The University of Texas at Austin Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (Online)

The University of Texas at Austin's online Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is four courses and 12 credit hours for about $5,000 total, GRE not required, and the credits can transfer into UT Austin's online master's in AI. It's a strong, low-risk way to test the field from a flagship university.

This certificate comes from Computer & Data Science Online in the College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin, a flagship public research university. It's a graduate-level credential, so you need a bachelor's degree to apply, but it's short: four courses, 12 credit hours.

What sets it apart is where it can lead. The certificate credits can transfer into the online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence at the same university. That means you can start with one small, priced-out step and decide later whether to keep going.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

UT Austin prices the certificate at $5,000 total, which is $1,250 per 3-credit course. Our data also shows $417 per credit.

The $5,000 is tuition. Ask the program about fees before you budget, since the master's side of the program notes that international student fees and late registration fees may apply. If you continue into the MS, the certificate credits you've already paid for can move over with you.

12 credits at $417 a credit comes to $5,004 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You have a bachelor's degree and want AI training without committing to a full master's program.
• You want a flagship university name and a tuition bill near $5,000, not a full master's price.
• You're thinking about UT Austin's online MS in AI and want to prove to yourself, and to the admissions office, that you can handle the coursework.
• You'd rather skip the GRE. This program doesn't require it.

Who Should Skip It

• You don't have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. That's the admission requirement.
• You want a full degree credential on your resume. A certificate is a smaller credential than a master's.
• You want live classes and a cohort. Confirm the format before you count on live sessions.

The certificate is a four-course, 12-hour program. Check the program page for the current course menu and the order you can take them in. The related online MS in AI lists courses including Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing and Reinforcement Learning, with Ethics in AI required.

Because certificate credits can transfer into the master's, ask the program which of those courses count toward the degree. That's the detail that decides whether the certificate is a stand-alone credential or a first installment.

Standout Features

• Credits stack into the online MS in AI, one third of the way to the master's
• Customizable electives from a growing portfolio after two core courses, Machine Learning and Deep Learning
• Shareable badge credential with the certificate and optional non-transcriptable concentration badges

The program is fully online. UT Austin's online AI master's describes its courses as asynchronous and instructor-paced, designed to be accessed on your schedule, and the certificate sits in the same online division. Confirm that the certificate courses follow the same pattern.

Four courses is a light load. If you take them one at a time, the program fits around a full-time job. Ask how often each course is offered so you know whether you can finish on the timeline you want. The certificate follows UT Austin's traditional fall and spring semester calendar, with courses released weekly, so there are two start dates a year.

You earn a Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from The University of Texas at Austin, a public university where 27% of applicants are admitted and the overall graduation rate is 89%, per federal IPEDS data. About 53,864 students attend.

Admission requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, and the GRE is not required. Treat this as an academic certificate, not an industry exam.

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

• It's a certificate, not a degree. Employers who want a master's will still want a master's.
• Four courses give you a foundation, not deep specialization. You'll cover less ground than the 30-credit MS.

• Which four courses can I choose, and are any required?
• Which certificate courses transfer into the online MS in AI, and does transfer guarantee admission to the master's?
• When are the next start dates, and how often is each course offered?
• What fees apply on top of the $5,000 tuition?
• Can I take the courses one at a time while working full time?
• How much programming and math should I already know before I start?

Flagship public research university in Austin, Texas. Its online AI programs are offered through Computer & Data Science Online in the College of Natural Sciences.

• Best AI Certificate Programs Rank 2 of 54, graduate certificate
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