Grand Canyon University Online Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence

This is a low-cost way to test graduate-level AI study. At $610 per credit for 20 credits, tuition is $12,200 before fees, and courses run eight weeks. It's a graduate certificate, not a degree, so ask what the courses cover and whether they count toward the school's master's.

Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona. Its Online Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence is fully online and taught in eight-week courses. Tuition is $610 per credit.

You'll complete 20 credits. The school's online master's in artificial intelligence uses the same $610 rate across 46 credits, so it's natural to wonder whether certificate credits carry into that degree. Grand Canyon says every course in the certificate is designed to transfer into a related GCU master's degree. Ask which master's, and get the credit details in writing.

Tuition is $610 per credit, so 20 credits comes to $12,200 before fees. Both numbers are printed by the school, and the total is plain multiplication you can confirm with an advisor.

Harvard's four-course AI certificate lists $14,320, so Grand Canyon is lower on paper. The two differ in school, and format, so don't pick on price alone. Active service members and their spouses can get a special military rate in online programs, and GCU waives the Learning Management System and Canyon Connect fees for those students.

Veterans get a 10% tuition scholarship for online programs, and GCU accepts military Tuition Assistance. Ask about fees and materials on top of tuition, and ask whether credits earned here would count toward the master's degree, and how many.

20 credits at $610 a credit comes to $12,200 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You want graduate-level AI coursework without committing to a full master's.
• You need a printed price you can plan around: $12,200 in tuition before fees.
• You hold a bachelor's in any discipline. Foundational math and programming are built into the coursework, so no prior experience is necessary.
• You like short courses. Eight-week terms mean you see results quickly.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a degree. A certificate is a credential, not a master's.
• You want a Harvard-level name on the credential. Harvard's certificate costs $14,320 and carries a very different brand.
• You want to see every syllabus before you apply. Request them first.

The certificate is 20 credits, taught in eight-week courses. Foundational math and programming are integrated into the coursework, so the school says you can begin without prior experience.

Make the course list your first question. A 20-credit AI certificate could cover machine learning foundations, applied tools or a general survey, and each leads somewhere different. Ask for each course's syllabus. Ask which programming languages and software you'll use. Ask whether grades come from hands-on projects, or mostly from readings and quizzes, because that tells you what you'll be able to do afterward.

Standout Features

• All certificate courses are designed to transfer into a related GCU master's degree
• Foundational math and programming built into coursework; bachelor's in any discipline accepted

The courses are fully online and eight weeks long. With 20 credits to finish, you'll work through a short run of courses, each with its own deadlines and assignments, and each ending before you've had time to lose momentum.

Ask whether sessions meet live or run on demand, how many courses you can take at once, and how long the whole certificate takes for a working adult. Ask what support exists, such as advising and tutoring, for certificate students, since some schools put most of their support around degree seekers.

The credential is a graduate certificate. It shows on a resume as evidence of coursework, not as a degree.

Our federal data lists a 43% graduation rate for the university overall. Ask the school what share of certificate students finish. If you hope to use this for a raise or a promotion, check with your employer first about whether a certificate from this school counts for anything internally.

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

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• A certificate is not a degree, and employers vary on how they weigh it.
• Fees and materials come on top of the $12,200 tuition.

• What courses make up the 20 credits, and can I see each syllabus?
• Do certificate credits count toward the online master's in artificial intelligence?
• What are the admissions requirements, and do I need a technical background?
• What fees come on top of $610 per credit?
• How long does the certificate take for someone working full time?
• Do classes meet live, or can I work on my own schedule?

Private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona, with large online programs. Its AI programs are offered online and (for the bachelor's) on campus.

• Best AI Certificate Programs Rank 19 of 54, graduate certificate

• Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence (Online Option)

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $490 per credit Score 88.2

• Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $610 per credit Score 66.0

• Stanford University

  Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate

  California Score 70.1

• Saint Louis University

  Applied AI and Decision Analytics, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

  Missouri $810 per credit Score 69.9

• Saint Louis University

  Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

  Missouri $810 per credit Score 69.9

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Online Graduate Certificate in AI Engineering Fundamentals

  Pennsylvania Score 70.5