Best Online AI Degrees for Career Changers (2026)

• Highest Score86.1 out of 100

  Lowest Price$810 per credit

  Most FlexibleFully Online, 8-week terms

  Saint Louis University

  Applied AI and Decision Analytics

  Missouri · M.S.

  Saint Louis University's M.S. Review

A program made this list only if its official admissions page says applicants from any undergraduate field can apply, or if the school publishes a bridge, such as preparatory courses or a certificate pathway, for people without a technical background.

Every program is fully online, and we checked each one against the school's own pages on 2026-09-30. We then ranked the eight on the same measures used across the site: cost, outcomes, flexibility, depth and track record. The details are on the methodology page.

Admissions standards change, so confirm the prerequisites with the school before you apply.

• Admissions page that accepts a bachelor's in any field, or a transfer limit of 60 credits or more
• Prerequisite courses or bridge options noted where the school lists them
• Ranked by our program score within each degree level

Scores are the weighted sum of five factors (Cost 30%, Outcomes 25%, Online Flexibility 20%, Program Depth 10%, Track Record 15%), version 1.0. The methodology page shows the rubric for each factor.

Sort Programs by How Much Preparation They Expect

Career changers get stuck on prerequisites, not on the degree. The eight programs fall into three groups, and knowing which group you're in saves you an application fee.

No technical prerequisites: Saint Louis University says no prior STEM degree is required and teaches the foundations inside its 30 credits. Georgetown requires a bachelor's in any field with no minimum GPA, though it recommends a 3.0. Bridgeport accepts learners from any academic field. Cincinnati asks for a B average, a resume, a goal statement and one letter of recommendation.

Bridge courses added on top: City University of Seattle wants coursework in programming, networking, data management and operating systems, or its Undergraduate Certificate in Foundations of Systems Development. DePaul asks for a 2.5 GPA and Calculus 1 and 2, then offers introductory programming, data structures and statistics courses on top of the 48 credits.

Strict entry: Arizona requires a 3.0 GPA, an entry test covering statistics, Python and SQL, and six credit hours of business coursework. NJIT expects a computing or STEM bachelor's with a 3.0 GPA and prior calculus, programming, data structures, probability and linear algebra. If your degree is in history or nursing, NJIT is not your program.

Test the Field With a Certificate Before Committing to a Master's

A master's costs between $24,300 and $52,560 in tuition here, so it makes sense to find out if you like machine learning first. Three schools on this list build that step in.

Saint Louis University says students can earn a graduate certificate that complements the master's, often without additional credits. Cincinnati accepts transfer credits from its Artificial Intelligence in Business Graduate Certificate. NJIT is the most useful for a gap in your record: earning its Certificate in Artificial Intelligence with a 3.0 or higher GPA guarantees admission to the M.S., and those credits can be applied to the degree.

If you want a cheaper trial run or a credential that stands alone, compare the options on our online AI certificate programs list. Check the credit-transfer rules in writing before you enroll, because transfer terms are set by each school.

Choose Between Managing AI and Building It

Career changers usually bring a profession with them, such as finance, marketing, healthcare or operations. Three of these degrees are designed to put AI to work inside that kind of business.

Georgetown's program is titled Artificial Intelligence Management. Cincinnati's AI Management degree offers concentrations that include Health Care Administration, Marketing, Investment Management and Applied AI in Finance. Arizona's degree sits in the Eller College of Management and is called Artificial Intelligence for Business.

Bridgeport, NJIT, DePaul and City University of Seattle are closer to the technical side. Bridgeport lets you choose Cybersecurity, Data Sciences and Data Analytics, Deep Learning and Computer Vision, or Robotics and Automation. NJIT's courses include Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning and Deep Learning. Pick the side that matches the job posting you actually want, then compare schools.

Plan the Real Cost and the Calendar

Per-credit prices mislead because the credit counts differ. Saint Louis University charges $810 per credit for 30 credits. Bridgeport is $1,100 per credit for $33,000, plus a $510 program fee. Cincinnati is $1,160 per credit, or $1,145 for Ohio residents. NJIT is $1,284 and Arizona is $1,250, both for 30 credits. DePaul charges $1,003 per credit but requires 48 quarter credit hours, so tuition is $48,144 before a comprehensive fee.

City University of Seattle charges $775 per quarter credit, and its page lists 39 to 59 total credits including preparatory courses. Your prep decides your bill.

Time varies too. Arizona runs 12 months. Georgetown can be finished in as little as one year full time. Cincinnati takes 12 months full time or about 36 months part time. NJIT recommends two years part time. If you are keeping your current job, working-adult programs may fit your schedule better.