FORWARD
University
AI & Computing
First accreditation wave

Applied Artificial Intelligence

Build, evaluate and deploy machine learning systems into environments with real constraints, patchy data, thin bandwidth, and consequences.

BSc (Hons)Hybrid4 years (incl. co-op)Intake August 2027
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Employment thesis

What this programme is designed to produce

Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.

Roles

  • Machine learning engineer
  • Applied AI engineer
  • Data/ML platform engineer
  • AI solutions engineer

Employer types

  • African technology companies and scale-ups
  • Banks, insurers and telecom operators
  • Global firms hiring remote engineering talent
  • Public-sector data and statistics agencies

Target outcomes we hold ourselves to

  • 85% of graduates in a named role within 6 months
  • Median starting salary at or above the national engineering benchmark
  • 100% completing 12 months of paid co-op before graduating

Compulsory · The Forward Core

How the Core works →

Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.

  • AI Fluency
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Ethics and African Context
  • Human-Advantage Skills
  • Enterprise

Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning

Two placements: one engineering team, one deployment-side organisation. Read the co-op commitment

Am I eligible?

Check yourself against the published requirements

7 questions written specifically for Applied Artificial Intelligence. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.

Question 1 of 70%

What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?

Requirement tested: A completed upper-secondary qualification (UACE, A-level, IB, high-school diploma or recognised equivalent), or a post-secondary award.

Structure

How the 4 years run

  1. 01

    Year 1

    Foundations and Forward Core

    • Programming and systems
    • Mathematics for computing
    • Forward Core: AI fluency, quantitative reasoning
  2. 02

    Year 2

    Machine learning in depth

    • Statistical learning
    • Deep learning architectures
    • Data engineering
  3. 03

    Year 3

    Co-op and deployment

    • 12 months paid work-integrated learning
    • Deployment, monitoring and evaluation
    • Assessed employer review
  4. 04

    Year 4

    Capstone and enterprise

    • Public capstone system
    • Forward Core: enterprise
    • Portfolio and industry defence

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