CFDE™ Programme Prospectus
Certified Forward Deployed Engineer. Course and examination pricing, programme structure, and next steps. Foundation and Professional levels.
Programme
CFDE™
Levels
Foundation · Professional
Format
Online, cohort-based
Specialist
Contact us for pricing
Enterprise
Contact us for group and on-prem pricing
Contact Us →Programme overview
The Certified Forward Deployed Engineer (CFDE™) is a structured course and examination programme for engineers who deploy AI systems in client environments. The course teaches the skills. The exam certifies them. They are separate products.
The first cohort was delivered on-premises in 2025. The programme is now available for global online delivery as instructor-led cohorts.
Two routes to the credential: complete the course then sit the exam, or challenge the exam directly based on professional experience.
Foundation (CFDE-F)
Certifies a complete Forward Deployed Engineer for startups and SMEs. 16 modules. 8 weeks at 10-12 hours per week. Assessed by 48-hour capstone build and oral defence.
| Component | Route | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CFDE-F Course | Cohort, instructor-led | £499 |
| CFDE-F Exam | Course graduates | £399 |
| CFDE-F Exam | Challenge route (no course) | £599 |
Total credential cost (course + exam): £898
View full Foundation curriculum →
Professional (CFDE-P)
Certifies an FDE who can operate inside complex enterprise environments. Legacy system integration, identity management, air-gapped deployments, compliance frameworks, AI governance, and board-level communication. 16 modules. 6 weeks at 10-12 hours per week.
| Component | Route | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CFDE-P Course | Cohort, instructor-led | £799 |
| CFDE-P Exam | Course graduates | £499 |
| CFDE-P Exam | Challenge route (no course) | £699 |
Total credential cost (course + exam): £1,298
View full Professional curriculum →
Specialist (CFDE-S)
Six domain tracks: FinTech, HealthTech, GovTech, Legal, Tax, and Education. Specialist pricing is available on request. For organisations requiring multiple enrolments, group pricing, or on-premises delivery, please contact us directly.
Contact us for Specialist and enterprise pricing →
Programme lead
Noman Shah, FBCS
Programme Lead · Founder & President, AIU.ac
Fellow of the British Computer Society. 9 patents cited by Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM. 7 published research papers with DOIs. Executive education at Harvard Business School and Oxford Said Business School. The CFDE curriculum draws directly from deployment practice across six regulated sectors.
What’s included
Instructor-led cohort delivery
Live sessions with the programme lead and guest practitioners. Not pre-recorded video. Real interaction, real feedback.
Capstone project with oral defence
Foundation: 48-hour build from a business brief, presented to a simulated client panel. Professional: enterprise simulation with legacy system constraints and compliance requirements, 45-minute board defence.
Digital certificate and badge
Verifiable digital certificate with unique credential ID. Shareable badge for LinkedIn and professional profiles.
Access to SAIL research
Professional-level candidates receive access to Sovereign AI Lab governance and deployment frameworks that inform the enterprise modules.
Important information
All prices are in GBP and exclude applicable taxes. Prices are subject to change. The certification exam is a separate purchase from the course. Course completion does not guarantee exam success. The CFDE™ credential requires passing the standardised examination regardless of route taken.
For organisations requiring group enrolments, enterprise pricing, or on-premises delivery, contact hi@aiu.ac.
From the AIU ecosystem
Sovereign AI Consultancy
XEROTECH LTD
AI deployment, compliance intelligence, and consulting for regulated sectors. Energy, legal, tax, healthcare, education, and governance. The deployment practice behind the CFDE curriculum.
Privacy-First AI Platform
CallGPT
Multi-model AI workspace with client-side privacy filtering. 20+ models from 8 providers. Patent-pending architecture. From £7.99/month.
Research Newsletter
SAIL Newsletter
Fortnightly on LinkedIn. Sovereign AI policy, deployment analysis, and original research from the lab that informs the CFDE Professional modules.
Ready to start?
Register your interest for the next CFDE cohort. We will contact you with dates and enrolment details.
Artificial Intelligence University · UKPRN 10095512 · Artificial Intelligence Uni Ltd · Company #14543918
