For decades, we have used computers to make important decisions in every arena, from business down to our personal lives. Artificial intelligence is the next evolution in computer-based decision-making. Combined with data science, which is the art of processing, extracting, and analyzing data, AI stands to hold a huge influence over our future.
You stand at the cusp of that technological wave. By completing an artificial intelligence and data science course, you develop dual capabilities that put you in the perfect position to enjoy a superb career.
Factors to Consider When Choosing an AI and Data Science Course
You need to know what you’re letting yourself in for before choosing a data science and artificial intelligence course. After all, the course you choose (and its quality) will impact your career prospects. Consider these six factors when making your choice.
1 – Course Content
Both data science and AI are expansive fields that contain a lot of categories and specializations. So, the question you need to ask is does the course cover what I need to know to get the job I want? If it doesn’t, you end up dedicating months (or even years) of your life to a course that brings you no closer to your goals.
2 – Course Duration and Flexibility
Not every student has the luxury of being able to commit full-time to an AI and data science course. Some have work, families, and other commitments to maintain. Ideally, your course should be of an appropriate length for your needs, in addition to offering the flexibility you need to fit your studies around the rest of your life.
3 – Instructor Expertise and Experience
Though data science has been around for decades, AI is still a somewhat nascent field, at least in terms of its modern form. You want to see that your course is created and overseen by people who know what they’re talking about. Do they have direct industry experience? Are their qualifications up to standard? What does your instructor have that makes taking their AI and data science course worthwhile?
4 – Course Fees and Return on Investment
A career in data science is usually strong enough to offer a good return on investment, with European data scientists pulling in an average of €60,815 per year. Throw AI into the mix and you have extra skills that could easily lead you toward six figures. Still, the cost of the course plays a role in your decision, with some courses costing five figures themselves.
5 – Online vs. Offline Courses
Picking between online and offline courses is like playing an arcade game with a guaranteed prize – there’s no way to lose. Your only consideration is what works best for you. Offline courses are great for self-motivated learners who need flexibility. Online courses put you in a classroom environment so you have direct contact with instructors and peers.
6 – Certification and Accreditation
When you finally start applying for jobs, the first thing your potential employer will ask is “Where did this person study their artificial intelligence and data science course?” The answer to that question will impact their decision, meaning your course provider needs to have a solid enough reputation to make their certifications and accreditations worth having.
Top AI and Data Science Courses
There is a metaphorical river of courses, both online and off, that can teach you about artificial intelligence and data science. Here are four of the best.
Course 1 – AI For Business Specialization (University of Pennsylvania via Coursera)
AI, Big Data, and the core concepts behind machine learning combine to create this AI and data science course. Beyond teaching you how to apply these computing concepts in a business setting, AI For Business Specialization digs into the ethics of applying AI fairly inside a business and how these evolving technologies will affect the people you work with, for, and manage.
Key Features
- Direct exposure to industry-hardened professionals who apply the skills you’re learning
- Includes peer-reviewed assessments designed to test your knowledge
- A 100% online course that offers complete flexibility in how you schedule your learning
- No experience in data science or AI required to get started
Pros and Cons
For somebody new to the concepts of AI and data science, this is the perfect course because it starts you out at the beginner level and builds you up from there. It’s flexible, too, with the course providers recommending two hours of learning per week to complete the four-month course. However, the course carries no university credit, so those using it to supplement their existing studies have to make do with the certificate and nothing more.
Course 2 – Machine Learning (Udacity)
Those looking for a budget-conscious artificial intelligence and data science course can rely on Udacity to provide its Machine Learning course at no charge. You’ll need a solid understanding of concepts like linear algebra and probability theory, making this course unsuitable for beginners. But assuming you come prepared, you’ll learn about the main approaches in machine learning (supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning) in a self-paced online environment.
