North Carolina State University at Raleigh Online Business AI Graduate Certificate

This is a 12-credit business analytics and AI certificate from NC State's Poole College of Management, with one required AI course and nine credits of electives you choose. Estimated tuition is $7,153.32 for North Carolina residents and $21,352.08 for everyone else. It suits working professionals who want to steer AI projects, not code them.

The Business AI Graduate Certificate is offered by the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The school says it is available fully online, and we re-checked the program page to confirm that.

You complete 12 credit hours. One course is required, ITAO 558 Artificial Intelligence in Management, and you pick the other nine credit hours from a list of electives. Several of those electives are about data and analytics, and a few are about marketing.

Students start in January or August. The page says you apply by October 31 for January and by May 15 for August. It is typically completed in less than 2 years.

The program is available fully online. Ask whether classes are live or self-paced and how long each term runs.

It is a part-time style program. The school says certificates are often completed over two to three years, and the program page says typically in less than 2 years. All the courses must be finished within four years of the first one, so you have room to slow down without losing your work.

You start twice a year, in January or August, so a missed deadline can cost you a semester. Mark October 31 and May 15 on your calendar.

Who It Fits

• You are a manager, analyst or marketer who wants to understand how AI changes business decisions and data work.
• You live in North Carolina. The in-state estimate is $7,153.32, which is a lot lower than the out-of-state figure.
• You want to choose your own electives, from SQL and data engineering to marketing analytics and digital marketing.

Who Should Skip It

• You live outside North Carolina and you are price sensitive. The out-of-state estimate is $21,352.08, nearly three times the in-state number.
• You want a deeply technical machine learning curriculum. The listed courses lean toward business analysis, data management and marketing.

The required course is ITAO 558 Artificial Intelligence in Management. The electives include ITAO 512 Business Analysis with SQL, ITAO 552 Predictive Analytics for Business and Big Data, ITAO 553 Data Engineering, Management and Warehousing, ITAO 556 Communications, Privacy, and Ethics in Data Science, and ITAO 559 Business Analytics Practicum.

The marketing side offers MKT 552 Marketing Analytics, MKT 541 Digital Marketing, MKT 553 Machine Learning and AI in Marketing and MKT 558 CRM Analytics.

Because you choose nine credit hours, two students can finish with quite different certificates. A data-minded person might lean on SQL and data engineering. A marketer might lean on the MKT courses. Ask an advisor which combination fits your goal.

Courses the School Names

• Business Analysis with SQL
• Data Engineering, Management and Warehousing

The school lists estimated minimum full-certificate tuition at $7,153.32 for in-state students and $21,352.08 for out-of-state students. Those numbers are based on 2025-26 rates and may rise, and they exclude books and materials.

One thing to check is that the tuition page also says tuition and fees differ between on-campus and distance education courses. It does not label which kind these estimates describe. Before you budget, ask whether the figures match the online rate for your courses.

Students already enrolled in an NC State graduate degree pay their degree program's rate. Many certificate students also get employer help, according to the school.

You would earn a Graduate Certificate from NC State, a public university in Raleigh, through a management college. It is not a degree.

Admission requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, and you need a minimum 3.0 GPA on certificate coursework to stay in good standing. You apply through the Graduate School portal with a resume, a personal statement and transcripts.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews may be requested case by case. The certificate pairs well with a business role you already hold.

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 out-of-state price of $21,352.08 is steep for a certificate.
• Only two start dates a year, so timing matters.

• Are the $7,153.32 and $21,352.08 estimates the online rate, and what fees come on top?
• Can I take online classes while living outside North Carolina and still qualify for in-state tuition?
• Which electives do students usually pick, and which run every term?
• How much SQL or statistics should I know before ITAO 558?
• What does a 3.0 GPA requirement mean in practice, and what happens if I fall below it?
• Can these 12 credit hours count toward an NC State degree later?

Offered by the Poole College of Management.

• Best AI Certificate Programs Rank 36 of 54, graduate certificate
• AI for Business and Management Rank 9 of 13, graduate certificate
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