Want a career in AI without quitting your job or leaving Toledo? The University of Toledo is launching a fully online Master of Science in Data Science and AI — with the first cohort expected to start in spring 2027, according to 13abc.

Here’s what we know about the program:

Fully online, full-time or part-time. The degree is built for working professionals looking to level up and recent grads entering fields being reshaped by AI. No relocation, no career break.

The 30-credit curriculum covers machine learning, generative AI, databases and SQL, big data systems and cloud computing, data ethics, and a capstone project, per UT’s graduate catalog.

The bigger picture: Dr. Bill Kalies, director of UToledo’s School of Interdisciplinary Data Science, says the program is a response to the AI-driven economy. The university names healthcare, engineering, and finance as the sectors where graduates will put it to work — and UT’s data science push has been building for years. UToledo launched its undergraduate data science program in 2020 and stood up the School of Interdisciplinary Data Science in 2025.

Why ToledoBuzz cares: This is pocketbook news. An online AI master’s at Toledo’s hometown university means local workers can skill up for some of the highest-paying job categories in the country without leaving the 419.

Photo: Mbrickn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)