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There are 2 modules in this course
Forget everything you know about traditional AI. Agentic AI doesn’t just analyze data; it acts on it. From drafting sales emails to updating CRMs, it’s not just a tool—it’s a game-changer. Are you ready to harness its power?
Agentic AI combines Generative AI with tools and actions, enabling the creation of "agents" that revolutionize how work is done. Unlike tools that simply generate static outputs, these agents take action—drafting emails directly in your inbox, updating a CRM with client meeting notes, or analyzing sales data and producing a PowerPoint presentation.
In the fast-paced world of AI-enhanced work, understanding Agentic AI isn’t optional—it’s your competitive advantage. These intelligent agents are reshaping how tasks are executed, decisions are made, and value is created across industries. By automating repetitive workflows and enhancing high-value tasks, they empower teams to focus on innovation and strategy. Agentic AI is transforming industries, and this course will ensure you’re leading the charge, not playing catch-up. Understanding their capabilities and limitations is essential for staying competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape.
This course demystifies Agentic AI, teaching you how these agents work and how to design them to suit your needs. By the end, you’ll not only know how to differentiate genuine AI innovation from overhyped gimmicks but also be equipped to build tools that deliver tangible value. Whether you’re in business, technology, or leadership, this course will help you stay ahead of the curve.
This module explains how to design agentic AI interactions that are reliable and goal-directed. You’ll learn about the flipped interaction pattern, in which agents ask questions and guide the next steps; how multimodal inputs like screenshots can improve diagnosis; and when to use step-by-step execution versus ahead-of-time planning. The module also covers how to make agents work safely in real environments by providing the right context, constraining behavior with tools and actions, and using clear tool names, informative results, helpful error messages, and in-context examples to guide consistent performance.
What's included
10 videos1 reading4 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 83 minutes
What Can Agentic AI Do?•7 minutes
Introduction•10 minutes
Flipped Interaction Pattern•7 minutes
Multimodal Flipped Interaction•7 minutes
Ahead of Time Planning•8 minutes
Providing Agentic AI Information About the World•6 minutes
Giving Agents Tools•8 minutes
Tool Descriptions and Naming•9 minutes
Tool Results and Agent Feedback•10 minutes
In-Context Learning and Agents•12 minutes
1 reading•Total 20 minutes
Learning More & Staying Connected•20 minutes
4 assignments•Total 100 minutes
Practice Quiz 1•10 minutes
Practice Quiz 2•10 minutes
Practice Quiz 3•20 minutes
Build an Agent with a Human in the Loop•60 minutes
Overview of Custom GPTs
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module introduces custom GPTs as a practical way to build agentic AI applications without traditional programming. You’ll learn how to shape model behavior using instructions, tone, background knowledge, and guardrails; how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) brings in current or domain-specific information without retraining; and how custom GPTs combine instructions, knowledge, and capabilities to create reusable AI tools.
What's included
7 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 52 minutes
OpenAI GPTs are an Agentic AI Platform for Everyone•3 minutes
Programming a GPT•9 minutes
Custom Instructions•10 minutes
Retrieval Augmented Generation•12 minutes
Putting it All Together: Custom GPTs•9 minutes
Giving Our Agentic AI Tools: Using Built-in Capabilities•6 minutes
Thanks!•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 2 minutes
To Learn More About GPTs•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 120 minutes
Building a Custom GPT Agent•120 minutes
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Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tenn., is a private research university and medical center offering a full-range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees.
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BW
5·
Reviewed on May 6, 2025
Excellent primer. A lot of things finally clicked for me in this course, and I'm excited to continue on from here.
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PC
5·
Reviewed on Jan 6, 2025
Practical, quick and interesting. Enabled me to quickly create a career advice GPT tailored specifically to my work experience.
S
SR
5·
Reviewed on Aug 9, 2025
Insightful, practical and very relevant. Helps inspire so many ideas on leveraging AI agents and customization of GPTs for task automation for my role.
What will I actually learn in this agentic AI course?
You'll learn how agentic AI works, where it differs from standard generative AI, and how to judge whether an AI agent idea is useful or just hype. It starts with core ideas like tools, context, planning, and feedback, then moves into shaping simple agents with prompts and custom GPTs. You'll apply that in guided work where you create an agent prompt and build a simple agent for a specific task.
Do I need any AI background before taking this course?
No, prior experience with agentic AI isn't required. The course begins by explaining what AI agents are and how they use tools, context, and feedback before it asks you to write prompts or configure an agent. Some familiarity with generative AI tools may help, but it doesn't assume deep technical knowledge.
Is this course beginner-friendly for agentic AI?
Yes, it's a good fit if you're new to agentic AI and want a clear introduction rather than an engineering-heavy deep dive. The lessons explain the key ideas in plain language and use concrete examples before the assignments ask you to create your own prompts and simple agent setup. If you're already working with complex agent systems, it may feel too introductory.
How long does it take to complete this course?
Plan on about 5 hours in total. You can move through it in a few short study sessions, with time split across lessons, readings, and guided assignments. The course includes short concept lessons plus practice work where you write prompts and configure an agent for a specific task.
Are there hands-on exercises or projects in this course?
Yes, but the hands-on work is guided rather than project-heavy. You'll create a step-by-step prompt for an agentic task, revise it to incorporate image-based feedback, and build a custom GPT for a specific use case. That practice helps you apply each idea as you learn it instead of only hearing about agents in the abstract.
What topics are covered in this course?
The course focuses on how AI agents work, how they plan and ask for information, and how they use tools within clear constraints. You'll also learn how instructions, context, tool descriptions, and feedback shape agent behavior, with custom GPTs used as the main build example. By the end, you should have a practical understanding of how to design simple agents and evaluate where they can add value.
What can I actually do after finishing this course?
You should be able to explain what agentic AI is, tell the difference between real capability and hype, and build a simple custom GPT for a defined task. For example, you could create an agent that asks follow-up questions, works from clear instructions, and supports a repeatable workflow like travel expense management. You'll also be better prepared to spot when an agent needs better context, tool definitions, or human feedback to work reliably.
Is this course more conceptual or hands-on?
It's more focused on understanding how agentic AI works, with guided hands-on practice built in. Most of the course is lesson-based, and the practical work comes through assignments where you write prompts and assemble a simple agent setup.
Why would I choose this course over other agentic AI courses?
This course is a strong choice if you want a leader-friendly introduction that explains agentic AI clearly and still lets you build something simple yourself. Instead of staying at the buzzword level, it walks through tools, context, planning, and feedback, then asks you to create prompts and a simple agent for a real task. If you want a short, beginner-level course that helps you understand both the possibilities and the limits of AI agents, this is a good fit.