Certificate of AI Readiness (CAIR)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a key pillar of successful organisations around the World. Its impact extends beyond automation or analytics, to fundamentally reshape how organisations are designed, governed, financed and scaled. With this in mind, the Certificate of AI Readiness (CAIR) has been developed by Swansea University to directly address current international industry demands.

Most organisations simply do not need demonstrations of what AI tools can do. They need people who can judge whether AI-related opportunities are strategically relevant, technically feasible, economically sound and governable at scale.

CAIR helps you to develop that judgement. Throughout the course, you will learn to diagnose your organisation’s current AI-readiness, define credible targets, and identify the actions required to successfully implement AI-powered solutions.

CAIR is a fully online, professional, non-credit-bearing short course that is delivered at Level 7 (master’s level). The course is designed for working professionals, and as such, is formed of short, recorded lectures that enable you to learn flexibly. A reasonable commitment of 5-7 hours per week, over just 13 weeks, will give you ample time to consume content, complete guided reading and applied work, and take part in live engagement sessions that support discussion and feedback.

The course culminates in a capstone project that will enable you to develop an individual AI Readiness Assessment and Implementation Roadmap, supported by a Readiness Index that shows your organisation's capacity to implement your proposed changes. This brings together your analysis of organisational context: including people, data, technology, workflows, governance, capability, economics and change. You will also learn how to present and defend this roadmap, while using language that is suitable for senior leaders, boards and stakeholders, helping to take your organisation, and your career, to the next level.

Key Course Details

Programme Benefits

• Industry and academic perspectives – Through expertise from Swansea University’s School of Management and its Computational Foundry, you will benefit from both technological and entrepreneurial expertise, combined with detailed industry insight.
• Complex organisational insight – Learn how to consider decisions across strategy, data, platforms, workflows, governance, people and economics.
• Practical executive judgement – Build the knowledge needed to challenge assumptions, evaluate options, and explain trade-offs to non-specialists.
• Applied learning – Develop skills that are directly related to the success of your organisation, through tasks that are based on its individual position.
• Board communication – Create a detailed roadmap that covers investment, risk, and a phased implementation plan, which can substantially impact your organisations’ strategic direction.
• Value for employers – Become a valued colleague, who can own AI-readiness conversations across both business and technical functions.

This course is designed for...

Professionals who influence, evaluate or lead organisational AI decisions. It is particularly relevant to:

• Middle-to-senior managers and executives who are responsible for operations, transformation, strategy, finance, risk, people or service delivery.
• Technical leads who need to connect architecture and platform decisions to organisational value and governance.
• Founders and startup leadership teams preparing to scale AI-enabled products or operating models.
• Public sector leaders balancing innovation, accountability, public value and operational feasibility.
• Senior executives or board members seeking a structured framework for investment and oversight.

This course is delivered by...

• Professor Robert Bismuth; a serial entrepreneur, an Honorary Professor and a Swansea University mathematics alumnus, who brings extensive experience in technology, enterprise decision making, and the translation of complex systems into commercial action.
• Professor Rich Tong; bringing experience that spans enterprise software, venture capital, Microsoft leadership, and the founding of Total Neural Enterprises. His work focuses on enterprise AI, agentic systems, technology strategy, and the practical realities of building and scaling companies.

The opening week supplies the practical, essential technical foundations needed to participate confidently, and as such no prior experience or qualifications are required. You will need to have relevant professional experience, and sufficient knowledge of your organisation and its context, in order to be able to engage with applied enterprise questions.

Applications should be submitted online. You will need to provide the following information:

1. Job title
2. Organisation and department
3. Contact details
4. Location and time zone
5. Manager or sponsor contact details (if applicable*)

*The course is typically employer-sponsored but independent applications are also welcome.

Employers may enrol up to four people through the standard route. If you intend to enrol five or more participants, please contact us to discuss a coordinated arrangement.

Swansea University is a research-led university that has been making a difference since 1920. Our diverse and welcoming community thrives on exploration and discovery, with a balance of excellent teaching and research, alongside a superb quality of life. Students who study with us enjoy, are inspired and they achieve – having a greater chance of securing excellent employment prospects.

Our multicultural community provides a global perspective, enabling those who join us - in person or remotely - to develop skills and knowledge that set them on successful and enriching careers.