Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is the science of programming computers to improve their performance by learning from data. Dramatic progress has been made in the last decade, driving machine learning into the spotlight of conversations surrounding disruptive technology. This six-week online program from the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) aims to demystify machine learning for the business professional – offering you a firm, foundational understanding of the advantages, limitations, and scope of machine learning from a management perspective.
This program is delivered in collaboration with GetSmarter. Please register on the GetSmarter website.
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Machine Learning in Business (self-paced online) Certificate Track: Management and Leadership Location:
online Tuition:
$3,200 Program Days (for ACE Credit) 2
How will machine learning affect your business? How can your company capitalize on this dynamic technology?
This program views the technical elements of machine learning through the lens of business and management, and equips you with the relevant knowledge to discover opportunities to drive innovation and efficiency in your organization. Although you can expect to explore technical aspects of machine learning, the focus is on empowering you, as a business leader, to ask the right questions about whether machine learning applications will benefit a particular business problem, or make your organization more efficient.
Through a mix of research insights reinforced by case examples, you’ll have the opportunity to critically apply your learning. You’ll learn to identify the realistic opportunities of this transformative technology as you develop an implementation plan for machine learning in a business of your choice. Whether you work in a strategic, operational, or managerial function, you’ll be equipped with an understanding of how machine learning can impact your organization’s business objectives, as well as knowledge of the key aspects of related implementation strategies. Over the course of six weeks, you’ll learn how to successfully lead teams tasked with executing technical machine learning projects, and strategically leverage machine learning for a powerful competitive edge in business.
MIT Faculty will guide you to understand the current and future capabilities of this transformative technology, in order to effectively unlock its potential within business. You’ll also have the opportunity to design a roadmap for the successful integration of machine learning – tailored for your own organization. At the end of the course, you’ll walk away with a plan for immediate and practical business action.
Earn a certificate of completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management in this online program and be empowered to:
Discover the opportunities, capabilities, and scope of this transformative technology
Gain a sound understanding of the strategic application of machine learning in business
Develop a complete implementation plan for using machine learning in a business of your choice
Analyze, implement, and monitor the use of machine learning in your own organization
"We will go beyond buzzwords to give you a solid, intuitive understanding of what’s going on inside Machine Learning programs and a firm foundation for thinking about how to use Machine Learning in business."– THOMAS MALONE, Patrick J. McGovern (1959) Professor of Management, and Founding Director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence
"We should think about AI, machine learning, and robots as tools. These technologies are more intelligent than the screwdrivers and the hammers we have today, but ultimately they remain tools for us to be in control of. Machines can do some things better than we can, and we can do things better than machines, so by combining our respective skills we can do so much more."– DANIELA RUS, Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN This online program integrates rich, interactive media such as videos, infographics, and e-learning activities as well as traditional didactic components such as written study guides (course notes). There are also opportunities for collaborative learning through discussion forums. The following modules contribute to the holistic approach your learning path takes:
WELCOME TO YOUR ONLINE CAMPUS - WEEK 1 You’ll be welcomed with a personal call and get introduced to your online learning and technical support network. Begin connecting with fellow participants while exploring the navigation and tools of your Online Campus. Be alerted to key milestones in the learning path, and review how your results will be calculated and distributed. You’ll be required to complete your participant profile, confirm your certificate delivery address, and submit a digital copy of your passport/identity document.
MODULE 1 - INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING Learn about machine learning and its growing role in business.
MODULE 2 - IMPLEMENTING MACHINE LEARNING IN A BUSINESS Learn about where machine learning is useful, the role of data, and the importance of an implementation plan.
MODULE 3 - SENSING THE PHYSICAL WORLD Explore the business implementation considerations for machine learning using sensor data.
MODULE 4 - HELPING MACHINES TO LEARN TO USE LANGUAGE Investigate the business requirements for the implementation of machine learning using language data.
MODULE 5 - FINDING PATTERNS IN HUMAN TRANSACTIONS Evaluate the requirements for the implementation of machine learning using transaction data in business.
MODULE 6 - MACHINE LEARNING CHALLENGES AND FUTURE Develop an implementation plan for machine learning, and consider the future of machine learning in business.
This executive program integrates rich interactive media—such as videos, infographics, and e-learning activities—as well as traditional didactic components such as written study guides (course notes). There are opportunities for collaborative learning through discussion forums.
The program begins with an Orientation to welcome you to the Online Campus. During Orientation, you will explore your analysis environment, become comfortable with your new online classroom, meet your Success Team, and get to know your fellow classmates. Watch the video about the online campus experience >
After Orientation, the course is broken down into six manageable, weekly modules, designed to accelerate your learning process through diverse learning activities:
Work through your downloadable and online instructional material
Interact with your peers and learning facilitators through weekly class-wide forums and small group discussions
Enjoy a wide range of interactive content, including video lectures, infographics, live polls, and more
Investigate rich, real-world case studies
Apply what you learn each week to quizzes and ongoing project submissions
Each module is released weekly, allowing a flexible but structured approach to learning. You’ll be supported as you engage in individual activities and group discussions, ensuring you feel confident to submit your best work at each weekly deadline. The time commitment is estimated at 6-8 hours per week, self-paced and entirely online.
