Career changers · Applied AI
Change your career into Applied AI.
Earn an online Applied AI certificate at SVU with V School's industry certification. Two semesters, no prior coding required. Federal aid eligible.
Talk to admissions
Course list, deadlines, and how to apply.
100%
Online
2
Semesters
24
Credit hours
1
Real-business AI capstone
Accredited by
SACSCOC
For-credit
24 credit hours, transcripted by SVU
Federal aid
Title IV (Pell, Stafford)
Curriculum by
V School
Who this is for
Adults entering Applied AI from another field.
01
Career changer
02
Working adult
03
Recent grad
What you'll do
Build a portfolio employers actually open.
01
Earn industry credentials
A real-business AI capstone with documented ROI. Employer-recognized portfolio piece.
02
Practice on real tools
Production AI stack, agentic systems, and the modern AI engineering workflow.
03
Ship a capstone
A real-business AI capstone — applied to an actual problem, with measurable ROI.
04
Land your first role
Structured internship, interview prep, and SVU career support.
How it works
Online with structure, support, and live instruction.
Live cohort sessions weekly. Mastery-paced, not an async grind.
Format
Online with live sessions
Weekly live instruction with expert tech instructors and your cohort.
Pace
Mastery-based
You advance when you demonstrate competency, not on a rigid clock.
Time
Full-time engagement
About 9 to 12 hours per course per week (3 hours live, 6 to 9 hours outside class).
Support
Instructor follow-up
Fall behind, your instructor reaches out. Two weeks of no progress triggers a withdrawal review.
Where this leads
Applied AI roles employers pay for.
National salary data for target roles. Pay varies by market and experience.
AI Engineer / ML Engineer
$142,747
Glassdoor 2026
AI Product Specialist
$194,644
Glassdoor 2026
Automation Engineer
$118,424
Glassdoor 2026
Machine Learning Researcher
$156,800
Glassdoor 2026
Entry-level (10th percentile)
$78,000 · Automation Engineer, Glassdoor 2026
BLS does not yet maintain SOC codes for AI titles. Glassdoor figures shown for AI roles.
Student reviews
Students on the teaching behind this program.*
★★★★★
"Not to be cheesy but the staff are truly just good people, very positive, extremely helpful, and intelligent to say the least! ... Overall, I would do it again even if I could turn back time."
Joseph Gambill
Graduate
★★★★★
"Great experience overall! ... I've been working as a software developer for almost four years now, and I can truly say the V School helped change my life!"
Hannah Vaschel
Graduate
★★★★★
"I left a job making 14k to go to V School. Within 2 years of graduating I was making 80k. I now make well over six figures. ... Was V School worth it? Yeah, I'd say so."
Dan Hitt
Graduate
*Reviews from graduates of earlier V School programs built on the same teaching method. V School is the independent curriculum provider for this SVU program.
"We don't ask you to start over. We start where you are."
Aaron Hale · President · Southern Virginia University
Funding
Financial aid options at SVU.
Pell Grant
Need-based aid
Federal Pell Grants may apply for eligible students. Submit your FAFSA and SVU's financial aid office calculates what you qualify for.
Stafford Loans
Federal loans
Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford loans are available to eligible students through standard federal aid channels.
SVU advisor
Mapped to your situation
An SVU financial aid advisor walks you through what applies, what doesn't, and how to combine sources to lower your out-of-pocket.
Getting started
Three steps in.
1
Talk to admissions
Submit the form above. An SVU advisor walks you through program fit and financial aid.
2
Take the Foundations Assessment
Free, no commitment. Confirms you're ready for Applied AI.
3
Begin online
Start in Fall, Spring, or Summer. Live sessions weekly, mastery-based progression.
Frequently asked
Common questions.
Do I need prior coding or ML experience?
+
No formal background required. The Applied AI track requires a free Foundations Assessment to confirm readiness.
What's the capstone like?
+
A real-business AI project applied to an actual company problem, with documented ROI.
How much time per week?
+
About 9–12 hours per course per week. Each semester is 4 courses — full-time engagement.
Is this fully online?
+
Yes. Live sessions with your cohort. You never need to be on campus.
Can I use federal aid?
+
Yes — federal Pell and Stafford may apply. SVU financial aid maps your eligibility.
What if I fall behind?
+
Your instructor reaches out. Two weeks of no progress triggers a withdrawal review.
What is V School?
+
V School is the independent tech training company behind the curriculum and the certificate you sit for in this program, the same way an industry provider like CompTIA stands behind its certifications. Your program runs at SVU, for credit and on a degree pathway. The V School certificate is earned by demonstrating mastery, not by paying tuition.
Change your career into Applied AI at SVU — online, 2 semesters.
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Talk to SVU admissions about Applied AI.
An SVU advisor will reach out with course list, deadlines, and next steps.
Book a free call →