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10 AI Certifications You Can Take in High School

Engaging in an AI certification program is a great way for you to solidify your foundational AI and machine learning skills, setting you apart from other students! It shows admissions officers that you are willing to take initiative and learn about AI outside of the classroom. To help you get started and find the right fit for you, we have compiled a list of 10 AI certifications you can take in high school! 


1. Harvard University Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: $518

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: 5 months at 7-22 hours per week

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible


If you're a high school student interested in AI, HarvardX's Professional Certificate in Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence is a great way for you to demonstrate your passion for the subject. This program is split into two rigorous courses:


  1. CS50's Introduction to Computer Science - This course requires a commitment of 6–18 hours per week over 12 weeks. It will provide you with a solid foundation in computer science, laying the groundwork for more advanced studies.

  2. CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python - Over 7 weeks, dedicating 10–30 hours each week, you'll dive into the basics of using machine learning in Python. This course will introduce you to key AI concepts, including graph search algorithms, reinforcement learning, and machine learning, equipping you with the skills to design intelligent systems and apply AI principles in Python programming.


Led by David J. Malan, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science at Harvard University, this certificate series not only guides you through Harvard's most popular undergraduate course but also deepens your understanding of AI's underlying algorithms and principles. By the end of the series, you will be well-equipped to create your own intelligent systems!


2. Fundamentals of Google AI for Web Based Machine Learning

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: $598

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: 3 months at 3-4 hours per week

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible


The Fundamentals of Google AI for Web Based Machine Learning is a great way for you to explore AI and ML without feeling overwhelmed. This course is designed to demystify what AI is (and isn't), how machine learning operates, and how ML, AI, and deep learning all interconnect. You'll gain a clear understanding of applied AI and what programming AI entails, including an introduction to the TensorFlow.js library and the benefits of utilizing ML in JavaScript. 


You will learn about consuming existing ML models, writing custom models from scratch (like Linear Regression and Convolutional Neural Network), and using pre-made industry standard models for tasks like object detection or natural language processing. 


Starting with the Google AI for Anyone course, you'll grasp the basics of AI and ML, including how AI is applied in real-world scenarios, directly from Google AI experts. This foundation prepares you for the second course, Google AI for JavaScript Developers with TensorFlow.js, which builds upon the first course's concepts but remains accessible for beginners. Note that a basic understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS is required. You'll learn to apply TensorFlow.js models and APIs to create functional systems that could solve real-world problems.


3. DeepLearning.AI - AI for Everyone Certificate Course

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: Free

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: 3 weeks at 2-3 hours per week

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible


The AI for Everyone Certificate Course is a great opportunity that will help you understand complex terminology associated with AI, such as neural networks, machine learning, deep learning, and data science. You'll gain a realistic understanding of what AI can and cannot achieve, helping you identify potential AI applications within your own or future organizations.


The course will teach you the process of creating ML and data science projects, offering a glimpse into the operational side of AI. It covers essential skills for working within an AI team and developing an AI strategy for companies, ensuring you understand both the technical and business dimensions of AI. Moreover, the course addresses the critical ethical questions surrounding AI technologies. 


The course is suited for both, beginners and advanced students, and serves as a foundational step towards more specialized certifications, like the Certified Artificial Intelligence Scientist (CAIS) course by the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute, which delves deeper into machine learning, deep learning, computer vision with reinforcement learning, and more, including hands-on training and real-world projects. 


4. IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: Free

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: 2 months at 10 hours a week

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible but this course is for students who are at an intermediate level.


The IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate is a great intermediate-level course with a certificate. It is taught by seven experts from IBM, and requires a commitment of about 10 hours per week over two months. It encompasses six detailed courses, guiding you through the intricacies of Python programming for AI, from basic classification techniques like K-nearest neighbors (KNN) and decision trees to advanced concepts in image processing for computer vision and constructing Deep Neural Networks with PyTorch.


This certificate equips students with a profound understanding of both machine learning and deep learning. You'll learn to apply essential ML libraries (SciPy, ScikitLearn) and deep learning frameworks (Keras, PyTorch, TensorFlow) to real-world industry problems, encompassing object recognition, computer vision, image/video processing, text analytics, NLP, recommender systems, and more. Additionally, the course offers hands-on projects that enhance your data science capabilities, including scaling machine learning algorithms on big data with Apache Spark and deploying various deep architectures.


By completing this course, you'll not only gain a Professional Certificate from Coursera but also receive a digital badge from IBM, acknowledging your proficiency in AI engineering. 


5. Artificial Intelligence A-Z 2024: Build AI With ChatGPT4 (Udemy)

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: Free

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: 2 months at 10 hours a week

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible


The Artificial Intelligence A-Z 2024: Build AI With ChatGPT4 course on Udemy is a great opportunity to not only learn AI's theoretical underpinnings but also to get hands-on experience building AI systems. From foundational concepts like Q-learning, deep Q-learning, and deep convolutional Q-learning to more advanced topics such as A3C, LLMs (Large Language Models), transformers, low-rank adaptation (LoRA), and quantization (QLoRA), you'll gain a solid grounding in AI methodologies. 


