Saint Louis University Online Applied AI and Decision Analytics, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Saint Louis University's Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Applied AI and Decision Analytics is a 9-credit, fully online program at $810 per credit, which puts tuition at $7,290. It's a low-cost way to test graduate AI work, especially if you already have an analytics background and want to see how it fits before committing to the full master's.

This is the certificate version of SLU's M.S. in Applied AI and Decision Analytics. The certificate draws on three courses from the master's: Foundations of Applied Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, AI and Analytics Product Design, and AI Integration Strategy and Implementation.

Saint Louis University is a private Catholic, Jesuit university in Saint Louis, Missouri. Courses are offered fully online in an asynchronous format, and SLU's page also mentions in person.

The certificate and the master's are separate programs. The master's is 30 credits, and this certificate is 9 credits from the same set of courses. If you're comparing the two on this site, read both pages, because the certificate is 9 credits and the master's is 30, so they aren't a head-to-head match.

SLU charges $810 per credit for online graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate certificates. Nine credits come to $7,290 in tuition. That's a fraction of what the 30-credit master's costs, and it's the same per-credit rate.

The rate is the same for the master's, so no price is lost by starting with the certificate if the credits carry over. Confirm that in writing. Also ask whether any fees come on top of tuition.

Because the whole credential is three courses, you can see the full cost before you enroll, which isn't true of many graduate programs, and a $7,290 bill is easier to plan around than a multi-year degree.

9 credits at $810 a credit comes to $7,290 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You already work with data or analytics and want a graduate credential in applied AI without a two-year commitment.
• You want to decide whether the full master's is right for you. SLU says a complementary certificate can often be earned without additional credits when paired with the master's, so ask how credits move from one to the other.
• You need asynchronous courses that don't tie you to a set meeting time.

Who Should Skip It

• You're new to analytics. Admissions asks for an analytics background, so the master's, which requires no STEM degree, may suit you better.
• You need a full master's degree for your target job or pay grade. Nine credits is not a degree.
• You want a credential tied to a named research lab.

You take three courses. The first, Foundations of Applied Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, gives you the technical base. AI and Analytics Product Design shows how AI features become products. AI Integration Strategy and Implementation covers how an organization puts AI into its existing work.

The three courses are the whole credential. The master's adds the rest of its 30 credits and the research project, AA 5960.

Courses the School Names

• Foundations of Applied Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
• AI and Analytics Product Design
• AI Integration Strategy and Implementation

Standout Features

• Three-course, 9-credit certificate drawn from the master's curriculum

SLU states that courses are offered fully online in an asynchronous format. Asynchronous means you complete lectures and assignments on your own time within deadlines, which helps if your schedule shifts week to week. The tradeoff is that nobody sets your pace for you, so you'll want a steady weekly routine for three graduate courses.

The master's runs in eight-week terms, so ask whether the certificate follows the same calendar.

You earn a post-baccalaureate certificate, which is a graduate-level credential but not a degree.

Admissions asks for an undergraduate degree (most successful applicants have a 3.00 GPA or better), an analytics background, a transcript, a statement of purpose of about 500 words, and a resume or CV. The statement of purpose is the piece to prepare early, and it helps to name the specific analytics work you do now and the AI skills you want to add.

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

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• It's a certificate, not a degree, so it won't meet requirements that call for a master's.
• Admissions expects an analytics background, which narrows who can apply.
• Term length, start dates and the transfer policy into the master's are worth confirming before you apply.

• Do the 9 credits count toward the master's in Applied AI and Decision Analytics if I continue?
• What counts as an analytics background for admission?
• Is there any extra charge beyond $810 per credit?
• When can I start, and how long do the courses run?
• How much time per week should I plan for each course?

Saint Louis University is a private Catholic, Jesuit university in Saint Louis, Missouri. Its School for Professional Studies and School of Medicine offer AI master's degrees online.

• Best AI Certificate Programs Rank 20 of 54, graduate certificate
• AI for Business and Management Rank 5 of 13, graduate certificate
• Best Applied AI Degrees Rank 1 of 5, graduate certificate

• Applied AI and Decision Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $810 per credit Score 86.1

• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online Score 66.9

• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

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  Fully Online $810 per credit Score 69.9

Also at Saint Louis University, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Artificial Intelligence (master's, on campus).

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• Stanford University

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• Carnegie Mellon University

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• Carnegie Mellon University

  Online Graduate Certificate in Generative AI & Large Language Models

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