San Francisco State University and Ziplines Education have launched a new collection of short-format professional certificate programs designed to help working adults across the Bay Area develop skills in artificial intelligence, project management, business analytics, and digital marketing.
The programs are being offered through San Francisco State University’s College of Professional & Global Education in partnership with Ziplines Education, a career accelerator that works with more than 30 universities.
The certificates are designed for working professionals, adult learners, and career changers who want to develop new skills without stepping away from their existing jobs.
The initiative comes as AI increasingly changes the skills employers expect from employees across industries, including healthcare, education, small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, technology companies and professional services firms.
The program lineup consists of two connected tracks.
The first focuses on professional skills that employers regularly seek, including Project Management, Business Analytics and Digital Marketing.
The second provides a broader collection of applied AI programs designed to help professionals incorporate artificial intelligence into their existing roles.
AI Essentials serves as the starting point and is designed to give participants a practical foundation in AI tools and their workplace applications.
Additional programs include AI Automation, AI for Marketing, AI for HR, AI for Sales Professionals and AI for Data Analysis.
The programs are intended to help professionals move beyond simply learning what AI is and begin applying the technology to specific responsibilities and workflows.
For example, the AI Automation certificate teaches participants how to design and use AI agents and no-code automations to reduce repetitive manual work without requiring programming experience.
AI for Marketing covers areas such as audience research, competitive analysis, creative production and data storytelling.
AI for HR focuses on applying AI across talent acquisition, employee engagement, workforce planning and everyday human resources operations.
AI for Sales Professionals teaches participants to use AI for account research, personalized outreach and other parts of the sales process.
AI for Data Analysis focuses on gathering, interpreting and communicating data using AI, including for learners without a technical background.
The university and Ziplines said labor-market data supports the need for the programs.
According to Lightcast projections cited by the organizations, AI agent skills are expected to grow 98% across the region, making them the fastest-growing skill area in the local labor market.
Generative AI skills are projected to grow 39%, while automation skills are expected to increase 29%.
Demand for both data-driven decision making and marketing skills is projected to grow 21%.
The broader professional-skills offerings are also designed around practical workplace applications.
The Project Management certificate includes instruction in agile leadership and tools such as Jira while enabling learners to earn hours toward Project Management Institute certification.
The Business Analytics program provides hands-on experience with Tableau, SQL and data visualization, with an emphasis on using data to support better business decisions.
Each certificate is structured to accommodate people who are already working.
Participants can expect to spend approximately eight to 10 hours per week on the programs, which combine self-paced coursework with live sessions led by industry practitioners.
The programs also include hands-on assignments, monthly cohort launches and personalized learner support.
The partnership is intended to provide participants with university-branded credentials while emphasizing skills that can be applied directly in professional environments.
San Francisco State University sees the offering as particularly relevant to the large population of working adults, first-generation students and career changers throughout the Bay Area who may want to build AI capabilities without enrolling in a traditional full-time degree program.
Enrollment is now open, with the first cohorts scheduled to begin in fall 2026.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our students are San Francisco’s working professionals, first-generation students, career changers, and adults building careers while they build their lives here. These certificates are practical and career-focused. They meet learners where they are, fit around a full-time job, and give people across the Bay Area a real path to work with AI, not around it.”
Angie Lipschuetz, PhD, Associate Dean of the College of Professional & Global Education at San Francisco State University
“San Francisco is where a lot of this technology gets built. That doesn’t mean everyone who lives here gets to build with it. That’s the gap we care about. San Francisco State University has spent decades opening doors for working adults and first-generation students in this city. We know how to build programs that move quickly without cutting corners. Together, we can help make sure the people who keep San Francisco running get to be part of what comes next.”
Sara Leoni, CEO of Ziplines Education
