AI is already a massive industry – valued at $136.55 billion (approx. €124.82 billion) as of 2022 – and it’s only going to get bigger as we come to grips with what AI can do. As a student, you stand on the cusp of the AI tidal wave and you have an opportunity to ride that wave into a decades-long career.


But you need a starting point for that career – a BSc computer science with artificial intelligence. The three courses discussed in this article are the best for budding AI masters.


Factors to Consider When Choosing a BSc Computer Science With AI Program


Before choosing your BSc, you need to know what to look for in a good course:


  • Institution Accreditation – Whoever provides the course should offer solid accreditation so that you know you can trust the institution and that potential future employers actually respect the qualification you have on your VC.
  • An AI-Focused Curriculum – Not all computer science bachelor’s degrees are the same. The one you choose needs to offer a specific focus on AI or machine learning so you can build the foundations for later specialization.
  • Faculty Expertise – A course led by instructors who don’t know much about AI is like the blind leading the blind. Every mentor, instructor, and lecturer needs to have provable knowledge and industry experience.
  • Job Opportunities – Every chance you have to “get your hands dirty” with AI is going to look great on your CV. Look for courses that create pathways into internships and job programs. Associations with organizations like IBM are a great place to start.
  • Financial Aid – It isn’t cheap to study a BSc artificial intelligence and machine learning. Degrees cost thousands of Euros per year (the average in Europe is about €3,000, though prices can go higher) so the availability of financial aid is a huge help.

Top BSc Computer Science With AI Programs


Studying from the best is how you become a leader in the AI field. The combination of expert tuition and the name recognition that comes from having a degree from one of the following institutions stands you in good stead for success in the AI industry. Here are the top three organizations (with degrees available to overseas students) in the world.



Course 1 – BSc Artificial Intelligence – The University of Edinburgh


Named as one of the top 10 AI courses in the world by Forbes, The University of Edinburgh’s offering has everything you need from a great BSc computer science with artificial intelligence. It’s a four-year full-time course that focuses on the applications of AI in the modern world, with students developing the skills to build intelligent systems capable of making human-like decisions. The course is taught by the university’s School of Informatics, led by National Robotarium academic co-lead Professor Helen Hastie.


The course starts simple, with the first year dedicated to learning the language of computers before the second year introduces students to software development and data science concepts. By the third year, you’ll be digging deep into machine learning and robotics. That year also comes with opportunities to study abroad.


As for career prospects, The University of Edinburgh has a Careers Service department that can put you in line for internships at multi-national businesses. Add to that the university’s huge alumni network (essentially a huge group of professionals willing to help students with their careers) and this is a course that offers a great route into the industry.


Course 2 – Artificial Intelligence Program – Carnegie Mellon University


Ranked as the top university in the world for AI courses by Edurank, Carnegie Mellon University is a tough nut to crack if you want to study its world-renowned program. You’ll face a ton of competition, as evidenced by the university’s 17% acceptance rate, and the program is directed by Reid Simmons. For those who don’t recognize the name, he’s been a frontrunner in leveraging AI for NASA and was the creator of the “Robotceptionist.”


As for the course, it blends foundational mathematical, statistical, and computer science concepts with a wide variety of AI modules. It’s robotics-focused (that’s no surprise given the director), though you’ll also learn how AI applies on a perceptive level. The use of AI in speech processing, search engines, and even photography are just some examples of the concepts this course teaches.


Carnegie Mellon takes an interesting approach to internships, as it offers both career and academic internships. Career internships are what you’d expect – placements with major companies where you get to put your skills into practice. An academic internship is different because you’ll be based in the university and will work alongside its faculty on research projects.


Course 3 – BSc in Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)


It should come as no surprise that MIT makes it onto the list given the school’s engineering and tech focus. Like Carnegie Mellon’s AI course, it’s tough to get into the MIT course (only a 7% acceptance rate) but simply having MIT on your CV makes you attractive to employers.


The course takes in multiple foundational topics, such as programming in Python and introductions to machine learning algorithms, before moving into a robotics focus in its application modules. But it’s the opportunities for research that make this one stand out. MIT has departments dedicated to the use of AI in society, healthcare, communications, and speech processing, making this course ideal for those who wish to pursue a specialization.


