Growth is inevitable in the AI sector. According to Statista, the already-booming industry looks set to go from a value of $100 billion in 2021 to $2 trillion by 2030, increasing by a multiple of 20 to become one of the world’s biggest industries. Naturally, the need for skilled AI professionals will grow alongside that enormous scaling.
That’s where you come in.
With the right applied AI course, you can develop both the knowledge of the foundational theory that sits behind AI and learn how to apply that theory in a real-world setting. Here are four of the best applied AI courses to get you started.
Factors to Consider When Choosing an Applied AI Course
Every search for a new course starts with figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of each one you consider. These factors help you do that, ensuring you don’t spend your hard-earned money on a course that fails to equip you with skills that make you desirable to employers.
Course Content and Curriculum
AI is such an expansive field that every applied AI course has the potential to cover different topics and subjects. Think about what you want to learn (and your prospective career path), then align your course selection with that intended path.
Course Duration
Applied AI courses can vary tremendously in length, from several years for degree-level courses to a few months for online courses. Ask yourself how long you wish to spend studying. Also, consider the flexibility of the course, such as whether you’ll be able to fit your studies around your existing work and family commitments.
Instructor Expertise
AI is a burgeoning industry, meaning expertise levels vary from course to course. For applied AI courses, in particular, you want professors who combine in-depth knowledge of the theory with real-world experience. What have they done in the industry? If the answer is “nothing,” they may not be able to guide you down the path to an AI-centric career.
Course Fees and Financial Aid
Course fees vary massively depending on the type of course you take. For example, those in the U.K. can easily spend between £15,000 and £25,000 on university-level courses, with Aston University’s tuition fees of £23,200 being somewhat typical. Online and self-learning courses cost considerably less, so you need to figure out how much you’re willing to spend (and if you can get any help with your fees) before moving forward.
Job Placement and Career Support
Though you need one eye pointed toward the present when choosing between applied AI courses, the other needs to be firmly pointed toward the future. What prospects will you have when you complete the course? In other words, does the course provide you with a direct path into the industry, along with support, or are you left to fend for yourself once you have your qualification?
Top Choices for Mastering Artificial Intelligence
Choices abound when you jump online to find applied AI courses. The following selection offers a nice mix, from online certifications offered by industry professionals to a couple of courses from some of the world’s most prestigious universities.
Course 1 – IBM Applied AI Professional Certification
If you’re fresh to the world of AI (though ideally not new to computer science), IBM’s industry-specific applied AI courses offer both foundational knowledge and a respected qualification. They’re flexible, too, with this course lasting for six months but only requiring three hours of work per work. Those in full-time work (or education) can fit the course around their lifestyle, while those who have time to burn can complete the entire course much quicker, earning degree credits along the way.
Key Features and Benefits
- Certification from one of the most respected companies in the AI space
- Direct exposure to use cases in the deep learning, machine learning, and neural network spheres
- Learn how to build AI-powered solutions (like chatbots) using Python and IBM’s Watson AI
- Over three-quarters (77%) of students report career improvement
Pricing and Enrollment
IBM’s course is available via Coursera and offers a seven-day trial you can use to get to grips with its structure and examine its modules. It’s fully online, which improves flexibility at the cost of not having direct access to a professor, and you’ll receive an IBM badge upon completion. You’ll pay a monthly fee of $35 (approx. €31) and can enroll at almost any time.
Course 2 – Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence (Harvard University)
Harvard University may be seen as the gold standard in the United States, but what many don’t know is that it offers a comprehensive suite of online courses that almost anybody can take. Its Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence course is a perfect example. Comprising of two courses – an introduction to computer science followed by an introduction to applying computer science principles to AI using Python – it lasts for five months. You get access to professors and can learn at your own pace, with the course recommending between seven and 22 hours of study per week.
Key Features and Benefits
- Two modules give you a crash course in applied AI and the computer science theory that underpins it
- Director access to Harvard professors Doug Lloyd, Brian Yu, and David J. Malan
- Complete flexibility in how and when you learn
- Get to grips with Python and build experience with machine learning libraries
Payment and Enrollment
As an online course, Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence is available for enrollment whenever you’re ready, with the five months starting once you’re enrolled. It costs £277 (approx. €312) and you’ll need to create an account with the EDX website (which hosts the course) to get started.
