Participants in the newest cohort emphasized the program’s immediate relevance to their everyday work.

Andrea Davis L’12 said the experience helped her clearly identify how AI fits into multiple areas of her life.

“I had such a great time in this course — it really allowed me to pinpoint how I can use AI in my job and in my personal life, and it helped grow my confidence in handling AI,” Davis said.

The certificate focuses on experiential learning, guiding participants through hands-on exercises with AI tools, prompt development and workflow design. Rather than centering on technical complexity, the program emphasizes strategy, ethics and clarity of use.

Elizabeth Worrilow Maher ’17 said the course reshaped how she approaches her daily work.

“It genuinely shifted how I think about my day-to-day work,” Maher said. “What stood out most wasn’t just the tools, but the mindset — using AI to enhance how you think, not replace it.”

Maher noted that key takeaways included the importance of strong inputs and strategy, the impact of small workflow improvements over time and the advantage gained through learning how to ask better questions.

Instructor Rebecca Macy said the growth she observed in the cohort reflected a shift in how participants approached AI.

“The strength of this program is that it does not treat AI as a one-time tool demonstration,” she said. “Participants build from foundational understanding and ethics into prompt engineering, workflow design and a personalized capstone project they can connect directly to their professional or personal lives.”

By the end of the program, she added, participants gain clarity as well as confidence.

“The thirst for learning about the newest AI tools and best practices for practical, professional usage continues to grow,” said instructor Scott Oakes. “Hands-on, cohort-driven learning is a uniquely Elon experience — one where students draw not only on our expertise, but on the lived experiences of their fellow learners.”

For many participants, that collaborative environment reinforces both learning and confidence.

“This is a great class to learn and expand your knowledge,” said Neal Saunders G’17. “You won’t believe what you can do.”

As the AI Certificate for Professionals continues to grow, the second cohort reflects the program’s evolution from a new offering into an established learning experience with lasting professional impact. The certificate reinforces Elon’s commitment to lifelong learning and workforce relevance.

The certificate is offered through , part of the Office of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Created to meet rising demand for accessible, workforce-ready AI education, the certificate stands out for its hands-on format. Participants don’t simply learn about AI, they build a toolkit they can use right away, including prompt libraries and practical workflows tailored to their roles. The program culminates with a capstone presentation, where participants demonstrate an AI solution such as a chatbot, automated workflow or AI-enhanced process.

The course was designed and is taught by a team of instructors: Mustafa Akben, Rebecca Macy and Scott Oakes. Mustafa Akben, director of artificial intelligence integration, said the course is structured to move learners from curiosity to confident implementation.

“We designed our program to be deeply hands-on so that participants can start applying what they have learned from day one,” Akben said. “By the time they finish, they have both studied the theoretical foundations of AI and built a functional tool that is immediately implementable in their specific professional context.”

For alumni participants, the inaugural cohort offered a mix of technical skill-building and a mindset shift — seeing AI as a strategic partner rather than an intimidating unknown. Kenisha Walton ’99 said the experience helped her realize she could “do” AI and treat it as a strategic partner. Kenneth Page Jr. G’06 said he was surprised by “the bottlenecks that can be solved” through automation. Tracey Campbell ’99 called the program “game changing,” noting it helped her work more efficiently day to day. Haydn Stucker ’23 said the class helped him shape ideas into “realistic applications.”

The certificate is taught by Elon faculty with expertise in AI and its real-world applications, creating an environment that fosters discussion, peer learning and ongoing connection.

“Teaching AI to Elon alumni through Elon NEXT is especially meaningful to me as both an Elon alum and a faculty member in the Love School of Business,” said Scott Oakes, assistant ľĂľĂČČ professor of management. “Bringing practical AI into real business contexts for fellow alumni feels like a true full-circle moment.”

While the program emphasizes practical skill building, it also reflects Elon’s broader approach to learning, which is high-touch, community-driven and designed for real-world relevance.

“We wanted participants to feel supported as they explored AI in ways relevant to their own contexts,” said Kristin Walker, associate director of professional and continuing studies. “Hearing them describe leaving with deeper understanding, practical tools, renewed confidence and a sense of momentum was exciting to see.”

Offered through , a program of the Office of Professional and Continuing Studies, the certificate reflects Elon’s commitment to meeting the emerging needs of the modern workforce while creating learning pathways that remain accessible to busy professionals. The inaugural cohort marks an important milestone in this work, with future cohorts planned.

Discover upcoming opportunities to deepen your AI skills with Elon NEXT.

Though expected to last from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., the event was cut short due to an ice cream shortage after over 1,000 individuals stopped by.

The students’ ticket to ice cream was a quick “follow” or “like” on one of the SPDC social media platforms to ensure individuals would be further informed on upcoming career opportunities or events at the SPDC. The SPDC staff were thrilled to see many who came by the event were already following “Elon Careers” on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat.

While students waited in line, SPDC student workers collected data on the current effectiveness of the SPDC’s communication with students and how it can be improved in the future.

ľĂľĂČČ who were surveyed had several common responses. While many reported they commonly hear about job opportunities from an array of resources, they would prefer a universal email notification when there are relevant career opportunities available in the future.

The Elon Job Network (EJN) currently offers over 500 jobs for Elon students and new job and internship opportunities are posted daily. These jobs span all 50 states as well as international opportunities.

The SPDC reviewed the survey feedback thoroughly and hopes to continue to expand and modify their network in the future.

“We are excited that through this event, we could learn from students and let them know we are here to help them achieve their career goals,” said Kristin Walker, Recruiting and Event Coordinator for the SPDC and main organizer of this event. “The SPDC would also like to thank Enterprise whose contribution made this event possible.”

The SPDC staff were overall exhilarated by the number of attendees and intend on making the “SPDC Extravaganza” an annual event. If you weren’t able to make it this year, you definitely won’t want to miss it next year.