Networking opportunities abound, too. MIT’s AI faculty has 92 members, all with different types of expertise, who can guide you on your path and potentially introduce you to career opportunities. Combine that with the fact you’ll be working with some of the world’s best and brightest and you have a course that’s built for your success in the AI industry.


Emerging BSc Computer Science With AI programs


Given that AI is clearly going to be enormously important to developing industry in the coming years, it’s no surprise that many institutions are creating their own BSc computer science with artificial intelligence courses. In the UK alone, the likes of Queen’s University Belfast and Cardiff University are quickly catching up to The University of Edinburgh, especially in the robotics field.


In North America, the University of Toronto is making waves with a course that’s ranked the best in Canada and fifth in North America by EduRank. Interestingly, that course is a little easier to get into than many comparable North American courses, given its 43% acceptance rate.


Back in the UK, the University of Oxford is also doing well with AI, though its current courses tend to be shorter and specialized in areas like utilizing AI in business. We’re also seeing Asian universities make great progress with their courses, as both Tsinghua University and Nanyang Technological University are establishing themselves as leaders in the space.


Importance of Hands-On Experience and Internships


As important as foundational and theoretical knowledge is, it’s when you get hands-on that you start to understand how much of an impact AI will have on business and society at large. Good universities recognize this and offer hands-on experience (either via research or internship programs) that offer three core benefits:


  • Gain Practical Skills – Becoming a walking encyclopedia for the theory of AI is great if you intend on becoming a teacher. But for everybody else, working with hands-on practical experiments and examples is required to develop the practical skills that employers seek.
  • Networking – A strong faculty (ideally with industry as well as academic connections) will take you a long way in your BSc computer science with artificial intelligence. The more people you encounter, the more connections you build and the better your prospects are when you complete your course.
  • Enhanced Job Prospects – Getting hands-on with real-world examples, and having evidence of that work, shows employers that you know how to use the knowledge you have knocking around your head. The more practical a course gets, the better it enhances your job prospects.

Scholarships and Financial Aid Opportunities


Due to BSc artificial intelligence and machine learning courses being so expensive (remember – an average of €3,000 per year), financial aid is going to be important for many students. In the UK, that aid often comes in the form of student loans, which you don’t have to start repaying until you hit a certain earnings threshold.


When we take things Europe-wide, more scholarship and financial aid programs become available. The Erasmus program offers funding for master’s students (assuming they meet the criteria) and there are several scholarship portals, such as EURAXESS and Scholarshipportal designed to help with financial aid.


If this is something you’re interested in, the following tips may help you obtain funding:


  • Excel academically in pre-university studies to demonstrate your potential
  • Speak to the finance teams at your university of choice to see what’s currently available
  • Apply for as many scholarship and aid programs as you can to boost your chances of success

Try the Top BSc Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Programs


The three BSc computer science with artificial intelligence programs discussed in this article are among the best in the world for many reasons. They combine intelligence course focuses with faculty who not only know how to teach AI but have practical experience that helps you learn and can serve useful networking purposes.


The latter will prove increasingly important as the AI industry grows and becomes more competitive. But as with any form of education, your own needs are paramount. Choose the best course for your needs (whether it’s one from this list or an online BSc) and focus your efforts on becoming the best you can be.

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New OPIT Degrees launching (soon)!
Riccardo Ocleppo
Riccardo Ocleppo
Nov 29, 2023 2 min read

 

Soon, we will be launching four new Degrees for AY24-25 at OPIT – Open Institute of Technology
I want to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the Product Definition process that has shaped these upcoming programs.

🚀 Phase 1: Discovery (Late May – End of July)

Our journey began with intensive brainstorming sessions with OPIT’s Academic Board (Francesco Profumo, Lorenzo Livi, Alexiei Dingli, Andrea Pescino, Rosario Maccarrone) . We also conducted 50+ interviews with tech and digital entrepreneurs (both from startups and established firms), academics and students. Finally, we deep-dived into the “Future of Jobs 2023” report by the World Economic Forum and other valuable research.