Key Features
- Takes approximately four months to complete, though you can finish at your own pace
- Created and taught by industry experts
- Ideal for building foundational knowledge for future courses related to data science and AI
- Teaches multiple approaches to machine learning
Pros and Cons
The price is certainly right with this course, as you’re getting something very useful at no cost. It’s also an online version of class CS7641, which is taught at Georgia Tech, so the course has real-world credentials behind it. Sadly, its college-based origins don’t mean that you’ll get college credit with the course. It’s also pretty limited to specific forms of machine learning, making it great as an introduction to basic concepts but perhaps not as useful to people who already have some understanding of data science and AI.
Course 3 – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) (IBM via Coursera)
Quick, intense, and practical are just some of the words we can use to describe this data science and artificial intelligence course. IBM’s experts are clearly masters in the field (they wouldn’t be working for IBM if they weren’t) and they’ve distilled some of the best of their knowledge into this nine-hour completely online course. You’ll learn about the applications of AI in real-world scenarios, start getting to grips with concepts like machine learning and neural networks, and receive direct career advice from your instructors.
Key Features
- Offered by a Fortune 50 company that specializes in AI and data science
- Free enrollment for a self-paced course
- You get direct career advice from people who work in the field
- The course offers a shareable online certificate that looks great on your LinkedIn profile
Pros and Cons
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first – this is an AI and data science course for those who want to learn the fundamentals before building their knowledge in other ways. But it’s the connections that come with the course that make this such a strong contender. Having people from IBM, who already work in the field that interests you, to advise you is great for people who need a route into AI and data science.
Course 4 – Master in Applied Data Science & AI (OPIT)
A Master’s degree allows you to dig deeper into the concepts of AI and data science, with OPIT’s degree being perfect for those in the postgraduate phase who’ve balked at the cost of similar programs. This AI and data science course requires an extensive time investment of between 12 and 18 months, though it’s fully online so you can learn at your own pace. It also counts toward college credits, offering 90 ECTS upon completion.
Key Features
- Completely online so it offers flexibility in terms of how and where you learn
- Provided by an EU-accredited institution to ensure the certification you receive is actually useful
- You get 24/7 access to tutors who can advise you when you’re stuck
- Progressive assessments are favored over “final exams” and other high-pressure tests
Pros and Cons
This artificial intelligence and data science course is the most expensive on the list, clocking in at €6,500 (or €4,950 for early birds). It also requires a BSc in an appropriate field, such as computer science, to start studying. But that investment in both time and money leads you to a course that has full accreditation under the European Qualification Framework and gives you a well-rounded set of skills that set you up for C-Suite positions in your future career.
Tips for Success in AI and Data Science Courses
An AI and data science course could offer the best tutelage in the world but it won’t mean a thing if you’re not applying yourself as a student. These quick tips help you take what you learn further:
- Set clear goals for what you hope to achieve, both within the course and after completion, so you always have a path to follow.
- Don’t take “this course requires x number of hours per week” as given. Practice and set time to study whenever you can to build on your knowledge.
- As valuable as your peers and instructors may be, they’re not the only resources available to you. Engage with online communities and forums to stay up to date on trends in AI and data science.
- Some courses offer direct examples of how what you learn applies to the real world. Others don’t, so you have to seek out (and apply) your learning to real projects yourself.
- Think about what AI looked like five years ago compared to today. This is a continuously evolving field (the same goes for data science), so continued learning is a must once you’ve completed your course.
Combine AI and Data Sciences for Career Advancement
Earlier, we stated that data scientists earn an average of €60,815 per year in Europe. That’s a starting point. Mastery in the fields of AI and data science (which starts with an artificial intelligence and data science course) puts you in a position to work at the C-Suite level in many of today’s businesses. Investing in yourself now, when these fields are still in their growth phase, puts you in the perfect position to take advantage as we see both fields enjoy explosive growth in the future.
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From the same author
Read the articleFrom personalization to productivity: AI at the heart of the educational experience.
Click this link to read and download the e-book.
At its core, teaching is a simple endeavour. The experienced and learned pass on their knowledge and wisdom to new generations. Nothing has changed in that regard. What has changed is how new technologies emerge to facilitate that passing on of knowledge. The printing press, computers, the internet – all have transformed how educators teach and how students learn.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next game-changer in the educational space.