Additionally, the course covers Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques essential for creating chatbots, including tokenization and padding, and offers insights into fine-tuning LLMs with knowledge augmentation. With 15.5 hours of on-demand video, 17 articles, and 11 downloadable resources, the course provides a wealth of information and practical tools.


6. MIT Professional Certificate Program in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence

Location: On Campus and Live Virtual

Cost: $2,500 - $5,000

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: June 5 - August 4, 2024

Eligibility: High School students should have an Advanced understanding of AI and ML. 


The MIT Professional Certificate Program in Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence offers a certificate, awarded after completing 16 or more days of qualifying short programs courses in professional education. 


The faculty of this program come from MIT’s top research labs, including the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), and the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), ensuring you learn from the best in the field.


This program will allow you to navigate through the latest research breakthroughs, cutting-edge technologies, and the best practices for building effective AI systems. The curriculum includes core courses like "Machine Learning for Big Data and Text Processing: Foundations" ensuring a solid grasp of the mathematical concepts and theories essential for machine learning. Electives such as "Advanced Data Analytics for IIoT and Smart Manufacturing" and "AI for Computational Design and Manufacturing" allow for a deeper dive into specialized areas, depending on your interests and background. 


7. AI For Non-Technical People: A Hands-On Beginner's Course

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: $40

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: One hour

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible


This course is specifically designed for high school students who are curious about AI but may not have a technical background. The course will guide you through the essentials of AI, helping you understand its fundamentals, including the definition, scope, and applications of AI in various industries


The course also focuses on illustrating the significant impact AI has across different sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and transportation, showcasing the revolutionary solutions AI brings to complex problems. You'll explore the ethical considerations and challenges that come with AI, including privacy, bias, and the shifting job market, providing a well-rounded perspective on the technology's implications.


One of the most exciting aspects of this course is the opportunity to engage in hands-on AI projects. Even without prior technical skills, you'll gain practical experience by building your own AI model. This approach allows you to apply the knowledge you've learned in real-world scenarios, making the learning process both engaging and effective.


8. Intel Edge AI Certification 

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: $99

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: Self-paced (Varies)

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible but intermediate knowledge of Python is recommended. 


The Intel Edge AI Certification equips you with practical, hands-on skills for solution-based AI development, allowing you to expand your portfolio with completed AI solutions. Upon completing the course, you'll earn a certificate and will be equipped with hands-on experience with essential edge AI tools and r, such as the Intel® Distribution of OpenVINO™ toolkit and the Intel® Developer Cloud for the Edge


You'll tackle cases that address real-world problems like detecting safety gear, preventing retail losses, and identifying manufacturing defects through computer vision and deep-learning inference. By developing your own edge AI solutions portfolio and drawing on libraries and APIs for TensorFlow, PyTorch, ONNX, and other public models, you'll learn to deploy pretrained models for computer vision, develop deep learning inference applications, and optimize models on various hardware types.


9. MIT xPRO Designing and Building AI Products and Services

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: $2832

Application deadline: February 29

Program dates: 8 weeks at 6 hours per week starting March 21, 2024

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible, knowledge of computer science is recommended.


The MIT xPRO program will equip you with an understanding of design principles and AI applications across different industries. The program guides you through the four stages of AI product design, helping you identify suitable AI technologies to enhance organizational processes


You'll delve into analyzing technical and operational requirements necessary for building AI models, thus laying a robust foundation for your venture into AI product design. The program also helps you differentiate between various machine learning algorithms, enabling you to design AI products that address specific organizational challenges. 


You will apply machine learning methods to real-world problems, design intelligent human-machine interfaces, and assess AI opportunities in sectors like healthcare and education. At the end of the program, you will identify an operational challenge, propose a technical solution, and construct an executive summary of an AI product or service using the AI design process model.


Highlights of the program include earning a certificate and 5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from MIT xPRO, gaining insights from renowned MIT faculty, and developing market-ready skills for evaluating AI solutions. 


10. Stanford Artificial Intelligence Professional Program

Location: Online (Asynchronous)

Cost: $1750

Application deadline: No deadline

Program dates: 10 weeks per course, 10-15 hours per week

Eligibility: All high school students are eligible


The Stanford Artificial Intelligence Professional Program covers a wide range of essential AI topics, including machine learning, deep learning, Natural Language Processing, supervised and unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, graph neural networks (GNNs), and multi-task and meta-learning.


By participating in this program, you'll gain the skills and confidence needed to build your own AI models and algorithms, innovate with new models, tools, and algorithms to solve real-world AI challenges, debug your code effectively, fine-tune and optimize model parameters for enhanced performance, and accurately evaluate AI model performance. 


Furthermore, you'll learn how to implement generative language models, perform few-shot and zero-shot learning with pre-trained language models, and even conduct your own research in the field. You'll also be able to access personalized support through dedicated course facilitators, who are available to help you via 1-on-1 calls, group office hours, Slack, or email



If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI! 


Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!


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