SUCCESS TEAM Throughout the course of the program, you will be supported by a team of professionals.
Head Facilitator: A subject expert who’ll guide you through content-related challenges
Success Manager: Your one-on-one support available during MIT hours (9am - 5pm EST) to resolve technical and administrative challenges
Global Success Team: Available 24/7 to solve your tech-related and administrative queries and concerns
THIS PROGRAM IS FOR YOU IF:
You want to gain a sound understanding of the current and future capabilities of machine learning, and how to leverage it in a business context.
You’re interested in successfully integrating machine learning technology into an organization, with a strategic action plan.
You’re seeking recognition of your knowledge in the form of a certificate of completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
This online program is for business leaders, mid to senior managers, data specialists, consultants, and business professionals interested in exploring the strategic implications of integrating machine learning into an organization.
Whether you’re interested in upskilling or are seeking an understanding of transformative technologies in the business environment, this program will assist you in identifying business areas that could benefit from the strategic application of machine learning. If you’ve been tasked with managing a team or project with roots in machine learning, or you’re interested in using knowledge of technical innovation to find a competitive edge in the market, the skills you’ll develop will help you realize your potential.
Please note that faculty are subject to change and not all faculty teach in each session of the program.
Patrick J. McGovern (1959) Professor of Management Professor of Information Technology Director, MIT Center for Collective Intelligence
Thomas W. Malone is the Patrick J. McGovern (1959) Professor of Management, a Professor of Information Technology, and the Founding Director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligenceat the MIT Sloan School of Management.
He was also the founder and director of the MIT Center for Coordination Science and one of the two founding co-directors of the MIT Initiative on “Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century.” Malone teaches classes on leadership and information technology, and his research focuses on how new organizations can be designed to take advantage of the possibilities provided by information technology. For example, in an article published in 1987, Malone predicted many of the major developments in electronic business over the last decade—electronic buying and selling, electronic markets for many kinds of products, outsourcing of non-core functions in a firm, and the use of intelligent agents for commerce. The past two decades of Malone’s groundbreaking research are summarized in his critically acclaimed book, The Future of Work: How the New Order of Business Will Shape Your Organization, Your Management Style, and Your Life (Harvard Business School Press, 2004). This book has been translated into Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Russian.
Malone also has published over 75 articles, research papers, and book chapters. He is the co-editor of three books: Coordination Theory and Collaboration Technology (Erlbaum, 2001), Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century(MIT Press, 2003), and Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook (MIT Press, 2003). An inventor with 11 patents, Malone has been a cofounder of three software companies and has consulted and served as a board member for a number of other organizations. He speaks frequently for business audiences around the world and has been quoted in numerous publications such as Fortune, TheNew York Times, and Wired. Before joining the MIT faculty in 1983, Malone was a research scientist at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, where his research involved designing educational software and office information systems.
Malone holds a BA from Rice University, two master’s degrees and a PhD from Stanford University, as well as degrees in applied mathematics, engineering-economic systems, and psychology.
David Austin Professor of Management Professor of Information Technology and Marketing
Sinan Aral is the David Austin Professor of Management at MIT, where he is a Professor of IT & Marketing, and Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems and Society where he co-leads MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy.
He was the chief scientist at SocialAmp, one of the first social commerce analytics companies (until its sale to Merkle in 2012), and at Humin, a social platform that the Wall Street Journal called the first “Social Operating System” (until its sale to Tinder in 2016). He is currently a founding partner at Manifest Capital and on the Advisory Board of the Alan Turing Institute, the British National Institute for Data Science, in London. Sinan was the scholar-in-residence at the New York Times R&D Lab in 2013, and has worked closely with Facebook, Twitter, Snap, AirBnB, Yahoo, Jet.com, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Oracle, SAP, and many other leading Fortune 500 firms on realizing business value from big data analytics, social media, and IT investments.
Sinan’s research has won numerous awards including the Microsoft Faculty Fellowship, the PopTech Science Fellowship, an NSF CAREER Award, and a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2014, he was named one of the “World’s Top 40 Business School Professors Under 40” by Businessweek.
Sinan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Northwestern University, holds Master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Harvard University, and received his PhD from MIT.
He enjoys cooking, skiing, and telling jokes about his own cooking and skiing. His most recent hobby is learning from his four-year-old son. You can find Sinan on Twitter @sinanaral.
Schussel Family Professor of Management Science Professor of Information Technology Director, The MIT Center for Digital Business
Erik Brynjolfsson is Director of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, Schussel Family Professor of Management Science at the MIT Sloan School, and research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research examines the effects of information technologies on business strategy, productivity and performance, digital commerce, and intangible assets.
