Ziplines Education Collaborates with Arizona State University to Launch AI-Focused Certificate Programs

TEMPE, Ariz. – July 21, 2026 – AI has moved from the whiteboard to the workplace across Arizona, and the workforce has to move with it. From marketing teams rethinking campaign strategy to HR departments reimagining talent operations, professionals across industries are being asked to integrate AI into the work they do right now.

Ziplines Education is expanding its portfolio of career-connected learning by collaborating with Arizona State University to launch a new suite of AI-focused professional certificate programs for working adults.

Launched this spring, the new programs include AI Essentials, AI Automation, AI for Marketing, and AI for HR Professionals. The suite is designed to meet professionals wherever they are in their AI journey, from building a practical foundation to applying AI within a specific business function.

“ASU has been at the forefront of rethinking what higher education can look like for decades—and that’s exactly the kind of institution we want to build alongside,” said Sara Leoni, CEO of Ziplines Education. “What excites us about this collaboration is the shared belief that AI skills shouldn’t be abstract or aspirational. Professionals across Arizona deserve programs that help them build real confidence with these tools, and apply them in the work they’re already doing.”

The demand is clear and accelerating. According to Lightcast labor market data for Arizona, marketing skills are projected to grow 23%, workflow management skills by 18%, and generative AI skills by 18%. Across sectors—from technology and healthcare to financial services and education—Arizona employers are looking for professionals who can apply AI tools thoughtfully and effectively within their specific business functions.

The AI Essentials certificate provides professionals with a practical baseline: building confidence with AI tools, developing reliable workflows, and laying a foundation that applies across roles and industries. From there, AI Automation, AI for Marketing, and AI for HR Professionals take that fluency further, applying it within specific business functions where the tools, decisions, and workflows look different depending on what you do every day.

Each certificate program is 5 weeks long and combines on-demand learning with weekly live sessions led by industry practitioners. Participants gain hands-on experience with real tools and workflows, career support from dedicated Learner Success Advocates, and the flexibility to learn without stepping away from the workforce.

Arizona State University has always led at the intersection of innovation and access,” said Meredyth Hendricks, Head of Digital Partnerships at Arizona State University. “These programs represent the next step in that commitment, giving professionals across Arizona practical AI skills they can apply immediately, whether they work in marketing, human resources, or any function where AI is changing how work gets done. By collaborating with Ziplines Education, we’re able to launch programs that are fast, flexible, and aligned to what employers are actually looking for.”

Enrollment is now open for summer 2026 cohorts. To learn more and register, visit the ASU program page or ziplines.com.

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About Ziplines Education
Ziplines Education collaborates with 30+ public and regional universities to design, launch, and grow workforce-aligned certificates that build skills, confidence, and career mobility. Practitioner-led and cohort-based, our model helps institutions adapt at the speed of work, so learners and regions thrive as the economy evolves, driven by technology and accelerated by AI. Learn more at ziplines.com.

About Arizona State University
Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 11 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University by operating on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students.

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Media Contacts

Arizona State University
Samantha Adams Becker
sam.becker@asu.edu
847-899-4752

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Ziplines Education
Alyssa Miller
alyssa@ammediaworks.com
973-615-1292

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