• Up to 6 credits of independent study and up to 6 credits of approved graduate coursework outside the college

Tuition is $1,400 per credit, and the degree is 45 quarter credits, so the cost is $63,000 before fees. On a semester-credit basis, that rate works out to $2,100 per credit.

That is a big number, and fees are extra. If you are comparing this to a semester-based master's, use the semester-credit equivalent and not the quarter rate, or the comparison will mislead you. Drexel lists reduced tuition rates for alumni, military members and partner organizations. Ask Drexel what fees apply per term, which of those discounts fit you, and whether a graduate certificate you take first would cost less.

45 quarter credits at $1,400 a credit comes to $63,000 in tuition, before fees.

You earn a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Drexel. It is a full degree, which makes it more portable than a certificate for roles that ask for a master's.

Drexel enrolls 21,153 students and admits 79% of applicants. Federal data counts 121 awards at Drexel in the matching computer science and AI categories, which gives the school a track record in the field.

Drexel lists its Graduate Certificate in Computer Science as an entry point for students who do not hold a computer science degree, which matters if your background is in another field.

Ask what recent graduates do after the capstone.

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 $63,000 before fees, it is a costly master's.
• Admission requires a strong computer science background.
• Ten-week quarters are fast-paced.

• What background counts as strong enough, and can I see a degree plan before I apply?
• What fees apply each term on top of $1,400 per credit?
• Does Drexel offer any scholarships, employer partnerships or military rates?
• How many credits from the Graduate Certificate in Computer Science carry into this degree?
• Are classes live or self-paced, and how many courses do working students take per quarter?
• What does the capstone involve, and do I work with a company or a faculty member?

Private research university in Philadelphia. The degree is offered by the School of Computer and Information Sciences and delivered through Drexel Online.

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