At MIT, he teaches courses on the Economics of Information and the Analytics Lab. He has also taught at Stanford University and Harvard University.
Brynjolfsson was among the first researchers to measure productivity contributions of IT and the complementary role of organizational capital and other intangibles. His research provided the first quantification of online product variety value, known as the “Long Tail,” and developed pricing and bundling models for information goods. Recognized with ten Best Paper awards and five patents, Brynjolfsson’s research has appeared in leading economics, management, and science journals. His papers can be found at http://digital.mit.edu/erik
He is the author of several books including, with coauthor Andrew McAfee, the New York Times best-seller The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies (2014) and Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future (forthcoming, June 2017). Brynjolfsson is editor of SSRN’s Information System Network and has served on editorial boards of numerous academic journals as well as the Academic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Brynjolfsson holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Harvard University in applied mathematics and decision sciences, and a PhD from MIT in managerial economics.
Senior Research Scientist, Head of Spoken Language Systems Group, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)
James Glass is a Senior Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he leads the Spoken Language Systems Group in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He is also a member of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty. Since obtaining his S.M. and Ph.D. degrees at MIT in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, his research has focused on automatic speech recognition, unsupervised speech processing, and spoken language understanding using machine learning. He is an IEEE Fellow, and a Fellow of the International Speech Communication Association, and is currently a member of the Editorial Board for Computer, Speech, and Language.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
In order to complete a course, you’ll need a current email account and access to a computer and the internet. You should be familiar with using a computer and accessing the internet, as you may need to read documents in Adobe PDF Reader, view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and read and create documents in Microsoft Word. Installing Adobe Flash Player will give you full access to certain course content, such as interactive infographics. However, you’ll still have access to this content in the form of a downloadable PDF transcript if you’d prefer not to use Flash.
We recommend that you use Google Chrome as your internet browser when accessing the Online Campus. Although this is not a requirement, we have found that this browser performs best for ease of access to course material. This browser can be downloaded here.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Certain courses may require additional software and resources. These additional software and resource requirements will be communicated to you upon registration and/or at the beginning of the course. Please note that Google, Vimeo, and YouTube maybe used in our course delivery, and if these services are blocked in your jurisdiction, you may have difficulty in accessing course content. Please check with a Course Consultant before registering for this course if you have any concerns about this affecting your experience with the Online Campus.
MIT Sloan Executive Education is collaborating with online education provider GetSmarter to create a new class of learning experience - one that is higher-touch, intimate, and personalized for the working professional. By working with GetSmarter, we are able to broaden access beyond our on-campus offerings in a collaborative and engaging format that stays true to the quality of MIT Sloan and MIT as a whole. GetSmarter's people-driven approach to online learning—centered around the importance of human support—has resulted in an aggregate completion rate consistently above 90% serving more than 48,000 participants over almost a decade.
All reviews are submitted by program attendees and are not edited by MIT Sloan Executive Education. Read more about our ratings and reviews.
Manuel U:
Unconventional circumstances could become catalysts for exploration, innovation & adaptations as we prototype ourselves toward our future selves. I strongly believe that advances in Human-machine teaming will radically propel us forward. MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) Prof. Thomas Malone's quote summarizes my key take away --- "we need to move from humans in the loop to computers in the Group".
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Date Attended:
Jul 1, 2020
Date Reviewed:
Oct 19, 2020
Andrés M:
It was my first on-line experience. Besides I was new on the ML topic, It was very comprehensive and applicable to my current business.
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Date Attended:
May 13, 2020
Date Reviewed:
Sep 22, 2020
SAMER D:
One of the most amazing material, Thank you Thomas.
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Date Attended:
May 13, 2020
Date Reviewed:
Jul 24, 2020
Manuel Fernandez Gomez Del C:
A great opportunity to learn more in deep about the real impacts of ML in Business and how to design and implement ML from manager perspective. Congrats to all MIT Team and thanks for this experience.
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Date Attended:
Jan 29, 2020
Date Reviewed:
Apr 14, 2020
Stefano O:
Useful also for already expert AI professionals seeking business insights
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Date Attended:
Apr 10, 2019
Date Reviewed:
Aug 25, 2019
KRISHNA S:
You can learn from the best of MIT Sloan & CSAIL in these programs [ML and AI]. One of the best courses I have ever attended.
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Date Attended:
Apr 10, 2019
Date Reviewed:
Jun 24, 2019
Registration for this program is done through GetSmarter.
*The recommended weekly time commitment for core content is 4-5 hours, taking into account the busy lifestyles of working professionals, with an additional 2-3 hours recommended for non-compulsory weekly extension activities, should you have the time. Each module is released weekly, allowing a flexible but structured approach to learning. You’ll be supported as you engage in individual activities and group discussions, ensuring you feel confident to submit your best work at each weekly deadline.
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