Georgia offers a wide range of graduate programs for students who want to study machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, or advanced computer science.
The options differ quite a bit. Georgia Tech offers a Machine Learning specialization within its MS in Computer Science, on campus or online. The University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University both offer a dedicated MS in Artificial Intelligence. Georgia State University builds machine learning into a data science degree, Georgia Southern University offers a Machine Learning concentration within computer science, Emory University lets computer science students build an ML focus through electives, and Mercer University runs a fixed online data science curriculum.
This guide compares the seven Georgia programs and helps you decide which approach fits your goals.
Georgia Machine Learning Master’s Programs at a Glance
| School | Degree | Location | Format | ML Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emory University | MS in Computer Science | Atlanta | Campus | ML through core and electives; no formal ML concentration |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | MS in Computer Science – Machine Learning | Atlanta / Online | Campus or Online | Formal Machine Learning specialization |
| Georgia Southern University | MS in Computer Science – Machine Learning | Statesboro / Online | Campus, Hybrid, or Online | Formal Machine Learning concentration |
| Georgia State University | MSA in Data Science and Analytics – Big Data and Machine Learning | Atlanta | Campus | Formal Big Data and Machine Learning concentration |
| Kennesaw State University | MS in Artificial Intelligence | Kennesaw and Marietta / Online | Campus or Online | Dedicated AI degree with required ML and deep learning |
| Mercer University | MS in Data Science | Online | Online | Fixed applied ML and data science curriculum |
| University of Georgia | MS in Artificial Intelligence | Athens | Campus | Dedicated AI degree with ML coursework and a thesis |
The programs range from dedicated AI degrees to broader computer science and data science programs. Students should compare the curriculum rather than relying on the degree title alone.
Emory University
MS in Computer Science with Machine Learning Coursework
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Credits: About 30 (10 courses)
Format: Campus
Typical Length: 1.5 to 2 years
GRE: Not required
Machine Learning Focus: Customizable through core and elective courses
Emory University does not offer a formal machine learning concentration within its MS in Computer Science. Instead, one of the three required core areas is Intelligent Systems, where students choose Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or Data Mining, and can take the others as electives.
Electives reach into natural language processing, information retrieval, and deep learning and biomedical machine learning courses offered through Biomedical Informatics.
Every student completes a practicum, usually a summer internship, and chooses between a thesis, a project, and a coursework-only finish. Emory considers applicants from most disciplines.
Best fit for: Students who want a small, research-active computer science program with a required practicum and strong health and biomedical AI connections.
View our complete Emory University machine learning profile
Georgia Institute of Technology
MS in Computer Science – Machine Learning
Location: Atlanta, Georgia or Online
Credits: 30
Format: Campus or Online (OMSCS)
Typical Length: 24 months on campus; about 3 years online
GRE: Not required
Machine Learning Focus: Formal Machine Learning specialization
Georgia Tech offers the deepest machine learning course catalog in the state. The Machine Learning specialization takes up half of the 30-credit MS in Computer Science: one graduate algorithms course, one core machine learning course, and three electives.
The elective list includes deep learning, reinforcement learning, natural language processing, computer vision, large language models, machine learning theory, and robotics.
The same degree is available online through OMSCS at $227 to $248 per credit hour, with fall and spring entry and a part-time pace. The campus program admits for fall only and is highly selective. Both expect solid computer science preparation.
Best fit for: Students with a computer science background who want rigorous, algorithm-heavy machine learning training, on campus or in a low-cost online format.
View our complete Georgia Tech machine learning program profile
Georgia Southern University
MS in Computer Science – Machine Learning
Location: Statesboro, Georgia or Online
Credits: 30
Format: Campus, Hybrid, or Online
Minimum GPA: 2.5
GRE: Required
Machine Learning Focus: Formal Machine Learning concentration
Georgia Southern University offers a Machine Learning concentration as one of four options within its MS in Computer Science.
All students take a core in artificial intelligence, database systems, and algorithms. The concentration adds Data Mining plus two courses chosen from Computational Intelligence, Data Warehousing, Decision Support Systems, and selected topics.
The program can be completed fully online at $287 per credit hour, and students choose a thesis, a research project, or coursework only. Applicants with a non-computing degree can qualify with two years of professional computing experience.
Best fit for: Students who want an affordable, flexible computer science master’s with a data-focused machine learning concentration.
View our complete Georgia Southern University machine learning profile
Georgia State University
MSA in Data Science and Analytics – Big Data and Machine Learning
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Credits: 34–36
Format: Campus
Program Length: Three semesters
Machine Learning Focus: Formal Big Data and Machine Learning concentration
Georgia State University places machine learning inside a data science degree taught by its Department of Computer Science in downtown Atlanta.
The curriculum is largely prescribed. Students take Machine Learning, Data Mining, Big Data Programming, Database Systems, and two semesters of mathematical statistics, then choose two electives from options such as Deep Learning, Advanced Machine Learning, and Graph Machine Learning.
The program ends with a capstone project and is designed to be finished in three semesters, with summer internships and applied projects along the way.
Best fit for: Students who want a structured, fast-paced program that combines machine learning, big data, and statistics on an Atlanta campus.
