AI FOR BUSINESS: FROM VISION TO VALUE
ONLINE SHORT COURSE
Become a strategic AI leader by developing a custom AI implementation plan for your organisation – no coding experience required. Drive digital transformation and build real-world value in your organisation.
6 weeks, excluding 1 week orientation.
6–10 hours of cohort-based learning per week, entirely online.
Email: uctonline@getsmarter.com
Call: +27 21 100 6781
ABOUT THIS COURSE
The six-week University of Cape Town (UCT) AI for Business: From Vision to Value online short course teaches experienced business professionals to bridge the gap between AI strategy and implementation to drive value in their organisations. Through industry-relevant African case studies and hands-on projects, this interactive course will equip you with the essential leadership skills you need to plan, implement, and measure AI initiatives in your organisation.
WHAT THIS COURSE COVERS
The UCT AI for Business online short course equips working professionals with frameworks, leadership skills, and strategies to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate AI initiatives in their own business context. Learn via hands-on projects and real-world African case studies and create a custom AI plan for your organisation.
A POWERFUL COLLABORATION
Since 2007, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has partnered with digital learning experts GetSmarter to take its renowned education online. This move is driven by UCT’s goal to broaden access to the research and information developed at Africa’s leading university, and make it available to those previously excluded due to geographical constraints. UCT’s scope extends to all areas of sub-Saharan Africa, providing both the institution and its future students with opportunities for further growth.
ABOUT UCT
Founded in 1829, UCT has a proud tradition of academic excellence and effecting social change and development through its pioneering scholarship, faculty, and students. UCT’s reputation for excellence is underpinned by its distinctive research, led by its distinguished faculty, many of whom are leaders in their field.
ABOUT GETSMARTER
GetSmarter, part of edX, helps working professionals gain verifiable skills from leading global universities and institutions to thrive in an ever-changing work environment.
Technology meets academic rigour in GetSmarter’s people-mediated model, which enables lifelong learners across the globe to obtain industry-relevant skills that are certified by the world’s most reputable academic institutions.
As a student of this course, you will also gain unlimited access to edX’s Career Engagement Network at no extra cost. This platform will provide you with valuable career resources and events to support your professional journey. You can look forward to benefits including rich content, career templates, webinars, workshops, career fairs, networking events, panel discussions, and exclusive recruitment opportunities to connect you with potential employers.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
You’ll be welcomed to the course and begin connecting with fellow students 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 student profile, confirm your email address for the delivery of your digital certificate, and submit a digital copy of your passport/identity document.
Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.
Explore the core concepts and common misconceptions of AI in order to uncover the potential of AI for your business or organisation.
- Review fundamental AI concepts
- Identify the capabilities and limitations of AI in business
- Examine the myths and misconceptions of AI use in business
- Differentiate between automation and AI solutions in different business contexts
- Deduce the real value of AI for your business context
Explore global and African AI trends in order to identify opportunity areas, risks, and feasibility considerations relevant to your sector or industry.
- Identify current and future AI trends
- Determine opportunities for AI use in different business contexts
- Examine AI adoption use cases across different industries and sectors
- Investigate the success of AI use cases in different business contexts
- Reflect on the opportunities for and risks of AI use in your business context
Consider the strategic, technical, and human factors necessary for AI adoption
- Determine an organisation’s strategic readiness for AI adoption
- Explore technology considerations for an AI project
- Assess an organisation’s human and cultural readiness for AI adoption
- Conduct a self-assessment for AI readiness in your business context
Explore AI governance and the regulatory environment to develop an ethical and compliant AI project.
- Investigate AI and data policies and their implications for AI adoption in different business contexts
- Analyse the implications of privacy regulations for AI adoption in different business contexts
- Reflect on the key principles of ethical and responsible AI use
- Evaluate a pilot project in relation to the key principles of ethical and responsible AI use
Learn how to evaluate the impact and sustain the value of an AI initiative by setting KPIs and guardrails and determining its true cost.
- Determine KPIs for an AI initiative
- Relate an AI KPI tree to guardrail metrics for a specific business context
- Calculate the all-in cost for an AI initiative
- Calculate the ROI for an AI initiative
- Reflect on methods for sustaining and growing the value of an AI initiative
Plan a well-scoped AI solution from concept to deployment and reflect on the trade-offs made.
- Determine whether an AI solution is the right tool for an identified business problem
- Examine what data management is needed in order to deploy an AI project
- Investigate the role of sponsors and stakeholders in AI project implementation
- Map the build to run phases of an AI project to a business case
- Propose a plan for an AI project in your business context
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE
This course offers experienced business professionals the opportunity to advance their existing skill sets. Gain a deeper, strategic understanding of the global and local AI landscape through developing skills in leadership, digital transformation, and project management.
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO:
DRIVE AI TRANSFORMATION FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Understand core AI concepts and assess the value of AI in your organisation – no technical experience required.
BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION
Discover how to move from problem identification to deployment, choose the right AI approach and tools for your unique business context, and create a custom AI plan.
UNDERSTAND GLOBAL AND AFRICAN AI TRENDS
Explore national, continental, and global AI trends, and study industry-relevant African case studies to learn how AI is being used in different business contexts.
ABOUT THE CERTIFICATE
Earn a certificate of completion from the University of Cape Town, Africa’s leading university, as recognition of your newly developed skills.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with your digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
Your digital certificate will be issued in your legal name and sent to you upon successful completion of the course, as per the stipulated requirements.
WHO YOU’LL LEARN FROM
This subject matter expert from UCT guides the course design and appears in a number of course videos, along with a variety of industry professionals.
YOUR COURSE CONVENOR
Mariam Jacobs-Basadien
NGap Lecturer, University of Cape Town
Mariam Jacobs-Basadien is an Information Systems lecturer and researcher at the University of Cape Town (UCT), working at the intersection of technology, ethics, and development. Her research spans ICT for Development (ICT4D), including mHealth for marginalised communities, and the ethical and responsible use of AI in higher education teaching and learning. She has published peer-reviewed research and contributes to the scholarly community through conferences and journal publications, including serving as an associate editor for the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) Healthcare track.
HOW YOU’LL LEARN
Every course is broken down into manageable, weekly modules designed to accelerate your learning process through diverse activities:
- Work through your downloadable and online instructional material
- Interact with your peers and learning facilitators through weekly class-wide forums and reviewed small group discussions
- Enjoy a wide range of interactive content, including video lectures, infographics, live sessions, and more
- Investigate rich, real-world African case studies
- Apply what you learn each week to quizzes and ongoing project submissions, culminating in the development of a custom AI implementation project for your organisation
YOUR SUCCESS TEAM
GetSmarter, with whom UCT is collaborating to deliver this online course, provides a personalised approach to online education that ensures you’re supported throughout your learning journey.
HEAD TUTOR
A subject expert who’ll guide you through content-related challenges.
SUCCESS ADVISOR
Your one-on-one support available during university hours (8am–5pm SAST) to resolve technical and administrative challenges.
GLOBAL SUCCESS TEAM
Available 24/7 to solve your tech-related and administrative queries and concerns.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
In order to complete this course, you’ll need a PDF Reader. You may also need to view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, as well as read and create documents in Microsoft Word or Excel.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Some courses may require certain software and resources, which will be communicated to you upon registration and/or at the start of the course. Please note that Google, Vimeo, and YouTube may be used in our course delivery.
