New Jersey Institute of Technology Online M.S. in Artificial Intelligence

NJIT's online M.S. in Artificial Intelligence is a technical degree from a computing college, with a real on-ramp for people missing a prerequisite or two. It costs $1,284 per credit for 30 credits, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. You finish with a master's project or a thesis. It's a good fit if your background is STEM and you want a degree that can lead toward research.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public technology university in Newark. Its Ying Wu College of Computing offers this M.S. both online and on campus.

The degree is 30 credits, taken as 10 courses: 4 core and 6 elective. NJIT lists three starts a year, in the fall, spring and summer semesters.

NJIT's institutional graduation rate is 73% and its admit rate is 65%. The data also shows 203 awards across related computing fields, so this is a school with a track record of graduating computing students.

NJIT lists the program as 100% online, with the on-campus format also available in Newark. The recommended pace is 2 years for part-time students taking 9 or fewer credits per semester, and full-time students may finish sooner.

With three starts a year, you won't wait long for a term to begin. Terms follow the standard semester calendar of fall, spring and summer.

Ask whether lectures are live or recorded and which courses meet at set times. Expect a heavy load in the math-heavy courses either way.

Who It Fits

• You have a STEM bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA and coursework in calculus, programming, data structures and algorithms, probability and statistics, and linear algebra.
• You're a career changer missing a prerequisite or two. NJIT's Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence provides a pathway, and a 3.0 or higher certificate GPA guarantees admission to the M.S.
• You want to study part time. The recommended pace is 2 years at 9 or fewer credits per semester, and full-time students may finish sooner.
• You want a project or thesis finish. The capstone is a master's project (DS 700B) or a master's thesis (DS 701B), which can help if you may pursue a Ph.D. later.

Who Should Skip It

• Your degree is outside computing or STEM and you don't want to take prerequisites first.
• You want the lowest per-credit price. NJIT's $1,284 is above what Oregon State charges, for example.
• You want a business-focused analytics degree. This one is built around machine learning and computing.

The catalog says the program requires 30 credits, satisfied by 10 courses. Notable courses include Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, Graph Neural Networks and Trustworthy AI.

That list leans technical. Reinforcement learning and graph neural networks are not intro topics, and a trustworthy AI course shows the program pays attention to how these systems behave once they're deployed.

For your finish, you choose between a master's project (DS 700B) and a master's thesis (DS 701B). The thesis route is worth a look if you may want a Ph.D. later.

Courses the School Names

• Machine Learning
• Reinforcement Learning
• Deep Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• Graph Neural Networks
• Trustworthy AI

Standout Features

• Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence provides a pathway into the M.S. for applicants with a STEM degree who lack some prerequisites; a 3.0 or higher certificate GPA guarantees admission to the M.S
• Master's project can be followed by a master's thesis with a tenure-track faculty research advisor
• Multidisciplinary electives from data science, computer science, statistics, robotics, engineering, science and business
• NJIT invests over $10 million in new funds for a push in AI
• On-campus format also available at NJIT's Newark location and at Jersey City

NJIT's 2026-27 graduate e-tuition for 100% online programs is $1,284 per credit, and 30 credits comes to $38,520 in tuition. In-state and out-of-state students pay the same rate.

NJIT's online tuition page still lists $1,211 per credit, while the figure on its main tuition page is $1,284. We use the higher, newer one. Confirm the rate for your start term with admissions.

Fees aren't itemized for online students, so ask what else you'll pay. Many programs on our list charge less per credit.

30 credits at $1,284 a credit comes to $38,520 in tuition, before fees.

The degree is a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from NJIT. There's also a Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence. NJIT says earning it with a GPA of 3.0 or higher guarantees admission to the M.S., and credits earned in the certificate may be applied to the degree. That makes it a stepping stone, not just a separate credential.

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

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The admissions bar is high: a 3.0 GPA and prior coursework in calculus, programming, data structures and algorithms, probability and statistics, and linear algebra.
• At $38,520 in tuition before fees, it costs more than several programs on our list.
• Fees for online students aren't itemized, and the two NJIT tuition pages disagree on the per-credit rate.
• It's a technical program, so the math-heavy courses will take real study time.

• Which rate applies to my start term, $1,284 or the older $1,211 still shown on the online page?
• Should I choose the master's project or the thesis, and who advises each?
• How many certificate credits transfer into the M.S. if I start with the certificate?
• Which of the 6 elective courses are offered online every term?
• What fees will I pay on top of tuition as an online student?
• Are lectures live, and how often do courses meet at set times?

NJIT is a public technology university in Newark, New Jersey, whose Ying Wu College of Computing offers the M.S. in Artificial Intelligence both online and on campus.

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