Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is slowly integrating into every aspect of society—from the top business schools and hospitals to automobiles and farm fields. As its use grows beyond tools like ChatGPT, so does the need for experts with the skills to develop and harness A.I. and machine learning programs.
Recent job numbers show that growth in action. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, the demand for A.I. and machine learning specialists is expected to increase at a rate of 40%—faster than any labor force. That translates to an estimated 1 million new jobs over the next five years.
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As a result, jumping into a career in A.I. at a start-up or large company may be more possible than ever. Data from LinkedIn shows that A.I. skills are among the most-sought after at many Fortune 500 tech companies, such as Amazon, Apple, and IBM. And, among companies with more than 50,000 employees, A.I. and big data rank as the top priority for training strategies over the next five years, according to the WEF report.
This also means opportunities for sizable salaries. Estimates from Glassdoor put the average annual salary of an A.I. engineer at $120,000. Many companies have also created new executive-level roles for A.I. leaders, such as chief A.I. officers.
So how can you land a leadership role in A.I.? One pathway is obtaining an A.I.-focused MBA degree.
At many business schools, the intersection of leadership and A.I. is becoming much more common. That’s because of A.I.’s continued integration across business—from research to customer service, says Manuel Nuñez, associate dean of graduate programs at the Villanova School of Business—home to the No. 23 best online MBA program. It is among the few schools that offer specialized MBA programs in A.I.
“It’s clear that A.I. is infused into almost every part of the business ecosystem,” Nuñez tells Fortune.
Because of the in-demand skills, every MBA candidate—no matter their specialization—will be exposed to A.I. and machine learning at Villanova, he adds. This may include immersion in foundational coursework like studying predictive and generative A.I. as well as applied coursework in the business problem-solving space. Students will also importantly weigh the social and ethical implications of A.I., Nuñez says.
Like Villanova, Northwestern University offers a combined business and A.I. program called an MBAi. Eric Anderson is the director of the program.
“While A.I. and analytics hold tremendous promise, most firms continue to struggle with delivering and scaling successful business outcomes,” he says in the press release during the MBAi’s launch.
As the world accepts the future of A.I., the real-world skills in machine learning, language processing, and data management obtained through an A.I.-concentrated MBA could help propel you as a leader in A.I. engineering, project managing, or consulting. Fortune has made it a little easier for you and compiled a list of some of the program opportunities.
Northeastern University
- Program: D’Amore-McKim School of Business—Full-time, dual-degree MBA, artificial intelligence concentration
- Length: 12 A.I. credit hours + MBA coursework
- Course examples: Foundations of Artificial Intelligence; Natural Language Processing; Machine Learning
- Fortune MBA ranking: Not ranked
- Additional information: Students are required to take 16 credit hours of computer science bridgework if their previous degree is not in computer science.
Northwestern University
- Program: Kellogg School of Management + McCormick School of Engineering— Full-time MBA, A.I. focus (MBAi)
- Length: 5 quarters
- Course examples: Computational Thinking for Business Leaders; Applied A.I. for Business; Data Intensive Systems
- Fortune MBA ranking: No. 5 (full-time)
- Additional information: Areas of career focus could include A.I. deployment, healthcare A.I. consulting, and innovation leadership.
Texas Tech University
- Program: Rawls College of Business—Professional MBA, A.I. and data science in business concentration
- Length: 18 A.I. and data science credit hours + MBA coursework
- Course examples: Artificial Intelligence Strategies in Business; Data Science for Managers; Big Data Strategy
- Fortune MBA ranking: No. 72 (full-time)
Villanova University
- Program: Villanova School of Business, Professional MBA, Applied artificial intelligence and machine learning specialization
- Length: 7.5 A.I. credit hours + MBA coursework
- Course examples: A.I. & M.L. for Business; Business Problems in A.I. & M.L.; Business Applications for A.I. & M.L.
- Fortune MBA ranking: Not ranked
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