UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State recently announced an expansion of its online professional master's program in artificial intelligence into two distinct tracks, broadening the degree for working adults nationwide who need AI skills but do not have a coding-intensive background. Before the expansion was possible, the University needed to connect advanced, fast-moving AI knowledge with the realities of working professionals.
That pathway was built years earlier by Penn State Great Valley. Faculty from the campus collaborated with Penn State World Campus to deliver an online AI master's degree to learners who could not relocate to their campus in suburban Philadelphia to go to graduate school.
The same faculty, from Great Valley's engineering division, are shaping the program's next phase.
The expanded online master’s in AI now features two tracks: the Applied and Generative AI Option for technically savvy professionals without a programming background and the AI Engineering Option for those who want to develop and deploy AI and machine-learning systems.
“Organizations across industries are looking to AI to improve efficiency, drive strategic growth and unlock new possibilities,” said Raghu Sangwan, director of engineering programs at Penn State Great Valley. “Low-code and no-code tools open that door by enabling more professionals, not only specialized programmers, to apply AI in meaningful ways. Through automation and augmentation, our students learn to turn emerging AI technologies into practical solutions that help shape the next generation of the enterprise.”
The first people to graduate with a master’s in AI online from Penn State, in 2023, were working engineers who used the degree to build technical AI skills directly applicable to their jobs. Projects in their course work were modeled on real industry problems, and their capstone work was built around live data sets. They put their skills to use immediately in their workplaces.
More recent graduates have carried that same foundation into different fields entirely: applying AI to manufacturing operations, using it to inform clinical research and daily practice in healthcare, and becoming the person their organizations turn to when a question about AI comes up. What began as a technical credential for engineers has become a foundation that professionals across industries are building careers on.
Today, more than 90 graduates have earned the degree, bringing advanced AI education to professionals building careers where they live and work. The graduates span nearly two dozen states and two continents.
The expanded program aims to solve a practical challenge in AI education: learners come to the field with different professional experiences, technical backgrounds and goals. Some want to build and deploy AI systems. Others need to apply AI within an organization, guide workplace change or make informed decisions about how emerging tools should be used.
The Applied and Generative AI Option is the low- or no-code version designed for professionals who want to use AI in organizational settings. The AI Engineering Option is the more programming-intensive option for students interested in developing and deploying AI and machine-learning systems.
About Penn State Great Valley
Located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Penn State Great Valley is a graduate-only campus of the Pennsylvania State University, offering master's degrees, graduate certificates and professional development programs in business, education, engineering and information technology, including three graduate programs in artificial intelligence.
Its portfolios of online master’s degrees in engineering and computer information technology have consistently been ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
About Penn State World Campus
Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State education online for more than 25 years and serves 19,000 learners worldwide with flexible access to high-quality programs supported by comprehensive academic and student success services. Visit the Penn State World Campus website to learn more about the AI programs offered online.