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Generative AI: Prompt Engineering Basics

Beginner English Professional CertificateFREE

What you'll learn

Explain what prompt engineering is and why it matters
Write effective zero-shot and few-shot prompts
Apply common prompt patterns to real tasks
Use prompt-engineering tools and techniques
Iterate on prompts to improve output quality
Avoid common prompting mistakes

This course includes

Yes
Certificate
Yes
Mobile access
English
Language
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Instructor

RA
Rav Ahuja
Coursera instructor
learners courses instructor rating

Delivered by IBM's Skills Network with Rav Ahuja, who leads many of IBM's popular entry-level AI and data courses. The approach is structured and practical, built for newcomers rather than engineers.

Requirements

  • No coding or prior AI experience required

Who this course is for

  • Beginners new to generative AI
  • Non-technical professionals using AI tools
  • Learners who want a structured prompting foundation

About this provider

CO
Coursera
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Frequently asked questions

You can audit the full course free on Coursera. A certificate is available with a subscription.
No — there's no coding required. It's built for beginners and non-technical learners who want to use generative-AI tools more effectively.
Both teach prompting without code. IBM's is a bit more structured and tool-aware; Vanderbilt's is more pattern- and example-driven. Either works — it's a matter of style.
It's short — most learners complete the core material in a few hours.
Yes — the prompting fundamentals are general and apply across assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and others, not just one tool.
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