🔍 Phase 2: Selection – Crafting Our Roadmap (July – August)

Our focus? Introducing new degrees addressing critical workforce shortages and upskilling/reskilling needs for the next 5-10 years, promising significant societal impact and a broad market reach.
Our decision? To channel our energies on full BScs and MScs, and steer away from shorter courses or corporate-focused offerings. This aligns perfectly with our core mission.

💡 Focus Areas Unveiled!

We’re thrilled to concentrate on pivotal fields like:

  • Cybersecurity
  • Advanced AI
  • Digital Business
  • Metaverse & Gaming
  • Cloud Computing (less “glamorous”, but market demand is undeniable).

🎓 Phase 3: Definition – Shaping the Degrees (August – November)

With an expert in each of the above fields, and with the strong collaboration of our Academic Director, Prof. Lorenzo Livi , we embarked on a rigorous “drill-down process”. Our goal? To meld modern theoretical knowledge with cutting-edge competencies and skills. This phase included interviewing over 60+ top academics, industry professionals, and students and get valuable, program-specific, insights from our Marketing department.

🌟 Phase 4: Accreditation and Launch – The Final Stretch

We’re currently in the accreditation process, gearing up for the launch. The focus is now shifting towards marketing, working closely with Greta Maiocchi and her Marketing and Admissions team. Together, we’re translating our new academic offering into a compelling value proposition for the market.

Stay tuned for more updates!

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Five Reasons to Study Online at OPIT
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Nov 29, 2023 9 min read

Far from being a temporary educational measure that came into its own during the pandemic, online education is providing students from all over the world with new ways to learn. That’s proven by statistics from Oxford Learning College, which point out that over 100 million students are now enrolled in some form of online course.

The demand for these types of courses clearly exists.

In fact, the same organization indicates that educational facilities that introduce online learning see a 42% increase in income – on average – suggesting that the demand is there.

Enter the Open Institute of Technology (OPIT).

Delivering three online courses – a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and two Master’s degrees – with more to come, OPIT is positioning itself as a leader in the online education space. But why is that? After all, many institutions are making the jump to e-learning, so what separates OPIT from the pack?

Here, you’ll discover the answers as you delve into the five reasons why you should trust OPIT for your online education.

Reason 1 – A Practical Approach

OPIT focuses on computer science education – a field in which theory often dominates the educational landscape. The organization’s Rector, Professor Francesco Profumo, makes this clear in a press release from June 2023. He points to a misalignment between what educators are teaching computer science students and what the labor market actually needs from those students as a key problem.

“The starting point is the awareness of the misalignment,” he says when talking about how OPIT structures its online courses. “That so-called mismatch is generated by too much theory and too little practical approach.” In other words, students in many classes spend far too much time learning the “hows” and “whys” behind computerized systems without actually getting their hands dirty with real work that gives them practical experience in using those systems.

OPIT takes a different approach.

It has developed a didactic approach that focuses far more on the practical element than other courses. That approach is delivered through a combination of classroom sessions – such as live lessons and masterclasses – and practical work offered through quizzes and exercises that mimic real-world situations.

An OPIT student doesn’t simply learn how computers work. They put their skills into practice through direct programming and application, equipping them with skills that are extremely attractive to major employers in the tech field and beyond.

Reason 2 – Flexibility Combined With Support

Flexibility in how you study is one of the main benefits of any online course.

You control when you learn and how you do it, creating an environment that’s beneficial to your education rather than being forced into a classroom setting with which you may not feel comfortable. This is hardly new ground. Any online educational platform can claim that it offers “flexibility” simply because it provides courses via the web.

Where OPIT differs is that it combines that flexibility with unparalleled support bolstered by the experiences of teachers employed from all over the world. The founder and director of OPIT, Riccardo Ocleppo, sheds more light on this difference in approach when he says, “We believe that education, even if it takes place physically at a distance, must guarantee closeness on all other aspects.” That closeness starts with the support offered to students throughout their entire study period.

Tutors are accessible to students at all times. Plus, every participant benefits from weekly professor interactions, ensuring they aren’t left feeling stuck on an educational “island” and have to rely solely on themselves for their education. OPIT further counters the potential isolation that comes with online learning with a Student Support team to guide students through any difficulties they may have with their courses.

In this focus on support, OPIT showcases one of its main differences from other online platforms.

