Earn Your MBA With an Artificial Intelligence Concentration
100% Online Program
For aspiring business leaders, an MBA with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence (AI) opens a world of possibilities in fostering innovation, enhancing operational efficiency, and making data-driven decisions that transform organizations. This program equips students with a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic management skills, positioning them to thrive in the ever-changing AI landscape.
At the core of this program is the recognition that the sheer volume of data now exceeds human capacity to comprehend. AI has become a strategic imperative, empowering organizations to parse data into meaningful insights that inform complex decision-making. By mastering AI technologies and their practical business applications, graduates will be poised to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring successful AI adoption and implementation.
Why is NDNU partnering with Rize for the AI Concentration?
- Strategic and Managerial Focus: Rize’s AI program teaches MBA students to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring successful AI adoption and implementation.
- Accessibility and Impact: Rize’s asynchronous three-to-four-course AI specialization is designed to be low-code and accessible, giving students literacy in the technical subjects they’ll need to successfully manage AI projects. AI is a diverse field with impact across almost every industry. While those who code and develop AI models obviously play a huge role, it is equally important to have leaders who can ethically select, scope, manage, and maintain AI projects, identify opportunities for AI in various sectors, and take on the herculean task of keeping updated on this field which is literally changing by the day (almost a full-time job in itself). Rize’s MBA AI specialization prepares graduates to be those leaders.
- Cutting Through the Hype: Foundational technical literacy equips graduates with the skills to critically evaluate technical solutions. They can identify when something isn’t working as expected and ask the right questions, or detect inaccuracies or inefficiencies in data analysis, ensuring high standards of accuracy and reliability.
- Future-Proof Skills: When we look to the future, as AI continues to evolve, it’s not far-fetched to envision AI coding itself. Future-proof skills in problem-solving, technical literacy, and strategic management will ensure graduates can adapt and thrive in changing environments.
For more information regarding the NDNU Rize partnership Click Here
Why AI?
According to PwC’s 2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer, sectors that benefit from AI are experiencing almost five times (4.8x) higher growth in labor productivity. Postings for AI jobs are growing 3.5x faster than average, meaning that for every AI job posting in 2012, there are now seven job postings. AI skills are becoming more important than job experience.
But where does that come into play with an MBA degree? At the core of all successful businesses is the need to make informed decisions—which require data. Today, the sheer volume of data exceeds human capacity to comprehend, making AI a necessity to parse it into meaningful insights. It’s the future of all complex decision-making. And those who can make the best and most informed decisions will command that future.
Business managers are already being challenged with tough AI questions—question that will only continue to grow in number and scope. Does your business have a use case where AI would add value? Should we buy an AI solution—and if so, which one? Should we be hiring someone with AI skills—and what should we look for in that candidate? These questions are hard to answer without literacy in AI, and when you gain that literary, you’ll set yourself apart from your peers. PwC’s 2024 AI Jobs Barometer report shows a 25% wage premium for workers with AI skills. For almost every outcome that any graduate MBA would have, an AI specialization would increase the value of and help make them stand out.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Drive business innovation, efficiency, and ethical decision-making by leveraging an understanding of AI technologies.
- Assess career opportunities and key sectors relevant to AI.
- Manage the complete lifecycle of machine learning projects, ensuring successful implementation and alignment with business objectives.
- Critically assess the limitations and capabilities of AI technologies to make sure AI-driven business solutions align with organizational objectives.
- Ensure responsible and compliant AI implementation in business setting by applying governance frameworks and ethical guidelines to AI projects.
- Communicate AI concepts and solutions effectively to diverse stakeholders.
Program Mission Statements
Captain The Ship, Donʼt Build It: The MBA with a concentration in AI gives graduates a unique understanding of how to lead teams and organizations adopting AI, with enough background to make impactful decisions, but notably without the need to learn how to code those systems directly.
Take Charge with AI: As a business leader, the future is yours to shape. With an MBA concentration in AI from Notre Dame de Namur University, you’ll gain the technical expertise and strategic management skills to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence and drive sustainable growth for your organization.
Discover Your Niche: The artificial intelligence landscape is vast and evolving rapidly. Unlock your unique potential and stand out from the crowd by pursuing an MBA with a concentration in AI from Notre Dame de Namur University – your pathway to a fulfilling, in-demand career at the forefront of this technological revolution.
Boost Your Career: Take your career to new heights with an MBA concentration in AI from Notre Dame de Namur University. Gain the technical mastery and strategic vision to become a driving force behind your organization’s AI-powered transformation.
Admissions Information
To be admitted into the MBA program, students need to meet the following requirements:
- A four-year bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from a regionally accredited institution
- A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better
- Two academic and/or professional recommendations
- One or more courses in each of the foundation areas of accounting, economics, statistics, and math.
International students should also refer to the general graduate admission requirements.
Rize Concentration (3 Units / 8-Week Courses)
BUS 4630 – Building AI Application for Business Leaders
- Learn to understand, implement, and leverage generative AI in your organization, addressing ethical considerations and up-skilling your workforce for a competitive edge.
BUS 4640 – Business Use Cases for AI
- Explore various AI models, their business applications, and basic Python for predictive and prescriptive modeling to identify and implement effective AI strategies in your organization.
BUS 4670 – AI Governance and Ethics
- Gain insights into AI governance, ethical guidelines, and regulatory compliance to develop and enforce responsible AI policies within your organization.
