Best Machine Learning & AI Courses: A Comprehensive Guide

The fashion in which Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have brought changes in the industry merit them being one of the most sought-after skills in the current job market. This means for anyone from total amateurs to experienced industry professionals alike, the studies of AI and ML mean lucrative career avenues. The guide considers some of the best online and offline Machine Learning and AI training courses that can help you decide.

Why Learn AI and Machine Learning?

• Machine learning and AI have been changing the sectors-from healthcare to finance, e-commerce to even autonomous systems. Here are a few reasons why you would want to go ahead with these technologies:
• Great Demand: Companies across industries are actively seeking AI and ML professionals.
• Great Salaries: AI and ML developers get some of the best monetary rewards throughout the technological industry.
• Wide Range of Applications: AI is the future, from chatbots to driverless cars.
• Career Progression: ML and AI can take you to positions such as Data Scientist, AI Engineer, and Machine Learning Developer.
• Best Machine Learning and AI Courses
• So here is a rundown of the best AI and ML courses available online and at universities:

1. Machine Learning by Stanford University (Coursera)

• Instructor: Andrew Ng
• Duration: Approximately 60 hours
• Level: Beginner to Intermediate
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Free to audit (Paid for certification)
• Why This Course: This remains one of the most popular ML courses, going through supervised and unsupervised learning with hands-on assignments.

2. Deep Learning Specialization by Coursera (Andrew Ng, DeepLearning.AI)

• Duration: ~3-4 months
• Level: Intermediate
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Paid
• Reason to Choose: Focuses on models of neural networks and deep learning and their applications, such as NLP and computer vision.

3. Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and AI by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (edX)

• Duration: 12 months
• Level: Advanced
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Paid ($1,600+)
• Reason to Choose: Covering the topics in-depth behind AI, comprising deep learning and its practical applications.

4. AI for Everyone by Coursera (Andrew Ng, DeepLearning.AI)

• Duration: 6 hours
• Level: Beginner
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Free (with paid certification)
• Reason to Choose: Good introduction to AI-the non-technical way.

5. Machine Learning with Python by IBM (Coursera)

• Duration: 5 weeks
• Level: Beginner
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Free (with paid certification)
• Reason to Choose: Python-based ML models and applications.

6. Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp by Udemy

• Duration: Self-Paced
• Level: Beginner
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Paid (approximately $10 to $200, depending on discounts)
• Reason to Choose: Covers basics of data science and ML in Python and R.

7. AI & Machine Learning Master’s Program by SimpliLearn

• Duration: 12 months
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Certification: Yes
• Cost: Paid
• Reason to Choose: Real-time project mentoring and support.  

8. Practical Deep Learning for Coders by Fast.ai

• Duration: 7 weeks
• Level: Intermediate
• Certification: No
• Cost: Free
• Reason to Choose: More focused towards practical implementation of deep learning models.

9. IBM Artificial Intelligence Engineer Certification on Coursera

• Timing: 6 months
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Certification: Yes
• Page charges: Paid (~$39/month on Coursera)
• Reasons for Choosing This: Building AI model, computer vision, and other applications of NLP.

What course to select?

Choosing from so many AI/ML courses often gets overwhelming. Some important factors to consider are: Skill Level: A course should correspond to your experience with it (beginner, intermediate, or advanced). Certification: In case you’re looking for a certification in pursuing a course for career advancement, choose one that gives it. Hands-on Practice: Seek for courses that require projects and real-world application. Duration: Meet the course requirements with your schedule and your time allocation. Cost: Free courses are great for beginners, paying ones are structured learning with mentoring benefits.

Careers After Completion of AI and ML Courses

After an AI and ML course, choose one of the various job positions:

• Machine Learning Engineer (Avg Salary: $112,000/year). 
• Data Scientist (Avg Salary: $120,000/year). 
• AI Research Scientist (Avg Salary: $130,000/year). 
• Deep Learning Engineer (Avg Salary: $115,000/year). 
• Business Intelligence Developer (Avg Salary: $100,000/year). 

Conclusion 

Invest in one of the AI or Machine Learning programs. It is sure to change the course of your career. Choose either a free introductory course or an advanced specialization and learn some AI/ML. It will surely set you apart when you step into the job market. Select a course that goes with your goals, and engages in AI early!