University of Illinois Chicago Online Master of Engineering With a Concentration in AI and Machine Learning

UIC's online Master of Engineering with a concentration in AI and Machine Learning is a mid-priced, engineering-flavored master's that can be finished in as few as 12 months. It's 36 credit hours at $896 per credit, about $32,256 before fees. It fits working engineers who want a non-thesis, practical degree from a public research university.

This is a Master of Engineering offered through the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago, a public research university in Chicago. The AI and machine learning piece is a concentration, so the degree itself is an engineering master's with AI as your focus.

That distinction matters. An M.Eng. is typically a professional, practice-oriented degree, and this one is a non-thesis program. If you want to write a research thesis and head toward a Ph.D., ask about options, because this program isn't built around one.

UIC lists the program as a 100% online master's, and says you can finish in as few as 12 months. As few as is the key phrase. Twelve months means a heavy course load, and most working adults will take longer.

Terms run eight weeks, and full-time students take two courses at a time while part-time students take one at a time. UIC also describes opportunities to work on your own project ideas. Ask whether classes are live or asynchronous. Also ask how many courses you can take per term and how often each course runs, since those two answers decide your real finish date.

Who It Fits

• You're an engineer or technical professional who wants AI and machine learning skills inside an engineering degree.
• You want a fully online master's from a public research university and prefer a non-thesis program.
• You'd like a fast option. UIC says the degree can be finished in as few as 12 months.
• You're comfortable with a price near $32,256, which sits between the cheapest and most expensive online AI master's programs.

Who Should Skip It

• You want the lowest tuition. UT Austin's online AI master's costs far less in total.
• You want a thesis. UIC describes this as a non-thesis program.
• You're not from an engineering or technical background. Confirm the admission requirements before you plan around it.

The degree is 36 credit hours, which UIC lists as 9 courses. AI and machine learning is a concentration within the Master of Engineering. Pull the current degree plan from UIC before you apply.

Because it's an engineering degree, expect the program to blend core engineering coursework with the AI concentration. Ask how many of the nine courses are required engineering classes versus AI electives, since that ratio decides how deep your AI training goes.

Standout Features

• Full- or part-time pacing, with opportunities to work on your own project ideas

UIC lists $896 per credit hour. For 36 credit hours (9 courses), that comes to $32,256 before fees.

Fees will add to that total, so request a full estimate. UIC's Student Veteran Affairs office processes applications to use federal education and training benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. If your employer offers tuition reimbursement, a 12-month finish concentrates the bill into a single year, which may matter for how you plan to claim it.

36 credits at $896 a credit comes to $32,256 in tuition, before fees.

You earn a Master of Engineering from the University of Illinois Chicago with a concentration in AI and Machine Learning. UIC is a public university with about 33,906 students. Federal IPEDS data shows a 77% admit rate and a 62% overall graduation rate.

Our wage data lists a field median of $116,580. That's a field figure, not a program outcome. Verify specifics, including the accreditation statement, with the school.

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 $32,256 before fees, it costs far more than UT Austin's online AI master's.
• It's a concentration inside an engineering degree, so some of your 36 credits go to engineering coursework outside AI.
• The 12-month timeline is a best case. Most working students will take longer.
• Confirm the course list and other details with UIC before you apply.

• Which of the nine courses are required, and which make up the AI and machine learning concentration?
• What background do I need to be admitted, and are there prerequisites?
• How many courses can I take each term, and how long does it take a working student to finish?
• What fees apply on top of $896 per credit hour?
• Are classes live or asynchronous, and are there any proctored exams?
• What does the non-thesis format involve, and is there a final project or exam?

Public research university in Chicago. The online Master of Engineering is offered through the College of Engineering.

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