Artificial Intelligence

Unique Features

• AI masters degree with opportunities for paid, full-time co-ops or internships with Khoury College’s industry partner organizations: Amazon, Ford Motor Company, Roche/Genentech, Goldman Sachs, Nok Nok Labs, Sway AI, U.S. Soccer Federation, and more
• The research facilities and network of an R1 institution in AI, a key area of study for Khoury College, including the Institute for Experiential AI, AI Ethics Advisory Board, the World Economic Forum’s Global AI Action Alliance, and more
• In-depth knowledge and experience in technical, interdisciplinary, and ethical aspects of AI
• Clear career pathways for aspiring AI specialists, AI strategists/consultants, and AI researchers/doctoral candidates

Career Outlook

There is a huge demand for AI professionals with graduate degrees:

• AI will create 97 million new jobs by 2025 (Source: Future of Jobs Report 2020 by World Economic Forum)
• The field of artificial intelligence specialist hiring has grown 74% in the last four years (Forbes, 2020)
• More than 50% of engineering positions were in robotics engineering (Forbes, 2020)
• Artificial intelligence salaries in the United States are over two times higher than the national average salary (USBLS, 2022)

Curriculum

Curriculum with distinct career paths and interdisciplinary and ethical perspectives 

Prepare for leadership in one of three career tracks:

Specialist in applied AI disciplines → Specialization Track

Develop deep expertise via two courses in one of five AI fields (plus one additional course):

1. Vision
   • Pattern Recognition and Computer Vision
   • Special Topics in Artificial Intelligence    
   • Computer Vision    
   • Advanced Computer Vision    
2. Intelligent Interaction
   • Game Artificial Intelligence    
   • Computer/Human Interaction    
   • Theory and Methods in Human-Computer Interaction    
   • Human Cognitive Processes
3. Robotics and Agent-Based Systems
   • Reinforcement Learning and Sequential Decision-Making    
   • Robotic Science and Systems    
   • Mobile Robotics    
   • Robotics Sensing and Navigation
4. Machine Learning
   • Reinforcement Learning and Sequential Decision-Making    
   • Data Mining Techniques    
   • Advanced Machine Learning    
   • Deep Learning    
   • Unsupervised Machine Learning and Data Mining    
   • Statistical Inference    
   • Introduction to Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition    
   • Statistics for Bioinformatics
5. Knowledge Management and Reasoning
   • Natural Language Processing    
   • Information Retrieval    
   • Data Mining Techniques    
   • Special Topics in Data Science

Doctoral studies and research → Thesis Track

Dive into research in preparation for a PhD program and career in research and development. The Thesis Track allows you to immerse yourself in Northeastern’s rich research environment in AI.

• Master’s project
• Thesis
• Four semester hours from the Specialization Track or electives course lists

AI strategist or consultant → Coursework Only Track

Gain a bird’s-eye view of AI that qualifies you to lead on big-picture issues as a strategist or consultant in the field. You’ll take core courses through the Khoury College of Computer Sciences and electives from a range of the many colleges at Northeastern University, an R1 research institution.

• 12 semester hours from any specialization or elective courses

View the Full Curriculum

Study Options

• Customize your studies with full-time or part-time options
• Options for students with a strong foundation in computer science and mathematics as well as for students with more contextual knowledge (e.g., military, health, finance, etc.) who need to strengthen their foundational tech knowledge