View our complete Georgia State University machine learning profile
Kennesaw State University
MS in Artificial Intelligence
Location: Kennesaw and Marietta, Georgia or Online
Credits: 30
Format: Campus or Online
Typical Length: About 1.5 years
Minimum GPA: 2.75
Machine Learning Focus: Required machine learning and deep learning courses
Kennesaw State University launched its MS in Artificial Intelligence in fall 2024. Three of its four required courses are Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Neural Networks and Deep Learning, with AI ethics as the fourth.
Electives cover machine vision, natural language processing, robotics, big data analytics, and AI for security and privacy. Students finish with a thesis or an applied capstone.
The program accepts graduates of any major who can show programming competency, and it does not require the theory and algorithms core found in the university’s MS in Computer Science.
Best fit for: Students who want an AI-focused degree from day one, including career changers who need a campus or online option at public university tuition.
View our complete Kennesaw State University AI master’s profile
Mercer University
MS in Data Science
Location: Online
Credits: 36
Format: Online, eight-week courses
Program Length: 18–24 months
Minimum GPA: 2.5
Machine Learning Focus: Applied machine learning throughout a fixed curriculum
Mercer University’s online MS in Data Science was previously named the MS in Applied Data Intelligence and Machine Learning, and its curriculum still centers on applied machine learning.
Students take the same 12 courses in sequence, starting with programming and statistics foundations and moving through data mining and machine learning, big data and unsupervised learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and deep learning. The program ends with a capstone.
Applicants can hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, and Mercer lists no prerequisite courses.
Best fit for: Working adults and career changers who want a structured online program without computer science prerequisites.
View our complete Mercer University data science and machine learning profile
University of Georgia
MS in Artificial Intelligence
Location: Athens, Georgia
Credits: 30
Format: Campus
Typical Length: 2 years
GRE: Required
Machine Learning Focus: AI core with machine learning electives and a required thesis
The University of Georgia has offered its MS in Artificial Intelligence since 1987 through the interdisciplinary Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
The required core pairs Artificial Intelligence and a machine learning or data mining course with a course in logic. Students then choose technical electives such as Machine Learning, Advanced Representation Learning, Reinforcement Learning, and Computer Vision, along with courses on ethics, philosophy of mind, and cognitive psychology.
Every student writes and defends a thesis. The program runs full time on campus and does not require a computer science degree for admission.
Best fit for: Students who want a research-oriented AI degree with an interdisciplinary perspective and a thesis.
View our complete University of Georgia AI master’s profile
Which Georgia Machine Learning Program Is Right for You?
These seven programs serve different types of students.
| If You Want… | Consider |
|---|---|
| The deepest machine learning course catalog | Georgia Tech |
| A dedicated artificial intelligence degree | Kennesaw State University or University of Georgia |
| Machine learning combined with big data and statistics | Georgia State University |
| A broad computer science degree with ML electives | Emory University or Georgia Southern University |
| A fully online option | Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, or Mercer |
| The lowest online tuition | Georgia Tech or Georgia Southern University |
| A required thesis and research focus | University of Georgia |
| Admission without a computing degree | Mercer, Kennesaw State, or University of Georgia |
| A required internship or practicum | Emory University |
There is no single best program for every student. The strongest choice depends on whether you want a specialized machine learning curriculum, a dedicated AI degree, a broader computer science education, or the flexibility of online study.
Campus vs. Online Machine Learning Programs in Georgia
Students who want to study on campus have choices across the state.
Georgia Tech, Emory University, and Georgia State University all teach in Atlanta. Kennesaw State University is in the northern Atlanta suburbs, the University of Georgia is in Athens, and Georgia Southern University is in Statesboro.
Georgia also has more online options than most states. Georgia Tech offers its Machine Learning specialization through OMSCS, Georgia Southern offers its MS in Computer Science fully online, Kennesaw State lists its MS in Artificial Intelligence as available online, and Mercer delivers its MS in Data Science online.
The University of Georgia, Emory, and Georgia State programs on this page are campus-based.
Students who want more online choices can also compare schools outside Georgia in our guide to online master’s degrees in machine learning.
What Do Georgia Machine Learning Programs Teach?
Curriculum varies by school, but Georgia graduate students can study subjects such as:
- Machine learning
- Deep learning and neural networks
- Reinforcement learning
- Natural language processing
- Computer vision
- Data mining
- Big data programming
- Mathematical and computational statistics
- Artificial intelligence
- AI ethics
- Robotics
- Graduate algorithms
The biggest difference is how these subjects fit into each degree.
Georgia Tech, Emory, and Georgia Southern place machine learning within computer science. Kennesaw State and the University of Georgia build a full degree around artificial intelligence. Georgia State and Mercer approach machine learning through data science.
That distinction should be an important part of your program comparison.
Machine Learning Careers in Georgia
A machine learning master’s degree can support careers in data science, machine learning engineering, artificial intelligence, software development, analytics, and research.
Georgia’s technology employment is concentrated in the Atlanta metro area, which is home to major employers in financial technology, logistics, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, and cloud computing.
Your career options will depend on more than the degree itself. Programming ability, mathematics, internships, research experience, projects, and experience deploying machine learning systems can all affect your job prospects.
Compare More Machine Learning Master’s Programs
Georgia provides several strong approaches to graduate machine learning study, but students do not need to limit their search by state.
You can also:
- Compare machine learning master’s programs in every state
- Explore online machine learning master’s degrees
Before applying, check each university’s official website for current tuition, admission requirements, course availability, and application deadlines.