University of North Texas Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence

This is a low-cost online master's degree in artificial intelligence (AI), with a small graduate certificate you can try first. UNT estimates $18,700 for a Texas resident across the whole program. It's a value pick, not a prestige pick.

The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university in Denton, Texas. Its online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence takes 33 credit hours, and UNT says students can finish in two years, with a stated range of two to three years. The program is fully online.

UNT offers three concentrations: Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering and Autonomous Systems. That's the main way to shape the degree. A student who wants to build models can take the machine learning route, while someone interested in healthcare can look at the biomedical option.

UNT also notes that this is a STEM-designated master's program.

UNT lists the program as fully online. Ask whether classes are live or self-paced, how many terms you get each year and how many courses you'd take at once. At 33 credit hours over two to three years, you'd be taking a part-time load, so ask whether you can slow down in a busy semester without losing your spot.

Who It Fits

• You're a Texas resident who wants a master's in AI at a public-university price. UNT's $18,700 estimate is for Texas residents.
• You're not sure you want the full master's yet. The 12-hour graduate academic certificate in AI costs less, and all 12 credit hours can count toward the master's.
• You have a STEM background, or you're willing to take the bridge courses UNT offers in programming and AI fundamentals.
• You're interested in healthcare or autonomous systems and want a concentration that points that way.

Who Should Skip It

• You live outside Texas. UNT says the estimate varies by state residency, so your bill could look different from the $18,700 figure.
• You want a name-brand credential. Programs like Penn's online engineering master's carry that kind of recognition, and they cost more.
• You need a program that has a published capstone or thesis project. We didn't find one on UNT's program page.

UNT lists notable courses in Introduction to Big Data and Data Science, AI for Wearables and Healthcare, Data Mining and Machine Learning. The mix points to a program that treats AI as an applied data discipline, with the wearables and healthcare course showing up where the biomedical concentration would lead.

The three concentrations are Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering and Autonomous Systems. UNT also offers bridge courses in programming and AI fundamentals for students coming from other backgrounds. If your undergraduate degree isn't in computer science, ask which bridge courses you'd need and whether they add to the 33 credit hours or sit on top of them.

Courses the School Names

• Introduction to Big Data and Data Science
• AI for Wearables and Healthcare
• Data Mining
• Machine Learning

Standout Features

• Fine-tune large language models for specific domains; curriculum structured to foster student engagement in research
• STEM-designated master's program
• The 12-hour online graduate academic certificate in AI is an alternative pathway, and its 12 credit hours apply toward the master's

UNT estimates $18,700 in tuition and fees for a Texas resident across the full 33-credit program. That's an estimate, and UNT says it varies by state residency, so ask the bursar's office for the out-of-state number if you don't live in Texas.

The graduate certificate is the cheaper way in. UNT's online graduate academic certificate in AI has 12 credit hours, and UNT estimates $7,600 in tuition and fees for a Texas resident. All 12 credit hours apply toward the master's if you decide to continue.

The degree is a Master of Science (M.S.), and UNT describes it as STEM-designated. That label can matter for students on certain visa types, so ask UNT's international office exactly what it means for you before you plan around it.

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 cost figure is an estimate for Texas residents. Non-residents have to ask for their own number.
• At two to three years, the full program is a long commitment to carry alongside a job.

• What's my total tuition and fees as a non-Texas resident?
• Do the bridge courses count toward the 33 credit hours, or are they extra?
• Is there a capstone, thesis or project, and what have students built?
• How many of the three concentrations run online every year?
• If I start with the 12-hour certificate, do I need to apply again for the master's?
• Are classes live, or can I work on my own schedule?

• Best Online AI Degrees Rank 35 of 49, master's
• Best Online Master's Programs Rank 35 of 49, master's
• Best AI Engineering Degrees Rank 12 of 16, master's
• Best Machine Learning Degrees Rank 9 of 11, master's
• Best AI in Healthcare Programs Rank 2 of 5, master's
• 100% Online Programs Rank 34 of 46, master's
• Public University Programs Rank 12 of 21, master's
• Best Online Programs in Texas Rank 3 of 3, master's

• Artificial Intelligence Graduate Academic Certificate

  Graduate Certificate, Graduate Certificate

  Fully Online Score 49.9

• University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

  Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Management

  Ohio $1,160 per credit Score 60.6

• New Jersey Institute of Technology

  Online M.S. in Artificial Intelligence

  New Jersey $1,284 per credit Score 61.2

• Duke University

  Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence for Product Innovation (Online)

  North Carolina $2,555 per credit Score 61.5

• City University of Seattle

  Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI)

  Washington $775 per quarter credit Score 58.8