North Carolina Master's in AI Programs

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Hearing the siren call of the South? In addition to being a top 10 state for tech, North Carolina is a hotspot for AI careers in banking and healthcare. Before you commit to a graduate program, use our North Carolina directory of AI master’s degrees & certificates to compare offerings from Duke, Wake Forest, and UNC System schools. We’ve included direct links to coursework and admissions requirements. Then browse through our NC AI guide for advice on research opportunities, job openings, and networking groups.

North Carolina AI Highlights

Duke is the most prestigious AI name in our directory, especially if you’re seeking to specialize in healthcare AI. But there are alternatives. UNC-Chapel Hill is also a great pick for healthcare; NC State has research stakes in defense & quantum; and NC A&T and NCCU are competing to make themselves the #1 choice for AI among HBCUs. See our Schools section for more details.
Healthcare AI professionals should target the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) for post-graduation career opportunities. This is where you’ll find all the big university-affiliated hospitals & healthcare research institutes and a large number of biotech companies. Check out the Triangle cluster in NCBiotech’s Map for proof.
For AI jobs in the financial sector, start with Charlotte—according to Forbes, it’s the second largest banking center in the country (NYC is #1). You can use our Landscape section to learn more about career opportunities in each metro area. Statistically speaking, North Carolina is a particularly strong choice for women and BIPOC tech professionals!

Artificial Intelligence Schools in North Carolina

When it comes to artificial intelligence graduate studies in North Carolina, you’ll have the choice between private & public—our NC directory of Master’s in AI programs is dominated by Duke and schools within the UNC System. Duke will have instant name recognition for employers, but UNC System schools are offering some intriguing AI majors. Here’s how to narrow your choices down.

Duke (Engineering & Data Science): The Duke Pratt College of Engineering offers a solid bulk of MEng in AI programs across a number of departments (ECE, mechanical engineering, robotics, etc.), including studies in medical robotics. ECE faculty also work for the NSF AI Institute for Edge Computing (ATHENA), a Duke-led national AI institute that’s exploring big AI for small devices. Leaning more towards interdisciplinary AI? Explore Duke’s Master in Interdisciplinary Data Science (MIDS) from the Rhodes Information Initiative (iiD) and the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI); the Center for Research & Engineering of AI Technology in Education (CREATE); and Deep Tech @ Duke, which is generating projects in AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, cyber, and climate science.
Duke (Healthcare): But it’s in healthcare that Duke really shines. Within its walls you’ll find Duke AI Health, a massive hub of AI research and institutional collaborations (check out the fellowship program); the Duke Center for Computational & Digital Health Innovation (CDHI) with data-driven work in diagnosis, treatment & prevention; the Duke Center for Quantitative BioDesign (CQB) with work in ML and quantitative & synthetic biology; and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). In 2025, Duke Health announced it was teaming up with Trase Systems to create advanced agentic AI tools. Meanwhile, Duke Health and UNC Health are building NC Children’s, a standalone children’s hospital in the Triangle with a dedicated research component.
NC State: If you’d prefer the public route, visit the section on AI @ NC State Curriculum and Career Pathways—it’s possible to customize master’s degrees in data science, computer science, or ECE with AI coursework. NC State is a good choice for anyone eyeing the Triangle, since the Centennial Campus has close ties to a number of useful partners, including Red Hat and SAS. The Campus is also home to the IBM Quantum Innovation Center at NC State. In the realm of national security & intelligence analysis, NC State has partnered up with the NSA to create the Laboratory for Analytic Sciences (LAS), which brings together researchers from industry, academia, and government—see the list of research projects for examples. In the realm of ethics, it supports the Centering AI in Society and Ethics (CASE) Initiative. In the realm of education, it funds an interdisciplinary Data Science and AI Academy (DSA) and acts as the lead for the NSF EngageAI Institute. And in the world of agtech, it has an ongoing relationship with Lenovo through the Center for Geospatial Analytics.
UNC: Although we’d choose Duke and NC State as the AI leaders in North Carolina, UNC schools are catching up. UNC-Chapel Hill built the School of Data Science & Society (SDSS) in 2022, but it’s now busy combining SDSS with the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) to create a new school focused on applied technology, data & AI. It’s also doing some intriguing things in the realm of healthcare. Take a look at the work being done within the UNC Gillings Center for Artificial Intelligence and Public Health (CAIPH); the UNC-backed Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Development Initiative (READDI); and Eshelman Innovation, including Kairos, its AI-driven venture creation platform on AWS. Over at UNC Charlotte, you’ll find the Charlotte AI Institute (CLTAI²) with its affiliated AI centers & institutes; the School of Data Science (SDS); and a new $10M Honeywell Innovation Hub, which will serve as an engineering, computing, and AI talent pipeline. It’s worth noting that UNC Charlotte is now an RI university that produces the largest number of computer science graduates in the UNC System.
HBCUs: Traditionally, HBCU schools have struggled to compete with richly funded research universities in North Carolina. But change is coming. As part of its push to achieve R1 status, NC A&T now collaborates with NVIDIA, runs a campus-wide AI Accelerator, hosts a statewide AI conference, and has partnered with NC State & SAS on the agtech-focused NC Ag Analytics Platform. It also funds the Center for Trustworthy AI (CTA) and Autonomous Control and Information Technology (ACIT) Institute. At NCCU, you’ll find the Google-funded Institute for Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Research (IAIER), trumpeted as the first HBCU AI institute in the nation.

