Explorations: Introduction to Machine Learning

Course Description: Join Northeastern University network campuses and fellow professionals for a targeted learning experience to develop the skills you need to facilitate the incorporation of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) into strategic planning and product design, specification, and development. This course is for learners in non-technical roles, such as product owners and managers, who work with technical teams.

Participants will go on an in-depth exploration of data, learning about classical and deep network ML methods, how to evaluate and improve ML-based systems, a review of ML hardware, avoiding data bias, and the risk factors and impacts of AI/ML on project management.   

Course Learning Outcomes: 

• Explain machine learning concepts and vocabulary
• Specify a problem and select appropriate data and ML methods to solve it
• Describe the total development cycle for machine learning products
• Avoid data bias, evaluate ML system performance, and identify potential risks

Session topics: 

• Session 1: Overview of Machine Learning and Problem Specification
• Session 2: All about that Data
• Session 3: Methods: Traditional Machine Learning
• Session 4: Methods: Deep Learning
• Session 5: Evaluating ML Systems
• Session 6: Hardware, Project Management, and Potential Risks
• Session 7: Final Presentations

Course projects: Participants will work in groups to engage in the entire product design life cycle for a virtual AI/ML-based product of their choice.

Program Format: 

• Seven online live sessions
• Approximately three hours of work between sessions
• Program cost: For fall 2023 this course is being offered at a special rate of $1500. The typical rate is $2625.  

Schedule:

Introduction to Machine Learning

Tuesdays, seven sessions, online synchronous

September 26, 2023- November 7, 2023

4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. PT, 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. ET

Meet the instructor: Bruce Maxwell is a teaching professor and assistant director of computing programs at Northeastern University’s Seattle campus. He earned both his bachelor’s degrees in political science and engineering from Swarthmore College, his master of philosophy in computer speech and natural language processing from the University of Cambridge, and his PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. His areas of teaching include computer vision, computer graphics, robotics, machine learning, and more.

Maxwell is currently researching artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning. His Haikus have been published in the ACM Inroads Magazine.Links to an external site. 

Prior to joining Northeastern, Maxwell worked as an associate professor of engineering at Swarthmore College, and professor and chair of computer science at Colby College. 

Outside of the classroom and the lab, he enjoys swimming, running, biking, hiking, birding, carpentry, and gardening.