Master's in Artificial Intelligence Programs in Massachusetts

Technical Ivies and private research universities dominate the artificial intelligence landscape in Massachusetts, fueling the growth of prestigious graduate programs. In our directory of MA master’s in AI degrees & certificates, you’ll discover 20+ programs, including a large number in robotics. Not sure which school you should be prioritizing? Use the guide to compare each university’s strengths and evaluate job opportunities in Boston after graduation.

Artificial Intelligence Schools in Massachusetts

When you ask experts about the best schools for AI & robotics in Mass, most folks are likely to start listing MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, and BU. But you’ll also spot a determined polytechnic in our directory of Massachusetts master’s degrees in artificial intelligence, as well as up-and-comers like Brandeis. It’s worth noting that many of these schools collaborate with each other. For instance, the NSF-supported AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI), which sits at the intersection of AI and physics, is a joint effort between researchers at MIT, Harvard, Tufts, and Northeastern.

• MIT: The best of the best. Thanks to the efforts of the Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), MIT is one of the top 3 universities in the USA for AI research. The MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing—a $1B initiative seeded by a $350M gift from Stephen Schwarzman—is a hive of artificial intelligence. It’s home to the Center for Computational Science and Engineering (CCSE) and the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), as well as all kinds of AI-focused industry initiatives. These include the MIT-Amazon Science Hub, the MIT Google Program for Computing Innovation, and AI seed grants. Plus there’s the world-famous MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab, a 10-year, $240M industry partnership with IBM that aims to advance AI research and real-world translation. Prioritizing robotics? Check out CSAIL’s robotics research centers and the Toyota–CSAIL Joint Research Center, which is focused on autonomous driving, robotics, and machine-assisted cognition.
• Harvard: There’s a great deal of interdisciplinary thinking going on at Harvard’s AI Centers, especially the centers within the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). To start with, the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural & Artificial Intelligence is investigating the foundations of intelligence by exploring neuroscience, computational theory, and ML. The Harvard Data Science Initiative (HDSI) is working on initiatives such as the AWS Impact Computer Project. The Berkman Klein Center has projects in algorithms & justice, responsible generative AI, and AI & the law. The Power & AI Initiative (PAI) is exploring the dynamics of power systems, grid management, and AI. And the Wyss Institute is at the forefront of unique bioinspired technologies & soft robotics programs. It’s an excellent place to be for AI healthcare, since Harvard is affiliated with major hospitals in the Boston area (e.g. AI in Medicine (AIM) PhD Track at Harvard Medical School).
• Northeastern: In addition to offering 5+ master’s programs in artificial intelligence, Northeastern University is busy channeling funds into research. You’ll find plenty of AI labs & groups in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, including work in gaming, robotics, and NLP. Khoury faculty members are behind the National Deep Inference Fabric (NDIF) project and they contribute to the university’s Institute for Experiential AI, with its focus on AI in health, life sciences, and climate & sustainability. Anyone eyeing the MBA x AI should also explore Northeastern’s Innovation Campus, which supports research-driven, early-stage companies. Those who are thinking about robotics and the MSR can dig into the university’s Institute for Experiential Robotics (IER) and its valuable industry partnerships.
• Boston University: The central node of artificial intelligence at BU is the Hariri Institute, which oversees 10 AI centers & initiatives at the university, including the AI Research Initiative, the Digital Health Initiative, the Center for Computational Science (CCS), and the Red Hat Collaboratory, an industry–academic partnership exploring emerging tech in operating systems, cloud computing, ML & automation, and big data platforms. Along with Harvard, Northeastern, MIT, and UMass, Hariri & BU also support the Mass Open Cloud (MOC) Alliance. If you’re considering BU’s MS in Robotics & Autonomous Systems, we’d recommend a visit to the College of Engineering’s Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching and Innovation Center (RASTIC), which has a bunch of useful industry partners.

And this is just the start! We could also mention the Tufts Institute for Artificial Intelligence (TIAI), with its emphasis on AI for social good; UMass Amherst’s NIH/NIA-funded Massachusetts AI and Technology Center for Connected Care in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (MassAITC) and AI research work within the Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences (CICS); Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s PracticePoint, a unique medical device R&D hub; and UMass Lowell’s New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center, a DoD/NIST-backed robotics test & evaluation facility. Pretty much any Massachusetts university in our directory has a credible stake in AI.

Online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Programs in Massachusetts

With the exception of Northeastern, big private research universities in Massachusetts continue to be wary of distance learning. Most of the online master’s in AI programs in our Massachusetts directory come from WPI and smaller schools like Brandeis. If you’re trying to triage these choices, here’s where we would start making comparisons:

• Technical: Folks with a computer science or STEM background can put WIT’s Online Master of Science in Applied Computer Science – AI & Machine Learning in one column and WPI’s Online Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in another. WIT’s degree features AI electives and fundamental comp sci coursework in areas like advanced software engineering, advanced algorithms, and ML for data science. WPI’s curriculum tackles foundational topics & sub-fields of AI. Both degrees offer the choice of a final capstone or thesis.
• Applied AI: If you’re looking for a qualification that focuses on industry applications, consider  Northeastern’s Online Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied AI from the College of Professional Studies. The curriculum has required courses in applied AI, ML, NLP, and computer vision and a capstone. But there’s a whole lot of choice in the electives & concentrations, including AI for 3D imaging, ML for cybersecurity, and conversational AI & chatbots. Plus you can get involved in Northeastern’s Experiential Network (XN).
• Robotics & Autonomous Vehicles: WPI’s comprehensive Online Master of Science in Robotics Engineering comes with a dedicated specialization in Autonomous Vehicles (prerequisites apply). You’ll have the opportunity to customize the degree with work in ML in robotics, biomedical robotics, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and more. And you can use the team-based capstone experience to address a real-world RBE challenge.

Happily, our Massachusetts directory also contains a fair number of online graduate certificates in AI applications, engineering, business, and robotics. Before applying for a certificate, ask which credits—if any—could be applied towards an online master’s degree.

The Artificial Intelligence Landscape in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is known as the land of higher education, so it’s no surprise to see that AI has a codependent relationship with the region’s universities and world-class teaching hospitals. When you look at the data, it’s apparent that major AI sectors in Massachusetts include life sciences/biotech, finance/fintech, startups, and robotics. If you’re considering an AI career in the Bay State after graduation, here are some trends we’re keeping an eye on:

• Statewide: Like New York, the Massachusetts state government is taking clear steps to support AI and its industry applications. In 2024, the governor established an AI Strategic Task Force. The following year, the state launched the Massachusetts AI Hub with a $31M state grant. Amongst its many goals, the Hub is helping to expand sustainable AI/HPC at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke, pursue an AI accelerator with IBM & Red Hat, and more. The MGHPCC is also projected to be the home to a new quantum computing complex with QuEra computing.
• Boston & Cambridge: The twin cities on the Charles are the place to be for AI jobs. In a 2025 Brookings Metro report on Mapping the AI Economy, Boston was identified as a Star Hub. This isn’t just wishful thinking—a 2025 Public Insight report on AI and Machine Learning Job Trends found that Boston/Cambridge consistently ranks among the top U.S. metro areas for AI job postings. Major AI employers include healthcare & hospitals (e.g. MGH & Brigham and Women’s), big tech (e.g. Google in Kendall Square), life sciences & biotech (e.g. Moderna, Takeda, Biogen & Vertex Pharmaceuticals), and defense & advanced R&D (e.g. MIT Lincoln Laboratory, RTX/Raytheon & Draper).
• Life Sciences & Biotech: These two sectors have gone through their ups & downs in recent years, but they remain key drivers for the Massachusetts economy. In MassBio’s 2025 Industry Snapshot, the authors note that Massachusetts still accounts for 23% of the biopharma R&D workforce in the USA. Better yet, in late 2024, the state allocated $500M over 10 years to the Life Sciences Capital Fund (Life Sciences 3.0) and increased the statutory cap for the existing Life Sciences Tax Incentive Program.
• Healthcare: Anyone involved on the medical side of AI should be investigating what’s happening within the Broad Institute and at Harvard-affiliated hospitals. For instance, Mass General Brigham AI supports collaborations with GE Healthcare, NVIDIA, FUJUIFILM SonoSite (and more) and it has made a $30M commitment to an AI & Digital Innovation Fund (AIDIF). Over at Boston Children’s, you’ll find the Innovation & Digital Health Accelerator (IDHA) and its high-flying industry partners (e.g. Novartis).
• Startups: In Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, Boston is tied with Beijing for #5 in the Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking (see the Boston Highlights section on p. 254). According to Startup Genome: “In December 2024, Boston startups and tech firms raised $393.6 million in venture funding, with Liquid AI reaching unicorn status.” There are 55+ accelerators and incubators in the city (e.g. MassChallenge, Techstars Boston, Greentown Labs, The Engine, etc.). MassVentures (MV) even runs a Founders School for underrepresented deep tech founders. University-linked venture capital funds include UMass Amherst’s Maroon Venture Partners Fund, MIT’s E14 Fund, and Boston College’s SSC Venture Partners.
• Robotics: According to MassTech data, there are 400+ companies in the MA robotics ecosystem and more than 70 robotics R&D labs. If you’re looking for networking & support, start with MassRobotics. It bills itself as the world’s largest independent robotics hub, connecting Massachusetts universities, startups, and companies to opportunities. It has a tight connection with Harvard’s School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (SEAS) and it runs its own MassRobotics Accelerator for robotics tech entrepreneurs, powered by MassTech Collaborative, as well as a Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst.

Massachusetts Artificial Intelligence Resources

Competition for top-tier AI & robotics jobs in the Boston area can be fierce, so it pays to start networking early. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to connect in our list of Massachusetts AI conferences, startup events & robotics summits; active artificial intelligence meetups & hubs; and top-tier AI and robotics research centers at Massachusetts universities.

AI Events & Conferences in MA

• Boston AI Week
• Boston Fintech Week
• EmTech AI
• Generative AI Summit Boston
• Harvard Data Science Initiative (HDSI) Conference
• MassRobotics Events
• MIT ILP – AI Conferences
• ODSC East (Open Data Science Conference)
• Robotics Summit & Expo
• Startup Boston Week
• Tough Tech Week
• Women in Data Science (WiDS) Cambridge
• World Medical Innovation Forum

AI Meetups & Networking in MA

• AI Tinkerers – Boston
• Boston & Cambridge AI Meetups
• Boston & Cambridge Robotics Meetups
• Mass Fintech Hub
• Massachusetts Founders Network (MFN)
• MassRobotics
• Venture Café Cambridge

AI University Research Centers in MA

• AI@Harvard
• AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI)
• BU Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering
• BU Red Hat Collaboratory
• Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) AI Centers & Initiatives
• MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)
• MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab
• MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS)
• MIT Lincoln Laboratory & Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing Center (LLSC)
• MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing
• Northeastern Institute for Experiential AI
• Tufts Institute for Artificial Intelligence (TIAI)
• UMass Amherst Center for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence
• UMass Boston Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute

Robotics University Research Centers in MA

• BU Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching and Innovation Center (RASTIC)
• Harvard Wyss Institute
• Robotics@MIT
• Robotics@UMass Amherst
• Northeastern Institute for Experiential Robotics (IER)
• Northeastern Kostas Research Institute
• UMass Lowell New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center
• WPI PracticePoint