Master's in Artificial Intelligence Programs in Ohio

Simplify your search for an Ohio AI degree with our OH directory of Master’s in Artificial Intelligence programs. It contains links to admissions requirements, coursework, and tuition rates for every relevant AI graduate program in Ohio, including offerings from The Ohio State University. Whether you’re thinking of creating an AI startup in Columbus or you have your sights focused on Dayton and aerospace, this guide is designed to help you make the right decision about your Ohio AI education.

Artificial Intelligence Schools in Ohio

You’ll find plenty of choice in our directory of Ohio AI master’s programs—all of the top research universities in the state offer at least one relevant MS, MEng, and/or graduate certificate in artificial intelligence. The trick is narrowing your search to the most relevant qualification. Here’s some background on Ohio schools and where their strengths in AI lie.

• OSU: The Ohio State University (OSU) is the leading AI institution in the state—in 2025, the university announced a new AI^(X) Hub that spans 15 colleges. OSU is awash in AI Research and well-known institutes, including the NSF-funded AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence (AI-EDGE) and AI Institute for Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE). You could consider customizing the Master of Science in Computer Science & Engineering (MS CSE) with relevant AI electives—a number of CSE faculty have AI & ML research interests. Or you might investigate the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering – Automotive Systems and Mobility. OSU supports & funds the Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing, Moving from Evolution to Revolution (HAMMER) institute as well as the Artificially Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (AIMS) Lab.
• UC: Another important player is the University of Cincinnati, which offers two cross-disciplinary AI graduate programs through the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS). The MEng in Artificial Intelligence is a practical, technical degree for working professionals that’s backed by AI research labs & centers helmed by Computer Science faculty and Electrical & Computer Engineering faculty. But robotics & engineering folks should also investigate the MEng in Robotics and Intelligent Autonomous Systems and UC’s Center for Robotics Research. The Center has involved itself in everything from unique applications of industrial robots to deep learning semantic segmentation.
• Kent State & CWRU: Searching for an AI master’s degree in Ohio with a computer science flavor? Take a minute to compare OSU and UC’s programs with Kent State University’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence. Kent State’s Department of Computer Science runs a number of AI-related research labs, with work in computer vision, big data science, cyber, and AI. The other option that’s well-worth considering is Case Western Reserve University’s Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS). Case Western’s Department of Computer and Data Sciences has plenty of engaged AI & ML faculty and it recently installed a second-generation Artificial Intelligence SuperComputer (AISC2).
• AFIT: And then there’s the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), located on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. The most obvious choice for artificial intelligence students is AFIT’s Master’s in Computer Science – Artificial Intelligence, but it’s worth pointing out that the Graduate School of Engineering & Management offers scores of AI-adjacent master’s degrees. Check your eligibility before applying. It’s an especially strong choice for cyber experts, since AFIT’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is an Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence and a Center for Cyberspace Research (CCR).

Finally, we want to point out that a number of Ohio are drawing on the resources of the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) in Columbus. The OSC releases an annual Research Report that’s worth a quick read. Within the report, you’ll find a section on Client Research Spotlights and a rundown of university-affiliated AI projects (e.g. OSU and ICICLE’s work in agtech and agricultural drone imagery).

Online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Programs in Ohio

Unable to commute to a campus? Our state directory also highlights a number of online master’s degrees and graduate certificates in AI in Ohio—look for the “Offered Online” tag under the degree title. Ohio is still catching up to big online providers such as Florida, but it does have a few options to explore.

• Business: Business folks should take a good, hard look at Ohio University (OHIO)’s MBA in Artificial Intelligence from the AACSB-accredited College of Business. OHIO is the largest conferrer of MBA degrees in the state and it offers Online Incentive Scholarships and graduate-level business scholarships to a variety of candidates. The 3-course AI concentration doesn’t go into a lot of depth, but it does cover the fundamentals.
• Graduate Certificates: Technically-minded professionals may wish to explore the possibility of an online graduate certificate such as OHIO’s Online Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate or Miami University Oxford’s Online Graduate Certificate in Deep Learning and Generative AI. Intriguingly, OSU offers an industry-specific Online Graduate Certificate in AI Digital Health for digital healthcare professionals, particularly those with backgrounds in computer science, biomedicine, or biomedical informatics.

