MS in Artificial Intelligence Boston University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Artificial Intelligence, AI, is an area of study that explores how to create computer programs that learn to make decisions, reason about data, and communicate with humans.

The program prepares students to work as Artificial Intelligence Engineers in information technology companies or pursue a Ph.D. degree in computer science.

The 8-course MS in AI program is geared toward students with a computer science undergraduate degree, but we also welcome those with equivalent training and experience, as well as students with gaps in their computing background but strong academic records overall.

3-Semester Sample Program

1st Semester (Fall):

• CS 640 Artificial Intelligence
• CS 660: Graduate Introduction to Database Systems
• CS 591 S1: Fairness in AI

2nd Semester (Spring):

• CS 585: Image and Video Computing
• CS 505: Natural Language Processing
• CS 542: Machine Learning

3rd Semester (Fall):

• CS 591 K1: Deep Learning
• CS 940: Directed Study in AI

2-Semester Sample Program

1st Semester (Fall):

• CS 640 Artificial Intelligence
• CS 542: Machine Learning
• CS 680: Computer Graphics
• CS 660: Graduate Introduction to Database Systems

2nd Semester (Spring):

• CS 585: Image and Video Computing
• CS 505: Natural Language Processing
• CS 591 K1: Deep Learning
• CS 940: Directed Study in AI

Students who complete the MS in AI program will be able to demonstrate:

• An understanding of the fundamental design mechanisms, algorithms, and state-of-the-art system architectures in AI, along with knowledge of the core areas of AI, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
• The ability to convert descriptions of abstract AI challenges into descriptions of specific AI project requirements.
• The ability to apply creative thinking, algorithmic design skills, and coding skills to build modern AI systems.
• The ability to identify well-defined performance metrics of the AI system.
• The ability to design and run experiments to validate and enhance software performance.
• The ability to work in teams of software engineers.

Career Paths

Career paths in artificial intelligence are varied, in demand, and well-paid. As a graduate, you'll have a wide range of career options from which to choose. Here are just a few career paths you can pursue with an MS in Artificial Intelligence from BU:

• AI developer
• AI engineer
• Algorithm developer
• AWS machine learning engineer
• Azure data scientist
• Data scientist
• Lead data engineer
• Lead data scientist
• Machine learning scientist
• ML data developer
• Senior data scientist
• Senior ML engineer

Whether you choose to pursue a rewarding career in industry, as an entrepreneur, or as an educator, the demand for our graduates is high. Alumni of our MS program land jobs at top technology companies—such as Google, Akamai, and Microsoft—or are hired by major employers in the financial, entertainment, health care, or defense industries, among others. Many of our graduates who have gone on to pursue PhD programs now hold faculty positions at distinguished universities worldwide.

CS Connections

The CS Connections program is designed to facilitate communication between our students and potential employers. This service is provided for the benefit of our students and company participation is free. Over the years, we have been contacted by many potential employers; the CS Connections program is intended to provide a central organization of such contacts within our department for our students.