Keep in mind that Duke and UNC System universities often share resources and collaborate on initiatives, including the North Carolina Shared Research & Education Collaborative Infrastructure (NCShare). So you should be able to make career connections across a number of schools. If you’re deep into healthcare AI, we also want to flag Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR), which is working to co-develop healthcare AI in the Advocate health system.

Online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Programs in North Carolina

Around 1/2 of the programs in our North Carolina directory of AI master’s degrees & graduate certificates are offered in an online format, including artificial intelligence qualifications in both engineering and business. If you’re considering a distance learning degree, we recommend asking what kinds of networking opportunities are included. In a ruthless job market, personal connections mean a lot.

Engineering AI: Duke continues to rule here. The Pratt School of Engineering has developed a practical Online Master of Engineering in AI for Product Innovation (AIPI), which is also available as an online graduate certificate. As the title suggests, these AIPI programs are focused on technical training in AI & ML applications and the development of new products, and have produced some impressive graduate outcomes. For those who need training in management, Pratt also offers an Online Master of Engineering Management (MEM) – Data Analytics and Machine Learning, which has 3 week-long residencies and courses in areas such as ML Principles & Applications for Engineering Managers.
Business AI: Prefer to focus on business applications? App State offers an affordable Online MBA in Artificial Intelligence that was developed in consultation with the Department of Computer Information Systems. That means it has more AI courses than a lot of comparable MBA programs. See the class profile for more info. You could also investigate UNC Greensboro’s Online Master of Science in Information Technology and Management (MSITM) – Generative AI for Business from the AACSB-accredited Bryan School of Business and Economics and Wake Forest University’s Online Master of AI Strategy and Innovation, which blends leadership courses with technical introductions to AI tools.

The Artificial Intelligence Landscape in North Carolina

North Carolina is holding strong against tech competitors. In a CompTIA report on the State of the Tech Workforce 2025, North Carolina ranked #2 in Top States by Net Tech Employment Job Gains (just behind Texas). According to a 2025 Brookings Metro report on Mapping the AI Economy, it’s home to three Star Hubs: Raleigh-Cary; Durham-Chapel Hill, and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia. And on UMD-LinkUp AIMaps, it’s typically in the top 10 of New AI Job Postings. You can get a handle on job opportunities by visiting NC TECH’s IT Job Trends Dashboard, which tracks monthly leading hiring companies for tech roles statewide.

