Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Online Graduate Certificate in Machine Learning and AI

This is a short, focused machine learning certificate from a well-known engineering school, and it's priced at the high end. It's three graduate courses, 9 credits, fully online, with starts in January, May and September. Tuition is $2,210 per credit, so the total is $19,890 with no added fees. You're paying for RPI's name and a tight, three-course sequence.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit university in Troy, New York. This Graduate Certificate in Machine Learning and AI is offered through RPI at Work, the university's online program for working professionals.

RPI describes it as three graduate-level courses delivered in a flexible, fully online format. Each course carries 3 credits, so the whole certificate is 9 credits.

RPI also invites students to combine certificates into a customized master's degree.

RPI describes the delivery as flexible and fully online. Ask whether classes are asynchronous or have live sessions, and how long a term runs, before you enroll.

Starts come three times a year: January, May and September. That's a steady rhythm, and you won't wait long to begin if you miss a term.

Because the program runs through RPI at Work, which is built for working professionals, the intended student is someone with a job. Ask how much time per week a course takes, since three heavy graduate courses can add up.

Who It Fits

• You work in engineering, data or software and want a recognized name on a short machine learning credential.
• You like the idea of building a master's one certificate at a time. RPI says you can combine certificates into a customized master's degree.
• You'd rather take only three courses. That's a smaller commitment than most graduate certificates.
• Your employer is paying. At this price, tuition reimbursement makes a big difference.

Who Should Skip It

• You're watching costs. At $2,210 per credit, this costs far more than the certificate options at Stevens, Old Dominion or Purdue on this site.
• You want details on admissions before applying. Our research doesn't include test or GPA requirements, so you'd be asking cold.
• You want a specific, spelled-out program length. Ask admissions how long it takes to finish.

RPI lists three courses. They are ENGR 6220 Data Architecture, ENGR 6221 Machine Learning Frameworks and ENGR 6222 Deep Learning in AI Systems.

The sequence moves from data to frameworks to deep learning, which is a sensible order. Ask RPI at Work for the course descriptions and expected programming background.

With only three courses, there's less room for electives or specialization than in longer programs.

Courses the School Names

• ENGR 6220 Data Architecture
• ENGR 6221 Machine Learning Frameworks
• ENGR 6222 Deep Learning in AI Systems

RPI at Work lists graduate degree and certificate tuition at $2,210 per credit hour, with no additional fees. For 9 credits, that's $19,890. The nine credits split into three courses, so the bill arrives in three even pieces if you pay course by course.

That's the cleanest number you'll get on this list: one rate, one total, no fee surprises. It's also high. Other schools on this site charge a fraction of that for the same 9 credits, so the gap is real.

If you're going to stack certificates into a master's, multiply the same rate across the extra courses and check whether RPI offers any discounts for employer partners.

9 credits at $2,210 a credit comes to $19,890 in tuition, before fees.

You earn a graduate certificate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Check the program's accreditation and admissions requirements directly.

The credential's main extra value is stacking. RPI says you can combine certificates into a customized master's degree. It doesn't say how many credits transfer or what the combinations are, so get the specifics in writing if the master's is your goal.

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 $19,890 for 9 credits, it's priced at the high end.
• We have no admissions requirements, test policy or time-to-finish on file.
• The class format isn't spelled out, so you can't tell if live sessions are required.
• Only three courses means limited breadth.
• Stacking into a master's depends on details you should confirm with RPI.

• What are the admission requirements, and is a programming background expected?
• Are classes asynchronous, or do they meet at set times?
• How long does a typical student take to finish the three courses?
• How exactly can certificates be combined into a customized master's, and how many credits count?
• Does RPI at Work offer employer discounts or payment plans on the $2,210 per-credit rate?
• How often is each course offered across the January, May and September starts?

Offered through RPI at Work, the university's online program for working professionals.

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