Best Part-Time Online AI Degrees (2026)

Penn has an extended part-time schedule of 3 years, so a full-time job doesn't have to slow down while you study. Because it bills $3,859 per course, you can see what each term costs before you enroll. Pick it if you have a computer science or related degree. Expect to pay far more per course than at most public programs.

Purdue lets you go full time or part time, finishing in 1 to 2 years, so you can slow down when a project at work takes over. The rate stays $950 per credit either way, and the GRE isn't required. Part-time students who choose the technical major still need prior algorithms, calculus, linear algebra and probability coursework.

Northeastern lists both part-time and full-time enrollment, so you can start at Fall or Spring and set the pace around your job. It finishes in 12 to 20 months for an estimated $30,500 in 2026-2027 tuition, before fees. Pick it if you hold an engineering or computer technology degree and want a focus like Machine Learning for Cybersecurity. Applicants without that background are sent to the Connect version.

On a part-time schedule at UIC, you take one course at a time in 8-week terms, which keeps evenings manageable. Tuition is $896 per credit across 36 credits, or $32,256 before fees. It fits an engineer who wants a public-university degree with no thesis. The trade-off is one course at a time stretches the 12-month minimum well past a year.

Washington lets you take certificates one at a time or concurrently, then finish with a two-quarter applied capstone. That stepwise build suits an engineer who can't commit to a full load. The 2025-26 estimate is $40,375 to $43,088, and there's one start a year. You'll need a 3.0 GPA, and some optional certificates are in person only.

Boulder suits a part-time student who wants to take short courses back to back. Courses last 8 weeks and start six times a year, so a missed start costs you only a couple of months. You pay by session toward a $15,750 total. The catch is that you must earn B grades in a three-course pathway before you're admitted.

A manager with a day job can take Georgetown's 30 credits at a part-time pace, though it can also be done in one year. Any bachelor's field qualifies, and there are three starts a year. The trade-off is the bill, since $1,752 per credit means $52,560, and slowing down doesn't lower the rate.

Duke is built only for working professionals, with four semesters and two summer sessions over 24 months. You'd choose it if your employer values a name school and a corporate-partner capstone. The cost is high at $76,650 for 30 credits, and two campus residencies mean travel and time off that a purely remote part-time plan wouldn't.

NJIT defines part time as 9 or fewer credits per semester and expects about 2 years that way. That is a steady, predictable load for someone with a STEM background. Three starts a year (fall, spring and summer) help with timing. Each credit is $1,284, so the 30 credits come to $38,520, and fees are extra.

Cincinnati publishes a part-time plan of about 36 months, versus 12 months full time, which makes it workable for busy managers who need small course loads. With a B average from any bachelor's field and no GRE, entry is simple. Starts come only twice a year, so plan your application around them.

Yale is a two-year, part-time degree built around medicine, so it suits a clinician, engineer or data scientist who already works in healthcare. The program page lists $51,100 for the whole degree. You can't skip travel, though, because each semester opens with a one-week, in-person immersion in New Haven. Applicants must live in the United States, Canada or Mexico.

Dearborn is for a STEM graduate who works days, because classes meet in late afternoons and evenings and can be taken online, on campus or both. The GRE isn't required, and recommendation letters aren't either. You do need a 3.0 GPA. Its posted rates are general graduate figures, so ask what part-time online students actually pay.