Old Dominion University AI in Data Science Online Certificate

This is the Old Dominion certificate for people who want to understand how machine learning actually works and who might want a master's in data science next. It is 12 credits, fully online, and the school says up to 12 credits stack into its master's in data science. Tuition is $662 or $672 a credit depending on residency.

AI in Data Science is a graduate certificate offered online through ODUGlobal at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. It comes out of the school's data science side, and it is the most technical of the seven AI certificates Old Dominion offers online.

The four courses named on the page are Introduction to Machine Learning, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Introduction to Data Science and Analytics, and Fundamentals of Interpretable Machine Learning and Explainable AI. Notice that every title starts with introduction or fundamentals. This is a first step into the field, not an advanced specialty.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

You study asynchronously, with no scheduled meeting times. The school runs accelerated 8-week courses and offers 3 starts a year. Finishing in as little as one year is possible, according to the program page.

Machine learning courses tend to build quickly on each other, so eight weeks can feel brisk if the math or code is new to you. A smart move is to read the syllabus of your opening course before you pay, and to begin with a single course instead of two if you have not studied statistics recently.

Who It Fits

• You are curious about data science and want to test the subject before paying for a full master's.
• You plan to apply to Old Dominion's master's in data science and want credits that can carry over.
• You want to understand why a model gives the answer it does, since explainable AI is part of the coursework.
• You prefer a flexible, no-meeting-times schedule.

Who Should Skip It

• You work in management and want strategy instead of methods. The business strategy and operations certificate is closer to that.
• You want a field-specific certificate for security, health or logistics, each of which has its own ODU option.
• You want a credential that leads into a particular industry exam. None is named on the page.

Where the other ODU certificates share AI Methods and Models and AI Ethics and Policy, this one takes a different route. You start with Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Introduction to Machine Learning, then add Introduction to Data Science and Analytics.

The last course, Fundamentals of Interpretable Machine Learning and Explainable AI, is the one worth noticing. Explaining a model's output to a nontechnical audience is a skill people get hired for. Ask what programming language the courses use and how much coding is expected.

Courses the School Names

• Introduction to Machine Learning
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• Introduction to Data Science and Analytics
• Fundamentals of Interpretable Machine Learning and Explainable AI

Old Dominion lists $672 per credit hour for Virginia residents and $662 per credit hour for out-of-state students, effective Fall 2026. That makes the 12-credit certificate $8,064 for residents and $7,944 for everyone else.

If you continue into the master's program, the transferable credits can matter more than the sticker price. Ask whether the stacking applies at the tuition you paid or whether you would pay again, and whether there is a time limit on using them. Also ask what fees apply, since the school's page lists tuition only.

12 credits at $662 a credit comes to $7,944 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $672, the same 12 credits come to $8,064.

You earn a graduate certificate from Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk. Federal figures for the whole school show a 46% graduation rate and a 90% admit rate. They do not describe this certificate in particular.

The notable feature here is the school's statement that up to 12 credits stack into its master's in data science, which means the full certificate could count toward the degree. Ask the admissions team to confirm that in writing, including any grade minimums, and ask whether you must apply separately to the master's later.

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

• The titles are introductory, so if you already have a background in machine learning you may find it too basic.
• Eight-week courses move quickly if the statistics or coding is new to you.
• Credit stacking into the master's is a school statement, so confirm the details before you count on it.

• Which master's program do the credits stack into, and do I need to apply separately?
• Is there a minimum grade for credits to count toward the degree?
• What programming language and tools are used in the machine learning courses?
• What math or statistics background do you recommend before starting?
• Which fees come on top of $672 or $662 per credit?
• How soon after I finish must I start the master's for the credits to count?

ODUGlobal delivers graduate certificates in AI through its School of Data Science and School of Cybersecurity in asynchronous 8-week courses.

• Best AI Certificate Programs Rank 7 of 54, graduate certificate
• Self-Paced Programs Rank 4 of 16, graduate certificate
• Public University Programs Rank 4 of 31, graduate certificate

• Trustworthy AI Online Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 73.2

• AI in Business Strategy and Operations Online Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 70.5

• AI in Cyber Defense Online Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 70.5

• AI in Education and Learning Technologies Online Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 70.5

• AI in Healthcare Online Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 70.5

• AI in Supply Chain Operations Online Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 70.5

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Online Graduate Certificate in AI Product Management Essentials

  Pennsylvania Score 73.2

• Harvard University

  Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate (Online)

  Massachusetts Score 73.6

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Online Graduate Certificate in AI Engineering Fundamentals

  Pennsylvania Score 70.5

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Online Graduate Certificate in Generative AI & Large Language Models

  Pennsylvania Score 70.5