Duke University Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence for Product Innovation (Online)

Duke's online Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence for Product Innovation is a premium-priced degree for working engineers. At $2,555 per credit, most master's programs here cost less per credit. What you get for the money is a Duke credential, a 24-month part-time schedule and a capstone built around a sponsoring organization. The price and two required campus residencies are the main tradeoffs.

Duke is a private nonprofit research university in Durham, North Carolina, and its Pratt School of Engineering offers the master's degrees. This one, the Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence for Product Innovation, has a 24-month online option designed for part-time students.

The focus is on building AI into products, not on research. Duke designs the program for working professionals with a technical or scientific background, and the schedule runs across four semesters and two summer sessions.

The same degree is also offered on campus, in 12 or 16 months. Those formats are separate from the online route and we don't rank them here. The online version takes longer because you study part time, and it's the only one that lets you keep a full-time job.

The online option is part time and runs 24 months. Duke describes it as online, with two required residencies on the Duke campus where you meet peers and faculty. That's why we classify the program as online with onsite requirements, not fully online.

The residencies matter for planning. You'll need time off from work and money for travel and lodging. Ask how long each visit lasts and in which terms they fall before you apply.

Beyond the residencies, the coursework runs online. Ask whether classes meet live or at your own pace, and how a typical week is structured for part-time students.

Who It Fits

• You already work in a technical or scientific job. Duke designs the program for working professionals with that background, so you won't spend your first term catching up on basics.
• You want a capstone that looks like real work. You design a solution to an opportunity offered by a sponsoring organization, and you can also choose a summer internship or industry project.
• You can get to Durham twice. The two required residencies are why this program is not fully online, so check your employer's travel flexibility before you apply.
• You care about the school's profile. Duke's institutional graduation rate is 97% and its admit rate is 6%.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone who needs a fully online degree. The two residencies are required for online students.
• People who want the lowest cost. At $2,555 per credit, this program costs more than most master's programs on our list.
• Anyone without a technical or scientific background. Duke designs the program for working professionals with one.

Duke's course list includes Sourcing Data for Analytics, Modeling Process & Algorithms, Deep Learning Applications, Operationalizing AI (MLOps), and Legal, Societal & Ethical Implications of AI. The mix tells you what the degree is about. You learn to gather data, build models, put them into production and think about the consequences.

The program totals 30 credits. It finishes with an industry capstone project with a corporate partner, where you design a solution to an authentic opportunity offered by a sponsoring organization. You can also choose a summer internship or industry project, and internship courses carry no tuition.

Courses the School Names

• Sourcing Data for Analytics
• Modeling Process & Algorithms
• Deep Learning Applications
• Operationalizing AI (MLOps)
• Legal, Societal & Ethical Implications of AI

Standout Features

• Industry capstone project built around a sponsoring organization's real opportunity, with partners from large technology, healthcare IT and retail companies
• Industry seminar series with leaders building AI products
• Pre-program online Python and data science math boot camp for students without a computer science background
• Product development courses developed with Duke's Law School and Fuqua School of Business

Online tuition for 2026-2027 is $2,555 per credit. Over the 30 credits, Duke totals $76,650 for the part-time route across four semesters and two summer sessions. Internship courses carry no tuition.

Duke's own estimate adds a $120 transcript fee and $676 for books, which brings the total to $77,446. Residency travel and lodging come on top of that, and so does anything else your situation requires.

That's among the highest prices in our master's data. Columbia's online AI master's is higher, but most others cost far less. If your employer pays, the price may be fine. If you're paying yourself, compare it carefully with programs that don't require travel.

30 credits at $2,555 a credit comes to $76,650 in tuition, before fees.

The degree is a Master of Engineering from Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. The main credential value is the Duke name and the capstone you can point to.

Duke's institutional graduation rate is 97%, and its admit rate is 6%. Federal data shows 99 awards in this field at the university. The Master of Engineering is a professional degree, aimed at people who want to build things at work. If you're thinking about a research career or a doctorate later, ask how admissions committees view this degree.

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 $76,650 in tuition, this is one of the costliest master's programs on our list.
• The two required residencies mean travel to Durham, which adds cost and time off work.
• The program takes 24 months part time, which is longer than some fully online degrees.
• The admit rate is 6%, so a strong application is no guarantee.

• How long is each of the two residencies, and which terms do they fall in?
• How are capstone sponsors matched to online students, and can I bring a project from my own employer?
• Does a summer internship or industry project count if I already work full time in an AI or data role?
• What do the residencies cost beyond tuition, and does Duke help with travel?
• How do part-time online students get the same access to faculty as on-campus students?
• What do admissions look for in a technical or scientific background?

A private nonprofit research university in Durham, North Carolina. The Pratt School of Engineering offers the master's degrees.

• Best Online AI Degrees Rank 33 of 49, master's
• Best Online Master's Programs Rank 33 of 49, master's
• Best AI Engineering Degrees Rank 11 of 16, master's
• AI for Business and Management Rank 8 of 12, master's
• Part-Time Online Programs Rank 8 of 12, master's
• Programs With Internships Rank 5 of 8, master's

• New Jersey Institute of Technology

  Online M.S. in Artificial Intelligence

  New Jersey $1,284 per credit Score 61.2

• University of North Texas

  Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence

  Texas Score 60.7

• University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

  Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Management

  Ohio $1,160 per credit Score 60.6

• Drexel University

  Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

  Pennsylvania $1,400 per quarter credit Score 63.3