Who teaches the courses?

Instruction is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of staff and industry practitioners with backgrounds in product development, data science, and business innovation. Guest speakers add specialized perspectives.

Will this certificate qualify me for a student visa?

Yes. The program’s full-time contact-hour load meets visa requirements. International applicants must follow UCSB PaCE’s standard I-20 documentation process.

How do I apply?

International Students need to apply to the International Certificate Program before enrolling in classes from this course schedule. 

Domestic students may enroll directly in available courses once registration opens. If you plan to earn the Professional Certificate in Applied AI and Innovation, submit the certificate candidacy form so it is associated with your student profile and your program completion is automatically recorded once all four courses are taken concurrently in the same term and passed.

What will I build for my portfolio?

Each lab produces at least one artifact, and the capstone studio culminates in a solution prototype plus a short pitch deck. Graduates leave with multiple work samples that showcase practical AI innovation.

Who is this program for?

This program is open to anyone interested in learning how to apply AI tools and strategies in a practical, business-focused way. It’s especially well-suited for:

• Professionals and entrepreneurs who want hands-on AI skills without diving into complex coding
• Managers, analysts, and creative problem-solvers looking to integrate AI into their workflows
• Career changers or upskillers seeking to build a portfolio of real-world AI projects
• Undergraduate students aiming to complement their academic degree program with practical coursework and portfolio pieces that demonstrate applied skills to future employers

No formal programming experience is needed. If you can work with spreadsheets and are comfortable learning new software tools, you’ll be ready to succeed. The program’s step-by-step, integrated format ensures you can follow along regardless of your technical background.

What is the weekly workload outside of class?

You should plan for 6–8 hours per week outside of scheduled class sessions. This time includes:

• Readings and videos to prepare for each week’s theme
• Hands-on tool practice to reinforce concepts introduced in lectures and labs
• Team project work applying weekly topics to your capstone business solution
• Portfolio-building assignments, such as dashboards, prompt libraries, or executive summaries
• Reflections and peer feedback to strengthen learning and collaboration

Work is designed to be practical and directly connected to your weekly lecture, lab, and capstone activities, so each task builds toward your final deliverables. Many assignments result in professional artifacts you can showcase to employers.

Can I take just one course instead of the full program?

Yes. Students may enroll in individual courses from the program. However, to take the capstone course and qualify for the Professional Certificate in Applied AI and Innovation, you must enroll in all four required courses concurrently in the same term.

What is the structure of the certificate?

The Applied AI and Innovation Certificate is a single, integrated program delivered over one 11-week quarter. Students complete four required courses in sequence, with all courses taken concurrently as part of a unified learning experience:

• MGMNT X490A – AI Foundations, Strategy & Responsible Innovation
• MGMNT X490B – Applied Gen AI: Prompting & Practical Tools
• MGMNT X490C – AI Communication, Workflows & Business Impact
• MGMNT X490D – AI Innovation Capstone Studio

Each week centers on a specific theme - such as prompt engineering, generative AI, data storytelling, ethics, or solution delivery - that runs across all program components for that week. The lecture/discussion introduces the concepts, the lab workshop builds hands-on skills, the asynchronous module provides deeper exploration, and the capstone project applies the week’s focus to a real-world team challenge.

The curriculum is grounded in Lean Startup principles, guiding you to frame problems, validate ideas, and iteratively design solutions that create measurable business value. As you progress, you’ll engage with AI topics through the lens of building and refining a viable business solution, moving from opportunity identification to solution delivery.

Over the quarter, you’ll produce portfolio-ready artifacts (dashboards, prompt libraries, executive summaries, prototypes) in labs and apply these tools directly in your collaborative capstone project. The program culminates in a final presentation of your team’s AI-enabled solution, clearly framed in terms of strategy, impact, and responsible innovation.

To earn the certificate, you must enroll in all four courses for the same quarter, actively participate in all components, and achieve a passing grade in each.