Smarter – Competence development within Artificial Intelligence (AI) for professionals

Courses are designed to match the needs of working professionals for the possibility of combining work and studies. Courses are developed in collaboration with the companies that require your skills, and teaching methods are adapted to you as a working professional.

Both web-based teaching and classes on campus

The Smarter courses are offered as freestanding courses and earned credits may count towards a Master’s degree. Much of the teaching is web-based but also combined with some classes on campus or at one of the collaborating companies.
Courses are part-time. A course of 3 credits corresponds to 80 hours of study over one semester. Courses are taught in English.

Flexible teaching and learning

Smarter’s flexible teaching and learning methods means that you can:

• Conduct your studies from home.
• Access the teaching sessions online, at your convenience and at your own pace (within the given time frame).
• Pursue some parts of the course within your organisation.
• Work with a case that is relevant within your organisation.
• Access online course materials 24 hours a day.
• Get access to instruction outside of regular hours.

Örebro University wants to contribute to lifelong learning. Working professionals can study our AI courses as distance learning, alongside their regular work. Our aim is to work together with you in developing training courses that suit your needs. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

Örebro University – an AI hub in Sweden

Örebro University is part of three national initiatives for competence development within artificial intelligence: AI Competence for Sweden, KIT and KKS Smarter.

AI Competence for Sweden

AI Competence for Sweden is a collaboration between seven universities: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg University, Royal Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Lund University, Umeå University and Örebro University. Read more here.

KIT

KIT is a collaboration between five universities (Örebro University, Blekinge Institute of Technology, University West, Linnaeus University and Mälardalen University), all of which have flexible, second cycle courses for working professionals. 

KKS Smarter

In a collaboration between academia and industry, Örebro University has established the national teaching and learning initiative, Smarter, aimed at ensuring the supply of knowledge within AI and autonomous systems. Smarter is led by Örebro University's strong research environment Centre for Applied Autonomous Sensor Systems (AASS) and in collaboration with the University of Skövde and Jönköping University. The second cycle courses are aimed at working professionals and are free of charge

What are the entry requirements for the courses?
Our credit-earning courses require 180 credits, including 15 credits in programming. Our courses are aimed at working professionals, any experience from industry is welcome but not a requirement. In addition, English A/English 5 is required.  

Will the Smarter course require my employer to pay fees?
When you apply for the course through regular admissions, so there is no course fee. If you want to book the course as a contract course, that can be arranged at a fee.

May I apply for your credit-earning courses without academic qualifications?
If you lack the academic qualifications required for a credit-earning course, your working experience may qualify you for the course through validation of prior learning. Apply for assessment of prior learning here. An assessment of prior learning may also be requested for parts of your academic qualifications if, for example, your studies did not include any programming.

How much time will I need to dedicate to the course?
Most of the Smarter courses are part-time and the equivalent to 3 credits. Expect around 80 hours of study over a semester.

Do I need to know how to program to participate in Smarter?
Yes, since these are higher education courses at the second-cycle (Master’s level), programming skills are required.

What does it mean that the courses are aimed at working professionals?
Smarter is a contract education initiative, and as such its courses are viewed as continued professional development for working professionals. 

Why is it necessary to participate in compulsory classes, since everything can be studied online?
We have consciously chosen to design the Smarter courses according to a teaching model that involves not only distance education, but also on-site classes. The idea is that the students will spend half a day discussing course topics with fellow students and researchers. It is our experience that meeting face to face leads to better learning outcomes.

I can only participate in two of the three on-site classes. How important is it that I attend all classes?
Attendance is compulsory at all three on-site classes.

Is it possible to participate in the three on-site classes via video link, e.g. Adobe Connect?
No, you must attend the on-site classes on campus at Örebro University.