This is a carefully curated list of short term courses in artificial intelligence that provide quick upskilling in deep learning, AI literacy, and practical machine learning applications within a few weeks or months. If you are on the search for this topic, this is your last bus stop.
The two known ways to learn a thing are through the normal timeline or at an accelerated pace. Many people are opting for the accelerated pace in learning artificial intelligence, and that has given rise to what we call short-term courses in artificial intelligence.
These short-term courses are designed to help you learn the fundamentals, build practical skills, and start applying AI in a space of a few weeks, if not days. Even though the courses vary in structure, duration, and depth, they all help you enter the AI space faster.
In this article, we will see the top short-term courses in artificial intelligence, as well as their direct links and how to choose the right one. Read through with undivided attention.
What is a Short-Term AI Course?
A short-term AI course is a program that teaches AI fundamentals, basic machine learning, and practical tools/ applications within a short period of time, typically 2 to 12 weeks or at most 6 months.
They are ideal for beginners looking to learn artificial intelligence at an accelerated pace, busy professionals, and individuals that wants to test AI before going deeper.
Short Term Courses in Artificial Intelligence
I will list and give a brief overview of these courses so you understand what they are all about.
- AI for Everyone by DeepLearning.AI
- IBM Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- AI for Business Transformation by Imperial College London
- Designing and Building AI Products and Services by MIT xPRO
- AI Programming with Python by Udacity
- Google AI Essentials Specialization
- AI Fundamentals by the University of Bristol
- AI for Business Specialization by the University of Pennsylvania
- Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path Specialization by Google Cloud
- Elements of AI by the University of Helsinki
1. AI for Everyone by DeepLearning.AI
This is first on our list of short term courses in AI. It dives into the fundamentals of AI, machine learning, deep learning, and data science. It explores how to spot opportunities to apply AI, how to work with an AI team and build an AI strategy for your organization, how to navigate ethical discussions around AI, and many other essential topics.
It is delivered through Coursera and is completely non-technical. This course allows you to learn at your own pace, and upon successful completion, you earn your certificate.
Course Duration: 7 hours
Course Fee: Free to audit (paid certificate available)
2. IBM Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Learn the fundamental concepts and applications of AI in various domains through this course offered by IBM, and delivered through Coursera. It explores the role of gen AI in transforming business operations, the principles of machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks, and more.
This course is delivered through on-demand videos, hands-on labs, projects, and real-world case studies. It is flexible and ideal for everyone, including professionals, enthusiasts, and students interested in the basics of AI. Upon completion, you will be awarded your certificate.
Course Duration: 1 week
Course Fee: Free to audit (paid certificate available)
3. AI for Business Transformation by Imperial College London
Equip yourself with skills to leverage AI and generative AI into strategy through this course offered by Imperial College London. It explores the fundamentals of AI in Business, prompt engineering, workflow automation with Gen AI, ethical considerations, risk management, etc.
This course is taught by Imperial faculty industry experts using hands-on modules for practical learning, interactive activities, case studies, assignments, and video lectures. You will also receive personal support from a dedicated learning team, and upon completion, you will be awarded a verified digital certificate.
Course Duration: 6 weeks
Course Fee: £1,650
4. Designing and Building AI Products and Services by MIT Xpro
This program explores design principles and applications of AI across various industries. It is a hands-on course focused on creating an AI-based product proposal that can be shared with investors or internal stakeholders. You will learn the stages of AI product design, AI technologies, AI models, machine learning algorithms, and other essential topics.
This course is taught fully online and requires a commitment of about 6 hours/ week. It is ideal for technical product managers, technology professionals, founders of AI start-ups, UI/UX designers responsible for managing the user experience of AI-based applications, and others.
Course Duration: 10 weeks
Course Fee: $3,150
5. AI Programming with Python by Udacity
This nanodegree course, offered by Udacity, helps you gain a strong foundation in Python programming for AI, using tools like NumPy, pandas, and Matplotlib for data analysis and visualization. You will also explore generative AI with transformer neural networks, and more.
It is delivered through hands-on projects, practical lessons, and personalized coaching. The prerequisites to enroll include having basic knowledge of elementary algebra, linear algebra, basic GitHub, and basic calculus.
Course Duration: 52 hours
Course Fee: $212/month (subscription bundle), $249/month (subscription monthly)
6. Google AI Essentials Specialization
Learn how to use generative AI tools to develop ideas and content, and make more informed decisions through this course offered by Google and delivered through Coursera. It explores how to use AI responsibly, how to write clear and specific prompts to get what you want, etc.
This course is taught by experts at Google using on-demand videos, real-world case studies, practical exercise and projects. It is ideal for everyone looking to speed up daily work tasks, and upon successful completion, you will earn a certificate from Google.
Course Duration: 4 hours
Course Fee: About $49/month
7. AI Fundamentals by the University of Bristol
Explore the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence through this course offered by the University of Bristol and delivered by FutureLearn. It covers neural networks, LLMs, capabilities & limitations of AI, deep learning, and more.
It is taught by experts, and is ideal for anyone curious about AI, whether you are a student, a professional, or a lifelong learner. It requires a commitment of about 3 hours per week, and upon completion, you earn your certificate.
Course Duration: 4 weeks
Course Fee: Free
8. AI for Business Specialization by the University of Pennsylvania
Discover how to deploy big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to support your business through this course offered by the University of Pennsylvania, and delivered through Coursera. It focuses on the fundamentals of AI and the deployment strategy for incorporating it into organizations.
You will learn the ethics and risks of AI, effective marketing strategies using data analytics, personalization of customers’ experience, and others. This course is very flexible and requires a commitment of 10 hours per week.
Course Duration: 4 weeks
Course Fee: About $59/month
9. Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path Specialization by Google Cloud
This learning path provides a comprehensive introduction to generative AI. It explores the foundations of LLMs, their diverse applications, and the ethical considerations.
It is taught by industry professionals and contains quizzes and practical exercises. It requires a commitment of about 10 hours a week, and allows you to learn at your own pace.
Course Duration: 4 weeks
Course Fee: Free to audit (paid certificate available)
10. Elements of AI by the University of Helsinki
This course, offered by the University of Helsinki, teaches you what artificial intelligence really is and how it is created. It explores the possibilities and limitations of AI, how AI methods are created, ethical risks, and the impact of AI on society.
It combines theory with practical exercises, and is ideal for beginners focusing on conceptual understanding.
Course Duration: 1 – 2 weeks
Course Fee: Free
Conclusion
The courses listed above are one of the fastest ways to get into the world of artificial intelligence without a long-term commitment. Choose the ones that best align with your goal and start learning.