UNE brings back online AI leadership course for business executives

The University of New England will relaunch its graduate-level Leading with AI course in spring 2027 to help professionals evaluate, adopt and lead AI initiatives. The class is built to turn AI strategy into practical business plans for leaders at companies of all sizes.

Why it matters: - Business leaders are under pressure to turn AI interest into measurable results, not just experimentation. - UNE's course aims to help leaders evaluate vendors, manage risk, and build implementation plans that fit real business operations. - The class is designed for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprise teams coordinating with IT on large-scale change.

What happened: - The University of New England will offer Leading with AI again in spring 2027 after a successful inaugural session. - The online graduate-level business leadership course is built to help professionals turn AI opportunities into business results. - Mike Wright, director of AI product management at Unum, will teach the course. - UNE says the course is aimed at helping leaders answer where AI can create value, which solutions are worth funding, and how to adopt them responsibly.

The details: - Students will work through case studies and hands-on exercises. - The course covers how to identify AI opportunities that support business goals. - Students will evaluate AI technologies, vendors, and tailored solutions. - The curriculum includes data integration needs, organizational readiness, risks, and ethical considerations. - Students will build implementation roadmaps that address technical requirements and cross-department coordination. - The course will also cover measures of success and plans for scaling AI initiatives. - UNE says the class will connect AI strategy with the technical and operational knowledge needed to put plans into practice. - Enterprise leaders will focus on working more effectively with IT teams on major transformation efforts. - Small and midsize business leaders will learn what successful AI implementation requires across the organization. - Topics include machine learning, neural networks, and agentic AI systems that can carry out multistep tasks. - The course examines how tailored AI solutions integrate with organizational data, systems, and operations. - A major case study asks students to develop an AI implementation plan for one of three scenarios: a major hospital network, a national logistics company, or a major entertainment and stadium venue company. - Students must account for operational demands, departmental constraints, and AI goals in their proposals. - Wright said the course helps leaders evaluate AI vendors, understand applied AI solutions, and make informed decisions about AI adoption, with attention to operational and technical considerations and business risks and opportunities. - Ethics, privacy, and responsible AI use are central to the course discussions. - Wright has more than 15 years of experience across enterprise and growth-stage technology companies, including Meta, TikTok, and early-stage startups. - At Unum, a Fortune 500 employee benefits company, Wright leads AI product strategy and development. - Participants in the inaugural session praised Wright's teaching style, business experience, timely content, and practical applications. - One participant, Alesha Miller, said the course went beyond prompt writing and covered the history of AI, the current landscape, future projections, AI types, governance, and regulations. - Employers can enroll multiple employees in the course. - Group enrollment questions go to mba@une.edu. - Course information and registration are available at online.une.edu/mba-ce-course.

Between the lines: - UNE is positioning AI education as a management issue, not just a technical one. - The course appears aimed at leaders who need enough fluency to make investment choices, oversee teams, and set governance standards. - The focus on ethics, privacy, and operational fit suggests the program is responding to business demand for safer and more practical AI adoption.

What's next: - Leading with AI will return in spring 2027. - Employers interested in team enrollment can contact UNE for registration options. - More details are available through UNE's course page.