University of Maryland Global Campus Online Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence

This is a fully online bachelor's in artificial intelligence (AI) with a clear price tag and generous transfer rules. It's a strong pick if you already have college credits and want to finish a four-year degree around a job. Its graduation rate is low, so go in with a plan to finish.

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is a public school in the University System of Maryland. It serves working adults and military students, and most of its classes run online. The Online Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence takes 120 credits, and UMGC says all courses are available online. You won't need to travel to Maryland at any point.

The degree builds from an introduction to AI into applied work. Course titles on the program page include Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence Applications, Generative AI and Artificial Intelligence in the Enterprise. That last title tells you something. The program leans toward using AI inside organizations, not toward researching new models from scratch.

The program ends with the Artificial Intelligence Capstone (ARIN 495), a 3-credit course.

UMGC describes the whole degree as available online, and the school is built around adult learners who work and often serve in the military. Before you apply, ask whether classes meet at set times or run on your own schedule, and how long terms run and how many starts there are each year.

If you work shifts or travel, a class with weekly live sessions can be harder to keep up with than one you can do at midnight.

Who It Fits

• You have an associate degree or earlier college credits and want to count as many of them as possible. UMGC accepts up to 90 transfer credits.
• You live in Maryland and want the lower in-state rate of $337 per credit.
• You're an active-duty or veteran student. UMGC lists a $250 per credit military rate.
• You want to work with AI tools inside a business and care less about the math behind them.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a research-heavy path toward a graduate degree in machine learning. Check the course list against what that graduate school expects first.
• You need a program with a strong record of students finishing. UMGC's graduation rate is 33%.
• You're deciding purely on price and have no credits to transfer. A flat-rate option like Western Governors University may cost less.

UMGC publishes a short list of named AI courses: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence Applications, Generative AI, and Artificial Intelligence in the Enterprise. The full 120 credits also include general education and other requirements that sit outside the AI courses. Ask for the complete degree plan so you can see how many of the 120 credits are AI courses and how many are general education.

The capstone, ARIN 495, is worth 3 credits and closes out the degree. UMGC's page doesn't spell out what the capstone project involves, so ask an advisor what past students have built and whether the work can go in a portfolio.

Courses the School Names

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
• Artificial Intelligence Applications
• Generative AI
• Artificial Intelligence in the Enterprise

Standout Features

• Courses offered year-round; all courses available online
• Credit for prior learning and credit for military education and training as fast paths to credit
• Two tracks, AI Applications and AI Developer, each a seven-course 21-credit track

UMGC charges $499 per credit for out-of-state students and $337 per credit for in-state students. Military students pay $250 per credit. Across all 120 credits, that works out to $59,880 out of state or $40,440 in state, before any transfer credit.

Transfer credit is where this program gets much cheaper. UMGC accepts up to 90 transfer credits, and you only pay for the credits you take at UMGC. Multiply your remaining credits by your rate to get your own number.

These totals cover tuition only, so ask about fees, books and software before you plan your budget.

120 credits at $499 a credit comes to $59,880 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $337, the same 120 credits come to $40,440.

This is a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, which employers and graduate schools generally treat the same way whether it was earned online or on a campus. Verify the school's regional accreditation yourself before you enroll, and ask whether any course in the sequence prepares you for a vendor exam.

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

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The 33% graduation rate is the weakest number in the file. It covers the whole school, not just this degree, but it's a reason to plan for support and pacing.
• Out-of-state tuition of $59,880 is high for a bachelor's, and it only drops sharply if you bring in transfer credits.
• Ask UMGC directly about start dates and class format.

• How many of my existing credits will count toward the 120, and can I see that in writing before I pay a deposit?
• Which courses in the degree plan are AI courses, and which are general education?
• Do classes run on a set schedule, or can I work through them on my own time?
• What fees and software costs come on top of the per-credit rate?
• What did recent students build for the ARIN 495 capstone?
• What do you do to help students finish, given the school's 33% graduation rate?

Public university in the University System of Maryland serving working adults and military students, mostly online.

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