BUS 4660 – Managing AI Projects
- This course equips students with the skills to manage AI projects comprehensively, emphasizing bias mitigation, ethical considerations, model accuracy, and continuous monitoring to ensure responsible and effective business outcomes.
Course Highlights
Building AI Application for Business Leaders: Generative AI is transforming business productivity, making it essential for managers to adapt or risk falling behind competitors who leverage its power. This course prepares students to make a real impact in any field with GenAI, teaching practical skills like prompt engineering, AI workflow integration, and solution development. Youʼll also dive into ethical concerns and explore future trends, equipping you to lead with innovation and insight.
Business Use Cases for AI: Just as you wouldnʼt apply a financial model to drive a marketing campaign, each business challenge calls for specific AI tools. In this course, youʼll learn to assess AI technologies, recognize the right business problems for AI solutions, and create effective implementation strategies. By the end, youʼll be equipped to tackle key challenges and design impactful AI-driven solutions.
AI Governance and Ethics: AI brings transformative possibilities but also raises critical ethical challenges, from data privacy and bias to transparency and the role of human oversight. Navigating AI governance is crucial for any manager looking to implement this technology responsibly. In this course, youʼll learn to develop ethical AI policies, manage AI-related risks, and effectively communicate governance standards to stakeholders.
Managing AI Projects: AI projects enable businesses to forecast trends and optimize operations, providing insights into not only past events but also future actions. By the end of this course, youʼll be equipped to create financial and operational impact by managing the full AI project lifecycle, from crafting project plans and handling data to ensuring smooth deployment and reporting outcomes to stakeholders.
Key Skills You’ll Gain:
- Generative AI for Manager
- Leverage AI to enhance business strategy
- AI Business Use Cases
- Identity and implement AI solutions for groups
- AI Governance & Ethics
- Navigate the legal and ethical complexities of AI
- Managing AI Projects
- Oversee AI Adoption and execution in an organization
The Role of an AI-Driven Business Leader
- Analyze
- Use AI to interpret complex data and predict trends
- Implement
- Manage AI projects that drive business success
- Govern
- Ensure AI decisions align with ethical and regulatory standards
- Communicate
- Bridge the gap between technical teams and executives
Why AI Matters for Business Leaders
The best leaders make the best decisions. Today’s decisions require AI-driven insights. AI allows businesses to:
- Process massive data sets for smarter strategies
- Identify risks and opportunities faster than human analysis alone
- 4.8x increase in productivity
- Improve efficiency while staying ethical and compliant
Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Risto Miikkulainen is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and VP of AI Research at Cognizant Advanced AI Labs. He received an M.S. in Engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University) in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA. His current research focuses on methods and applications of neuroevolution, as well as neural network models of natural language processing and vision. He has published hundreds of important works for AI and was selected by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) as one of just 11 fellows—a very prestigious fellowship—for 2023.
AI Concentration FAQ’s
In addition to its exceptional development team:
- Online-First: This program is built to ensure that its online classes are not merely attempting to recreate the in-person experience but truly leverage the strengths of online learning. Students can enjoy the flexibility of remote coursework and engage with students at other leading institutions, bolstering their professional networks for the future.
- Accessible AI Literacy: Students build a solid foundation in AI and low-code tools, enabling them to understand and manage AI projects without needing advanced coding skills. This program is inclusive of all backgrounds.
- Leadership and Ethics: Students develop the ability to lead AI initiatives strategically, focusing on identifying opportunities and managing ethical considerations to ensure the responsible use of AI in any industry.
- Effective Communication: Students learn to bridge the gap between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, translating complex AI concepts into actionable insights that drive informed decision-making and successful adoption of AI technologies.
- Operational Leaders: Professionals focused on streamlining business operations and efficiency will benefit from this program’s AI tools and strategies for optimizing workflows and decision-making, without needing a technical background.
- Product and Service Innovators: Those aiming to lead the development of AI-driven products or services can leverage this specialization to gain foundational AI knowledge and understand how to integrate AI solutions effectively into offerings.
- Strategic Decision-Makers: Executives and managers who want to enhance data-driven decision-making can use the AI skills gained here to identify trends, anticipate business challenges, and drive impactful initiatives with advanced insights.
- Aspiring AI Advocates: Individuals interested in the potential of AI to drive change within their industries will learn essential skills to become champions of AI adoption, focusing on ethical considerations, communication, and strategic alignment.
- Career Builders and Job Seekers: With AI skills increasingly valued in the job market, recent graduates or professionals looking to advance in their careers can leverage this program to stand out, tapping into a significant wage premium and high demand for AI literacy across sectors.
- Non-Technical Professionals with an Interest in AI: This program is designed for those who want to understand and apply AI concepts in a non-technical way, empowering them to lead AI projects, collaborate with technical teams, and foster innovation in their organizations.
One of the strengths of this program is its versatility. Students have a range of career options open to them. Even if students don’t plan to work directly in AI, developing AI skills can significantly enhance career prospects. Any student can benefit from this program by gaining critical skills that are increasingly in demand across all industries
Career Opportunities In Artificial Intelligence
State Authorization for Online Programs
The Department of Education requires that institutions offering online or distance learning programs outside of their home states must seek authorization to operate from regulatory bodies in those states. Each state has a different set of requirements when it comes to allowing out-of-state colleges and universities to offer online degree programs to its residents.
