AI Automation and Experience Design Diploma

Learn to use AI to improve how work gets done.

Spot where AI can genuinely help, build AI workflows yourself with low-code tools, test that they're reliable and safe, then design the experience around the people who use them. No tech background needed.

Apply now Talk to a Mission Advisor

Not ready for 32 weeks? Start with Phase 1 as a 12-week micro-credential.

32 weeks, beginner friendly
10 weeks real work experience
StudyLink eligible
Next intake 9 February 2027

A process you'll learn to redesign

1
A customer enquiry arrives by email
2
Someone copies the details into a spreadsheetSlow, repetitive and easy to get wrong
AI
An AI agent logs the details and drafts a replyBuilt by you, with low-code tools
3
The team checks the reply and sends it

You map the work, decide where AI fits, build and test it, and design it around the people who use it.

AI makes building faster. Someone still has to know what to build, and whether it's right.

AI is changing every workplace, from hospitals and shops to banks, councils and schools. Many of the new jobs AI creates aren't only for people who build AI. They're for people who can look at how work happens today, spot where AI could genuinely help, and make it happen in a way that works for real people.

Businesses everywhere are trying AI, but most are struggling to make it stick. They need people who understand both the work and the technology, and who can bring others along with them. That's the role this diploma prepares you for, whatever industry you come from.

Your 32-week journey

Three phases that build on each other, finishing with a real project for one of our 300+ industry partners. Each phase is also its own micro-credential, so you can take the full diploma or one step at a time.

1AI Workflow Design & Creation

Find where AI can help, and build solutions that work.

AI literacy: understand what AI can and can't do, and use it confidently and responsibly at work
Process mapping and requirements: map how work happens today and define exactly what a better solution needs to do
Building the business case: work out what a business needs and show the value in terms decision makers understand
Low-code AI agents and workflows: build working AI agents and automations, with no coding knowledge needed to start
Interface design and prototyping with AI tools, turning ideas into user-friendly applications
Testing AI quality: check your solutions give reliable, consistent results, and spot where they get things wrong
Security basics: make sure what you build protects data
Collaboration and communication with stakeholders, developers and teams

2Experience Design

Design AI-powered solutions around the people who use them.

Agile and Design Thinking: the frameworks teams use to solve problems and deliver work
User research: interviews, personas and journey maps to understand what people really need
Information architecture that makes solutions simple to navigate and use
Designing AI-powered experiences people trust, including what happens when things go wrong
AI in your design workflow to speed up research, ideas and testing
Ethics, accessibility and responsible AI
Presenting your work and career preparation

3Mentored Work Experience

Apply your skills to a real project with a real client.

A real AI workflow, process improvement or experience design project
Weekly mentoring from experienced industry professionals
Work alongside analysts, designers, developers and stakeholders
Real client work for your portfolio, plus industry references
Career support to launch your next role

Start with Phase 1. Build up to the diploma.

Every phase is an NZQA-approved micro-credential. Start with Phase 1, see how you go, then add the next phase when you're ready. Complete all three and you've earned the full diploma.

Micro-credential 1 | Start here

AI Workflow Design & Creation

Learn to map how work gets done and build AI agents and workflows with low-code tools.

12 weeks, Mon to Fri, 9:30am to 1pm

$3,320

NZD per phase

Start with Phase 1

Micro-credential 2

Experience Design

Design AI-powered solutions around the people who use them.

10 weeks, Mon to Fri, 6pm to 9pm

$3,320

Micro-credential 3

Mentored Work Experience

Put your skills to work on a real project with an industry partner.

10 weeks with your host company

$3,320

All three phases

AI Automation and Experience Design Diploma

32 weeks

$9,960 total

Each phase is $3,320, so taking them one at a time costs the same as the full diploma. Talk to a Mission Advisor about which starting point suits you, and which scholarships and funding apply.

Made for people starting out

No previous tech or design experience needed. Just curiosity, empathy and the drive to learn.

Career changers

You want a future-focused role that uses AI, without having to become a programmer.

People with industry experience

You know healthcare, retail, hospitality, finance, logistics or admin. Knowing how the work really gets done is your advantage.

Graduates

You want practical, job-ready skills and real work experience to back up your degree.

Everyday problem solvers

You've often thought "there must be a better way to do this" at work, and you want the skills to make it happen.

Where this can take you

These skills carry across every industry, and AI is now part of the job description in each of these roles.

Roles you can step into after graduating

Junior business analyst
Process or automation analyst
AI workflow automation specialist
Digital transformation coordinator
Junior UX/UI designer
Junior product or experience designer

Where you can grow with experience

AI solutions consultant, AI implementation specialist, AI business analyst, product designer and implementation consultant.

4 out of 5 Mission Ready graduates get hired

Talent shouldn't be limited by finances

Scholarships, government support and flexible payments help you get started with zero fees upfront.

With scholarship

AI-Ready Impact Scholarship

$6,640

Standard fee

NZD, total programme

$9,960

Apply for a scholarship

Or start with Phase 1

12-week micro-credential, $3,320 per phase

$3,320

See how the phases stack

Fees are subject to change based on government policy and other factors.

StudyLink

StudyLink student loans and allowances are available for this diploma, if you're eligible.

Pay When Successful

For selected candidates. Defer the balance and pay it once you've passed the programme.

Flexible payment plans

Pay in three instalments, one per phase, or choose a weekly plan. Subject to approval.

Bring a friend

Refer a friend who enrols and you'll both get $250 off your fees.

Entry criteria

New Zealand or Australian residence or citizenship, NCEA Level 1 literacy and numeracy, and proof of English proficiency if English isn't your first language.

Questions people ask us

Do I need to know how to code?

No coding knowledge is needed to start. You'll build AI agents and automations using low-code tools, which mostly use visual builders instead of code. Where a little code helps, such as a simple formula or snippet, you'll learn it as you go. Many businesses now build solutions this way, so you can focus on solving the problem rather than becoming a programmer.

Can I study one phase at a time?

Yes. Each phase is an NZQA-approved micro-credential, so you can start with Phase 1 and add the next phases when you're ready. Complete all three and you'll earn the full AI Automation and Experience Design Diploma. A Mission Advisor can help you plan the right starting point.

How is this different from AI for Professionals?

AI for Professionals helps people use AI to work smarter in the role they already have. This diploma prepares you for a new career, where your job is designing and building AI workflows, and the experiences people have with them. It includes 10 weeks of real work experience with an industry partner.

I don't have a tech background. Will I keep up?

Yes. This programme is designed for beginners. You'll get structured guidance on what to learn and why it matters, mentored projects with real feedback, and a cohort of others starting out alongside you. Your experience from other industries is valuable here, because understanding how work really happens is at the heart of this role.

Are there really jobs in this area?

Businesses across New Zealand and Australia are adopting AI, but many are struggling to make it work across their whole organisation. They need people who understand both the business and the technology. You'll finish having already delivered work for a real client, which moves you from "graduate" to "junior with experience".

Own what's next.

Your next intake starts 9 February 2027. Apply now or talk it through with a Mission Advisor.

Apply now Talk to a Mission Advisor

Apply now