Statewide: Unsurprisingly, AI is receiving a lot of support from North Carolina’s state government. In 2025, the governor signed an Executive Order that established an AI Leadership Council, Agency AI Oversight Teams, and an AI Accelerator inside the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) that supports new AI projects between the state, private companies, and North Carolina universities. On the infrastructure front, Amazon is planning a $10B AI & Cloud campus in the Energy Way Industrial Park in Richmond County. Google continues to operate & upgrade in Lenoir. Jabil is investing $500M into its AI & cloud computing advanced manufacturing facility in Rowan County. IQE is expanding its Greensboro facility to produce compound semiconductor materials for the EV market. And although Apple’s plans to build a $1B East Coast hub in Research Triangle Park (RTP) are up in the air, it’s continuing to funnel millions into its Maiden Data Center.
The Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill): This world-famous area is home to the Research Triangle Park (RTP); a bundle of big tech companies; and the university triumvirate of NC State (Raleigh), Duke (Durham), and UNC Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill). It’s also where you’re likely to find the most AI activity. In 2025, Raleigh was #5 in the Top Metros by Tech Economic Impact as a Percent of Local Economy (16%). In that same year, the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise’s American Growth Project, ranked the Triangle as #4 for GDP growth. Some of the largest AI employers in the Triangle are in the tech sector—think Red Hat, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo, SAS, Epic Games, and Microsoft—but we want to highlight additional opportunities in fintech (e.g. Fidelity Investments and Plaid) and life sciences & pharma (see below). If you are considering the Triangle, it pays to do some field research before you apply. Folks on the ground say that big tech jobs in the area are often remote and real estate prices are high.
Charlotte: Although Charlotte doesn’t get as much press as the Triangle, it’s a rich ground for artificial intelligence career opportunities. In 2025, Charlotte was #9 in the Top Metros by Net Tech Employment Job Gains and it has a massive footprint in financial services. According to Forbes, it’s the second largest banking center in the USA after New York City. That’s why major AI employers in Charlotte include banks (e.g. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Truist, etc.), fintech (e.g. LendingTree), and global consulting companies (e.g. Deloitte, PwC, Accenture, KPMG, Cognizant, and Booz Allen). But you don’t have to be a money-lover to find work here. Honeywell is headquartered in Charlotte; Lowe’s has a tech center that supports its ecommerce & tech operations; and there are plenty of unique companies experimenting with new technologies (e.g. Lucid Bots).
Biotech: According to the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech), North Carolina is home to 840+ life science companies and an additional 2,500 companies who are supporting the sector. If you’re new to the state, you may want to focus your efforts on the Triangle. Examine the NCBiotech Company Directory and its Map of biotech companies in North Carolina and you’ll spot a dense cluster in the Research Triangle Park (RTP). Healthcare research institutes at Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and NC State are fueling all kinds of AI discoveries and applications and creating a pipeline of talent for life sciences & pharma companies in the area (e.g. IQVIA, GSK, UNC Health/UNC Hospitals, Duke Health/Duke University Hospital, Lilly, and Nova Nordisk).
Startups: It’s a tale of swings & roundabouts for the startup scene in North Carolina. Although the state can’t compete with Silicon Valley, a 2024 Venture Report from the Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) reported that VC funding in North Carolina nearly doubled in 2024, rising from $1.6B in 2023 to $3.1 billion in 2024 (+95% gain), driven by funding in tech-focused companies such as Epic Games (Cary), CData (Chapel Hill), and Aiwyn (Charlotte). At the beginning of your AI startup journey? Start by connecting with the CED. Then talk to your university about opportunities. NC State’s Centennial Campus and Entrepreneurship Clinic and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Innovate Carolina and its Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) are just a few examples of how schools are supporting innovation. Better yet, NCInnovation (NCI) is pumping plenty of funds into UNC System applied research with a commercialization bent (e.g. App State’s AI-enhanced robotic microscope).

One final insider’s tip? The Tar Heel State is one of our top picks for those who are seeking a diverse workplace. According to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) technology sector data, North Carolina was a top state for the Percentage of Women in the Tech Industry Workforce (37.7%) in 2024—only Washington DC had a greater percentage. In that same year, the CED supported 706 startups, 47% of which were led by women or BIPOC leaders.

North Carolina Artificial Intelligence Resources

Duke and UNC System schools will be the strongest sources of connections for your AI career. Many of their research institutes run their own artificial intelligence events & conferences. In this list of North Carolina AI resources, we’ve also included links to sector-specific networking opportunities (e.g. banking, manufacturing, startups, etc.), helpful organizations such as CED and NC Tech, and local meetup groups in the Triangle, Greensboro & Charlotte.