You don’t simply receive course material before being told to “get on with it.” You have the flexibility to learn at your own pace while also having a support structure that serves as a foundation for that learning.




Reason 3 – OPIT Can Adapt to Change Quickly

The field of computer science is constantly evolving.

In the 2020s alone, we’ve seen the rise of generative AI – spurred on by the explosive success of services like ChatGPT – and how those new technologies have changed the way that people use computers.

Riccardo Ocleppo has seen the impact that these constant evolutions have had on students. Before founding OPIT, he was an entrepreneur who received first-hand experience of the fact that many traditional educational institutions struggle to adapt to change.

“Traditional educational institutions are very slow to adapt to this wave of new technologies and trends within the educational sector,” he says. He points to computer science as a particular issue, highlighting the example of a board in Italy of which he is a member. That board – packed with some of the country’s most prestigious tech universities – spent three years eventually deciding to add just two modules on new and emerging technologies to their study programs.

That left Ocleppo feeling frustrated.

When he founded OPIT, he did so intending to make it an adaptable institution in which courses were informed by what the industry needs. Every member of its faculty is not only a superb teacher but also somebody with experience working in industry. Speaking of industry, OPIT collaborates with major companies in the tech field to ensure its courses deliver the skills that those organizations expect from new candidates.

This confronts frustration on both sides. For companies, an OPIT graduate is one for which they don’t need to bridge a “skill gap” between what they’ve learned and what the company needs. For you, as a student, it means that you’re developing skills that make you a more desirable prospect once you have your degree.

Reason 4 – OPIT Delivers Tier One Education

Despite their popularity, online courses can still carry a stigma of not being “legitimate” in the face of more traditional degrees. Ocleppo is acutely aware of this fact, which is why he’s quick to point out that OPIT always aims to deliver a Tier One education in the computer science field.

“That means putting together the best professors who create superb learning material, all brought together with a teaching methodology that leverages the advancements made in online teaching,” he says.

OPIT’s degrees are all accredited by the European Union to support this approach, ensuring they carry as much weight as any other European degree. It’s accredited by both the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and the Malta Qualification Framework (MQF), with all of its courses having full legal value throughout Europe.

It’s also here where we see OPIT’s approach to practicality come into play via its course structuring.

Take its Bachelor’s degree in computer science as an example.

Yes, that course starts with a focus on theoretical and foundational knowledge. Building a computer and understanding how the device processes instructions is vital information from a programming perspective. But once those foundations are in place, OPIT delivers on its promises of covering the most current topics in the field.

Machine learning, cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity – all valuable to employers – are taught at the undergraduate level. Students benefit from a broader approach to computer science than most institutions are capable of, rather than bogging them down in theory that serves little practical purpose.

Reason 5 – The Learning Experience

Let’s wrap up by honing in on what it’s actually like for students to learn with OPIT.

After all, as Ocleppo points out, one of the main challenges with online education is that students rarely have defined checkpoints to follow. They can start feeling lost in the process, confronted with a metaphorical ocean of information they need to learn, all in service of one big exam at the end.

Alternatively, some students may feel the temptation to not work through the materials thoroughly, focusing instead on passing a final exam. The result is that those students may pass, but they do so without a full grasp of what they’ve learned – a nightmare for employers who already have skill gaps to handle.

OPIT confronts both challenges by focusing on a continuous learning methodology. Assessments – primarily practical – take place throughout the course, serving as much-needed checkpoints for evaluating progress. When combined with the previously mentioned support that OPIT offers, this approach has led to courses that are created from scratch in service of the student’s actual needs.

Choose OPIT for Your Computer Science Education

At OPIT, the focus lies as much on helping students to achieve their dream careers as it does on teaching them. All courses are built collaboratively. With a dedicated faculty combined with major industry players, such as Google and Microsoft, it delivers materials that bridge the skill gap seen in the computer science field today.

There’s also more to come.

Beyond the three degrees OPIT offers, the institution plans to add more. Game development, data science, and cloud computing, to name a few, will receive dedicated degrees in the coming months, accentuating OPIT’s dedication to adapting to the continuous evolution of the computer science industry. Discover OPIT today – your journey into computing starts with the best online education institution available.




                            
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