Course 3 – Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate (Stanford University)
Ranked as the third-best university in the United States for general computer science and AI teaching, Stanford University has opened up some of its best courses to online learners. Entirely online (and instructor-led for those who want more guidance) this is one of those applied AI courses that is equivalent to a full graduate degree. You’ll complete at least one required course – with a choice between machine learning and the principles of AI – and select up to three electives. It’s the electives that make this course stand out, as there are 18 to choose from, with the right combination giving you a chance to specialize for specific career paths.
Key Benefits and Features
- Direct tuition from prominent Stanford faculty members, including Andrew Ng and Chelsea Finn
- Some level of autonomy in how you study thanks to the online-centric nature of the course
- Specialize in specific areas of AI thanks to a wide range of electives
- You get a degree from one of the world’s foremost colleges in the AI field
Payment and Enrollment
Let’s get the bad news out of the way immediately – this isn’t a cheap course. As a full-on graduate degree, it costs between $18,200 and $22,400 to take (approx. €16,235 and €19,980), though financial aid may be available for some students. You can’t just hop onto the course, either, as a college-level understanding of calculus, linear algebra, Probability Theory, and several programming languages is required. Stanford itself calls this one of its most difficult courses and recommends that you take several foundation courses (ideally at degree level) before enrolling.
Course 4 – Master in Applied Data Science & AI (OPIT)
As a full postgraduate course that takes between 12 and 18 months to complete, OPIT’s Master in Applied Data Science & AI is an interesting case for one simple reason – there are no computer science prerequisites. The course is open to everybody and it teaches both advanced applied AI concepts and the foundational knowledge needed to understand them. You’ll complete a pair of terms containing courses, with your final term dedicated to a project or thesis that puts what you’ve learned into practice.
Key Benefits and Features
- The course is supplied by an institution with accreditation from the European Qualification Framework
- It’s a fully remote course that gives you control over how and when you learn
- Discounts and payment plans are available, as well as scholarship and funding options
- You come out of the course with a recognized postgraduate degree
Payment and Enrollment
Though the course usually costs €6,500, OPIT offers “early bird” discounts that allow you to enroll for €4,950, assuming you sign up early enough. Intakes are semi-regular, with the next one scheduled for October 2023 and international students get 90 credits under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) for successful completion.
Tips for Success in an Applied AI Course
As you can see, you have plenty of options for applied AI courses, from professional certifications designed to get you into a career quickly to full postgraduate degrees. Regardless of your choice, these tips will help you get your precious certification:
- Dedicate time for study – Time well managed is time well spent. Understand that you’ll need to dedicate self-learning time to get to grips with concepts you’re taught during classroom hours.
- Set clear goals – Going into an applied AI course with no sense of what you’re supposed to get out of that course leaves you directionless upon completion. Make sure you know exactly what you stand to gain before committing time (and money) to a course.
- Network often – Even online courses give you a chance to get involved in teamwork projects and speak to experienced industry professionals. Take those chances. The more connections you build during your studies, the more opportunities you’ll see coming out of the back end.
- Seek guidance – As attractive as the prospect of self-guided learning may be, we all need a helping hand from time to time. If a course provides direct access to tutors and professors, use it.
- Stay up to date – AI is a fast-moving field, with every change and advancement bringing new challenges and opportunities. Stay on top of what’s happening in the industry. You may just find that one course sets you up to be ready for those changes, while another may not.
Build Your Skills With an Applied AI Course
Whether you go down the full postgraduate degree route or you choose a professional qualification, an applied AI course is a route into one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. Simply put, we’re set for an AI explosion. Over the next decade, AI will permeate everything we do, from complex computing to simple office tasks, and you can use the right course to give yourself the skills you need to take advantage of that fact. Explore the options shared in this article, ask yourself what you want to achieve in your career, and make the educational choice that’s right for you.
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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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