Specifically, AI agents have emerged as tools that utilize all of AI’s core strengths, such as data gathering and analysis, pattern identification, and information condensing. Those strengths have been refined, first into simple chatbots capable of providing answers, and now into agents capable of adapting how they learn and adjusting to the environment in which they’re placed. This adaptability, in particular, makes AI agents vital in the educational realm.
The reasons why are simple. AI agents can collect, analyse, and condense massive amounts of educational material across multiple subject areas. More importantly, they can deliver that information to students while observing how the students engage with the material presented. Those observations open the door for tweaks. An AI agent learns alongside their student. Only, the agent’s learning focuses on how it can adapt its delivery to account for a student’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and existing knowledge.
Think of an AI agent like having a tutor – one who eschews set lesson plans in favour of an adaptive approach designed and tweaked constantly for each specific student.
In this eBook, the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) will take you on a journey through the world of AI agents as they pertain to education. You will learn what these agents are, how they work, and what they’re capable of achieving in the educational sector. We also explore best practices and key approaches, focusing on how educators can use AI agents to the benefit of their students. Finally, we will discuss other AI tools that both complement and enhance an AI agent’s capabilities, ensuring you deliver the best possible educational experience to your students.
Read the articleThe Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.
OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.
Meet Obiora
Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.
Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.
The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.
The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.
Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.
Course content includes:
- Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
- Network security and intrusion detection
- Legal aspects and compliance
- Cryptography and secure communications
- Data analytics and risk management
- Generative AI cybersecurity
- Business resilience and response strategies
- Behavioral cybersecurity
- Cloud and IoT security
- Secure software development
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
- AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity
As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.
Obiora’s Experience
Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.
OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.
Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
Leading Cybersecurity in Africa
As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.
In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.
Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.
An OPIT Success Story
Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:
“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”
Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.
-
Go to all authors
Related posts
From personalization to productivity: AI at the heart of the educational experience.
Click this link to read and download the e-book.
At its core, teaching is a simple endeavour. The experienced and learned pass on their knowledge and wisdom to new generations. Nothing has changed in that regard. What has changed is how new technologies emerge to facilitate that passing on of knowledge. The printing press, computers, the internet – all have transformed how educators teach and how students learn.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next game-changer in the educational space.
Specifically, AI agents have emerged as tools that utilize all of AI’s core strengths, such as data gathering and analysis, pattern identification, and information condensing. Those strengths have been refined, first into simple chatbots capable of providing answers, and now into agents capable of adapting how they learn and adjusting to the environment in which they’re placed. This adaptability, in particular, makes AI agents vital in the educational realm.
The reasons why are simple. AI agents can collect, analyse, and condense massive amounts of educational material across multiple subject areas. More importantly, they can deliver that information to students while observing how the students engage with the material presented. Those observations open the door for tweaks. An AI agent learns alongside their student. Only, the agent’s learning focuses on how it can adapt its delivery to account for a student’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and existing knowledge.
Think of an AI agent like having a tutor – one who eschews set lesson plans in favour of an adaptive approach designed and tweaked constantly for each specific student.
In this eBook, the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) will take you on a journey through the world of AI agents as they pertain to education. You will learn what these agents are, how they work, and what they’re capable of achieving in the educational sector. We also explore best practices and key approaches, focusing on how educators can use AI agents to the benefit of their students. Finally, we will discuss other AI tools that both complement and enhance an AI agent’s capabilities, ensuring you deliver the best possible educational experience to your students.
The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) began enrolling students in 2023 to help bridge the skills gap between traditional university education and the requirements of the modern workplace. OPIT’s MSc courses aim to help professionals make a greater impact on their workplace through technology.
OPIT’s courses have become popular with business leaders hoping to develop a strong technical foundation to understand technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, that are shaping their industry. But OPIT is also attracting professionals with strong technical expertise looking to engage more deeply with the strategic side of digital innovation. This is the story of one such student, Obiora Awogu.
Meet Obiora
Obiora Awogu is a cybersecurity expert from Nigeria with a wealth of credentials and experience from working in the industry for a decade. Working in a lead data security role, he was considering “what’s next” for his career. He was contemplating earning an MSc to add to his list of qualifications he did not yet have, but which could open important doors. He discussed the idea with his mentor, who recommended OPIT, where he himself was already enrolled in an MSc program.