Not seeing what you need in our directory? It may be possible to adapt Case Western’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) to suit your career goals. Coursework is much more comp sci than AI, but artificial intelligence is listed as one of the four key focus areas. Talk to the program coordinator about your situation.

The Artificial Intelligence Landscape in Ohio

Ohio might not be the first place you think of for artificial intelligence developments, but don’t overlook the Buckeye State. This quiet player in the Midwest is building on its existing industry strengths and re-imagining its future in tech. If you’re thinking of launching your AI career in Ohio, here are some trends worth monitoring.

• Statewide: Although Intel’s much heralded $28B Ohio Semiconductor Project in Central Ohio has been continually delayed, defense & aerospace sectors remain durable anchors for the state (e.g. GE Aerospace). Sturdy AI employers in Ohio tend to include companies within the financial services & insurance sector (e.g. JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide, Progressive, etc.) and healthcare.
• Columbus: Columbus is the home of OSU’s AI research institutes and the Innovation District at Ohio State. That’s given it “startup fizziness” in areas like enterprise GenAI. In Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, Columbus was named in the top 100 of Emerging Startup Ecosystems. Just outside of Columbus, you’ll find a number of AWS Ohio data centers (view them on a state map). In 2023, AWS announced it was adding another ~$7.8B by the end of 2029 into expanding Ohio-based cloud computing operations. And in 2025, Anduril said it had chosen Columbus as the location for Arsenal-1, its first hyperscale manufacturing facility.
• Cleveland & Cincinnati: In Cleveland, it’s the Cleveland Clinic, research institutes in CWRU’s School of Medicine, and the Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor that are driving innovation in clinical AI & bio AI. In 2021, the Clinic entered a 10-year partnership with IBM to create the Discovery Accelerator, a joint center that forms a powerful AI + healthcare node with serious computing and translational aims. Check out examples of the Accelerator’s Quantum Computing Projects. Medical activity is also happening in the Cincinnati Innovation District (CID), anchored by UC and Cincinnati Children’s.
• Dayton: Though it sometimes flies beneath the radar, Dayton’s strengths in AI include the Wright-Patterson AFB, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), defense contractors, and AFIT’s programs in aerospace & defense. The AFRL’s Autonomy Capability Team (ACT3)—an AI Special Operations organization—is just one example of what’s afoot within the Air Force and Space Force. At the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), you’ll also find work being done in materials & manufacturing research, digital & systems engineering (including AI & ML), and sustainment & readiness.

Chat to a lot of folks in the area before you make a decision on where to plant your flag. Ohio tends to have a reasonable cost of living, but it’s not going to have the energy of Silicon Valley, Austin, or NYC. A number of Ohio tech workers have chosen the state in order to have a stable income & home base for their families, so they tend to skew older.

Ohio Artificial Intelligence Resources

Preparation is nine-tenths of the game when it comes to securing a job in tech. Our Ohio AI resources section is designed to direct you towards useful AI conferences and expos, dynamic meetups & networking groups across key Ohio cities, and top AI research centers at OSU and other major universities.

AI Events & Conferences in OH

• Black Tech Week
• Cleveland Clinic AI Summit for Healthcare Professionals
• Columbus AI Week
• CSU AI Symposium
• DataConnect Conference
• LaunchCon
• Ohio AI Roundtables
• Ohio AI Summit
• Ohio Tech Summit

AI Meetups & Networking in OH

• 1819 Innovation Hub
• Cincinnati AI Meetups
• Cleveland AI Meetups
• Columbus AI Meetups
• Dayton AI Meetups
• Gem City TECH
• OhioX
• StartupCincy
• StartUP Columbus

AI University Research Centers in OH

• CWRU Center for AI in Drug Discovery
• CWRU Center for AI Enabling Discovery in Disease Biology (AID2B)
• Kent State Cognitive Robotics and AI (CRAI) Lab
• Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC)
• OSU AI Research Institutes
• OSU AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence (AI-EDGE)
• OSU AI Institute for Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE)
• OSU Artificially Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (AIMS) Lab
• OSU Translational Data Analytics Institute (TDAI)
• UC Center for Robotics Research
• University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI)