Great Learning is one of those names that shows up constantly once you start searching for AI courses, and it is worth understanding that it is really two very different products under one roof, because reviewing it as a single thing would be misleading. On one side is Great Learning Academy, a sprawling library of free self-paced courses covering things like Python with generative AI and the basics of machine learning, and on the other are the paid postgraduate programs run with university partners such as UT Austin's McCombs school, Johns Hopkins and MIT. The free side is genuinely useful for what it is, which is a no-risk way to find out whether this subject holds your interest before you spend anything, and I always tell people to start there. Just keep your expectations honest, these are introductory courses and the completion certificates carry very little weight with employers, so treat them as a personal test drive rather than a line on your CV.
The paid programs are a completely different proposition and a much bigger commitment. The flagship PG Program in AI and Machine Learning runs around twenty-three weeks part-time, it is properly structured with a fixed schedule, mentor support and a real curriculum, and it ends with a certificate co-branded by a recognised university, which is the actual thing most people are paying for. For a career changer who needs an external deadline to stay accountable and a credible name on the certificate, that structure has real value, and the mentorship in particular is something the free world does not give you. The honest caveats are about price and positioning.
These programs run into the thousands of dollars, which is a serious outlay, and you should weigh that against the fact that a lot of the underlying knowledge is available free if you have the discipline to self-direct, so what you are buying is the structure, the support and the credential rather than secret knowledge. Be clear-eyed too about the university partnership, it is a co-branded program delivered by Great Learning, not the same as being admitted to and attending that university, and the marketing can blur that line, just as the platform leans hard on career messaging and upsells once you are in its funnel. My recommendation is simple and split. Use the free Academy as much as you like to work out whether AI is something you want to pursue, and only reach for a paid PG program if you genuinely need the accountability of a structured cohort and a recognised certificate for a specific career move.
If you do decide to pay, read the fine print on exactly what the university partnership entitles you to before you hand over the money, because at that price the details matter.