Obiora started looking at the program as a box-checking exercise, but quickly realized that it had so much more to offer. As well as being a fully EU-accredited course that could provide new opportunities with companies around the world, he recognized that the course was designed for people like him, who were ready to go from building to leading.
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity
OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity launched in 2024 as a fully online and flexible program ideal for busy professionals like Obiora who want to study without taking a career break.
The course integrates technical and leadership expertise, equipping students to not only implement cybersecurity solutions but also lead cybersecurity initiatives. The curriculum combines technical training with real-world applications, emphasizing hands-on experience and soft skills development alongside hard technical know-how.
The course is led by Tom Vazdar, the Area Chair for Cybersecurity at OPIT, as well as the Chief Security Officer at Erste Bank Croatia and an Advisory Board Member for EC3 European Cybercrime Center. He is representative of the type of faculty OPIT recruits, who are both great teachers and active industry professionals dealing with current challenges daily.
Experts such as Matthew Jelavic, the CEO at CIM Chartered Manager Canada and President of Strategy One Consulting; Mahynour Ahmed, Senior Cloud Security Engineer at Grant Thornton LLP; and Sylvester Kaczmarek, former Chief Scientific Officer at We Space Technologies, join him.
Course content includes:
- Cybersecurity fundamentals and governance
- Network security and intrusion detection
- Legal aspects and compliance
- Cryptography and secure communications
- Data analytics and risk management
- Generative AI cybersecurity
- Business resilience and response strategies
- Behavioral cybersecurity
- Cloud and IoT security
- Secure software development
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Leadership and communication in cybersecurity
- AI-driven forensic analysis in cybersecurity
As with all OPIT’s MSc courses, it wraps up with a capstone project and dissertation, which sees students apply their skills in the real world, either with their existing company or through apprenticeship programs. This not only gives students hands-on experience, but also helps them demonstrate their added value when seeking new opportunities.
Obiora’s Experience
Speaking of his experience with OPIT, Obiora said that it went above and beyond what he expected. He was not surprised by the technical content, in which he was already well-versed, but rather the change in perspective that the course gave him. It helped him move from seeing himself as someone who implements cybersecurity solutions to someone who could shape strategy at the highest levels of an organization.
OPIT’s MSc has given Obiora the skills to speak to boards, connect risk with business priorities, and build organizations that don’t just defend against cyber risks but adapt to a changing digital world. He commented that studying at OPIT did not give him answers; instead, it gave him better questions and the tools to lead. Of course, it also ticks the MSc box, and while that might not be the main reason for studying at OPIT, it is certainly a clear benefit.
Obiora has now moved into a leading Chief Information Security Officer Role at MoMo, Payment Service Bank for MTN. There, he is building cyber-resilient financial systems, contributing to public-private partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
Leading Cybersecurity in Africa
As well as having a significant impact within his own organization, studying at OPIT has helped Obiora develop the skills and confidence needed to become a leader in the cybersecurity industry across Africa.
In March 2025, Obiora was featured on the cover of CIO Africa Magazine and was then a panelist on the “Future of Cybersecurity Careers in the Age of Generative AI” for Comercio Ltd. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry also invited him to speak on Cybersecurity in Africa.
Obiora recently presented the keynote speech at the Hackers Secret Conference 2025 on “Code in the Shadows: Harnessing the Human-AI Partnership in Cybersecurity.” In the talk, he explored how AI is revolutionizing incident response, enhancing its speed, precision, and proactivity, and improving on human-AI collaboration.
An OPIT Success Story
Talking about Obiora’s success, the OPIT Area Chair for Cybersecurity said:
“Obiora is a perfect example of what this program was designed for – experienced professionals ready to scale their impact beyond operations. It’s been inspiring to watch him transform technical excellence into strategic leadership. Africa’s cybersecurity landscape is stronger with people like him at the helm. Bravo, Obiora!”
Learn more about OPIT’s MSc in Cybersecurity and how it can support the next steps of your career.
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