New AI+ Engineering master’s programs and certificate launches on-campus and online
Enrollment opens for 12-credit and 30-credit programs for applied AI skills in seven engineering concentrations.
Key takeaways
- University of Michigan Engineering develops a new applied AI engineering curriculum, combining the value of a master’s degree with a discipline-specific approach to AI+ skills.
- More options for part-time students: all AI+ certificates will be stackable, modular credentials that can ladder into a full MEng degree—every credit counts toward the next step.
- Seven departments will have AI+ programs in these engineering concentrations: aerospace, biomedical, mechanical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, industrial and operations; and nuclear and radiological sciences.
As artificial intelligence reshapes engineering practice, University of Michigan Engineering is launching a professional master’s degree and certificate program designed to give engineers the AI fluency plus deep domain expertise they need to lead in tomorrow’s workforce.
The AI+ (AI “plus”) Engineering programs include on-campus and online options for a 30-credit master of engineering (M.Eng.) degree and a 12-credit graduate certificate with stackable credits. The on-campus master’s programs will launch Fall 2027, with remote options beginning either simultaneously or at a later date.
“AI is pervasive, and not only is the core technology advancing rapidly, it’s enabling rapid advancements in other fields,” said Krista Wigginton, associate dean for graduate and professional education at Michigan Engineering. “As a result, engineering employers and students alike are looking for AI expertise. As a leading institution for engineering education, part of our role is to identify workforce development needs and meet them. This is a key motivation for our new AI+ Engineering graduate programs.”
Inside Higher Ed reported this year, according to a spring 2026 report by Handshake (a popular job platform targeted to college students), the number of tech job ads mentioning AI had tripled over the past two years. At the same time, the report states, 43% of college seniors intend to continue their education.
Who are the AI+ Engineering programs designed for?
Our AI+ Engineering programs aim to help increase AI competency and workplace readiness for students from all walks of life — whether you’re a recent graduate, a working professional seeking to change careers or advanced training without relocating, and even a current undergraduate student who wants to save time by “rolling” a master’s degree, reducing the overall time commitment. Both full-time and part-time enrollment options are available. Students can pursue either the master’s degree or the certificate on its own, or start with the certificate and stack those credits toward the full master’s degree in the same program area.
There is also the matter of accessibility to a top-tier education. Hundreds of students attend our residential graduate programs in Ann Arbor, but a growing number of students have requested online options in recent years. This has been trending even higher in recent years with the number of graduate students enrolled in fully online study in 2022-2023 outnumbering those studying in all classroom programs by more than 200,000 as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.
More about the 30-credit program: every Master’s of Engineering program includes AI fundamentals and how to apply AI skills towards a specific discipline .
“The AI+ curriculum consists of coursework in AI fundamentals and their intersection with specific engineering disciplines,” said Vineet Kamat, director of graduate degree programs at Michigan Engineering. “This interdisciplinary approach is critical for engineers to build systems that can perceive, plan, and interact with the world to achieve design goals, and embed AI into engineering frameworks, including engineering representations, applications within engineered systems, and discipline-specific interpretations of system outcomes.”
Michigan Engineering, ranked No. 12 best engineering graduate school by U.S. News and World Report, aims to help more students navigate this shifting landscape and meet the needs of employers through the new AI+ Engineering program options. All residential programs can be applied for this coming Fall 2027, with three available in an online modality as well.
The master’s curriculum has three parts:
- Fundamentals in AI and Machine Learning (12 hours): Students will learn the core techniques engineers use to build systems that can sense their environment, plan, and interact with the world to accomplish a goal.
- Applying AI in a Discipline (12 hours): In “domain intersections” coursework, students will learn how to embed AI and machine learning into domain-specific engineering frameworks and how to apply them to improve models, tools or systems, for example.
- Knowledge Extensions (6 hours): Elective coursework will let students go deeper into a topic or broaden their skills into new areas.
On student transcripts and diplomas, this degree will appear as Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence Engineering, along with the name of the engineering discipline concentration the student chooses to pursue. The seven departments’ timeline for Fall 2027 follows:
- Aerospace Engineering, on-campus
- Biomedical Engineering, on-campus and online
- Civil & Environmental Engineering, on-campus and online
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, on-campus
- Industrial and Operations Engineering, on-campus and online
- Mechanical Engineering, on campus and online
- Nuclear and Radiological Sciences, on campus
AI+ graduate certificates allow flexible stacking of credentials
Part-time students and working professionals have a different set of needs and considerations when it comes to continuing their education. Recognizing this, the University of Michigan Engineering is also expanding their portfolio of “stackable” credentials. For a graduate certificate, students will complete 6 hours each in the first two curriculum categories: Fundamentals in AI and Machine Learning, and Applying AI in a Discipline. That’s the 12 stackable credits, opening a pathway to a future master’s degree, more than any current engineering certification available at University of Michigan.
“The stackable graduate certificate and its emphasis on practical, technical skills that align with industry needs reinforces and differentiates this new program’s position in the market for working engineering professionals,” added Kamat. “Motivated students who have completed the certificate may, in some cases, complete the M.Eng. in AI Engineering program in as little as one more semester.”
New AI+ graduate certifications available
| Semester Start | Program Delivery | Disciplines |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2027 | On-Campus | Electrical and computer engineering Mechanical engineering Nuclear engineering and radiological sciences Civil and environmental engineering |
| Fall 2027 | Online | Mechanical engineering |
| Winter 2027 | On-campus | Aerospace engineering Biomedical engineering Industrial and operations engineering |
| Winter 2027 | Online | Biomedical engineering Industrial and operations engineering |
How does a Master’s of Engineering (MEng) differ from a Master’s of Science in Engineering (MSE)?
The standard answer is that MSEs are a stepping stone towards earning a PhD. That is not the whole picture; many of our Masters of Science in Engineering (MSE) do not continue onto a Ph.D. and find placements in industry. However, a Masters of Engineering, often abbreviated as MEng, focuses specifically on the specialized, practical skills required to enter or advance in fields in industry.
Interested in learning more? Mechanical engineering professors weigh in choosing a graduate program in a recent Q&A, answering questions like: How is a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree different from a Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)?
How do I apply for a Masters of Engineering in AI+?
You can apply for this program via CollegeNet; create an account to view program descriptions and begin your application. If you have further questions, please fill out the interest form on our graduate programs page to be connected with the program you’re interested in, or reach out to Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Education [email protected] for general queries.