Agentic AI describes systems that can plan multi-step work, use tools, maintain task context, and act within defined permissions. This program helps learners evaluate when that approach is appropriate and how to engineer it responsibly.

Do I need prior experience with AI agents to take this course?

No prior experience with agentic AI is required. The course begins by establishing when agents are the right approach, then moves into hands-on setup and building, so you gain both judgment and practical skills.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Foundations of Agentic AI & the GitHub Copilot SDK

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Foundations of Agentic AI & the GitHub Copilot SDK

This course is part of Building Agentic AI Apps with GitHub Copilot SDK Professional Certificate

Instructor: GitHub

Included with Learn more

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Evaluate tasks for agentic automation versus traditional prompt-response approaches.
Configure and initialize a GitHub Copilot SDK development environment.
Build single-task agents using the SDK's built-in agentic loop.
Analyze the SDK's JSON-RPC runtime architecture to diagnose issues.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

16 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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Build your Software Development expertise

This course is part of the Building Agentic AI Apps with GitHub Copilot SDK Professional Certificate

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate from GitHub

There are 6 modules in this course

Strong agentic AI engineering starts with judgment: knowing when an agent beats a simple prompt, and how the runtime beneath it works. This course builds that foundation with the GitHub Copilot SDK. You'll evaluate real tasks for agentic automation, stand up an SDK development environment, build a working single-task agent, and trace the SDK's internal runtime to debug with confidence.

By the end, you'll be able to: - Evaluate tasks for agentic automation vs. prompt-response approaches - Configure and initialize a Copilot SDK development environment - Build single-task agents using the SDK's agentic loop - Analyze the SDK's JSON-RPC runtime to diagnose issues You'll work hands-on with the GitHub Copilot SDK (Python and Node.js/TypeScript), the GitHub Copilot CLI, VS Code, and Git/GitHub. This course is intended for learners with at least 2 years of programming experience in Python or Node.js/TypeScript, with familiarity with Git workflows, REST APIs, and command-line tools. No prior experience with AI agents or the Copilot SDK is required. This course is designed for: - Software developers and ML engineers who want to build agentic AI applications. - Technical professionals with at least 2 years of programming experience in Python or Node.js/TypeScript. - Developers who are comfortable working with REST APIs, Git workflows, and command-line tools. - Professionals who want to understand when to use agentic AI and begin building agents with the GitHub Copilot SDK. No prior experience with AI agents or the GitHub Copilot SDK is required.

Explore the architectural differences between traditional prompt-response AI systems and agentic AI systems that plan, use tools, and autonomously execute multi-step workflows. You'll learn to evaluate real-world tasks for agentic automation by analyzing the complexity of decisions, external capability requirements, and workflow structure.

What's included

5 videos3 readings3 assignments

5 videosTotal 29 minutes

Why Agentic AI Changes Everything 2 minutes
AI Agent vs. Prompt-Response System 7 minutes
Evaluating a Task for Agentic Automation7 minutes
The Agentic Task Evaluation Framework6 minutes
Applying the Framework to Real Enterprise Tasks6 minutes

3 readingsTotal 11 minutes

Agentic Architecture Patterns Reference4 minutes
The Cost of Getting Architecture Wrong2 minutes
Evaluation Framework Template and Criteria Guide5 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 57 minutes

Practice Assignment: Knowledge Check12 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Enterprise Task Evaluation Report15 minutes
Graded Quiz: Understanding Agentic AI Systems30 minutes

Set up a complete GitHub Copilot SDK development environment from scratch. You'll install and configure the Copilot CLI, authenticate with GitHub, and initialize SDK clients, with hands-on practice in Python and Node.js/TypeScript, plus a reference guide covering all six supported languages (.NET, Go, Java, Node.js/TypeScript, Python, Rust).

What's included

4 videos4 readings5 assignments

4 videosTotal 13 minutes

Your Agent Development Stack2 minutes
Copilot CLI Installation & Authentication5 minutes
SDK Client Initialization: Python & Node.js0 minutes
Connect to GitHub Copilot SDK with Python and TypeScript6 minutes

4 readingsTotal 15 minutes

The Copilot CLI: Your SDK's Bridge to GitHub4 minutes
CLI Configuration & Troubleshooting Reference4 minutes
From CLI to SDK: Why Programmatic Access Matters2 minutes
Copilot SDK Client API Reference5 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 105 minutes

Hands-on Activity: Install and Authenticate the Copilot CLI30 minutes
Knowledge Check: Installing the Copilot CLI & Authenticating15 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Initialize SDK Clients in Python and Node.js30 minutes
Knowledge Check: Initializing SDK Clients in Python & Node.js15 minutes
Graded Quiz: Setting Up the Copilot SDK Environment15 minutes

Build your first Copilot SDK (Software Development Kit) workflow around a single analysis task. You will create an SDK session, send a scoped task prompt, ask for a structured response that includes an analysis plan, and parse the result in your application. The emphasis is on designing prompts and application guardrails that make SDK-powered workflows predictable, reviewable, and safe to reuse.

What's included

5 videos5 readings3 assignments

5 videosTotal 29 minutes

From Prompts to Agentic Workflows2 minutes
How the Copilot SDK Agentic Loop Works6 minutes
Building a Single-Task Agent5 minutes
Controlling Agent Execution9 minutes
Adding Guardrails to Your Agent8 minutes

5 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Agentic Prompt Patterns & Configuration Reference5 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Build a Task Analysis Agent20 minutes
When Agents Go Off-Script2 minutes
Execution Control Patterns & Edge Cases3 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Build a Controlled Agent Workflow10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Knowledge Check: The Agentic Loop & Prompt Design15 minutes
Knowledge Check: Structured Outputs & Execution Control15 minutes
Graded Quiz: Building Your First Agent Workflow30 minutes

Analyze the internal architecture of the Copilot SDK to understand how your application code communicates with the Copilot CLI (Command-Line Interface) server via JSON-RPC. You'll learn to trace messages through the communication stack, diagnose common runtime issues, and interpret error states, skills essential for debugging agent applications in development and production.

What's included

4 videos4 readings3 assignments

4 videosTotal 32 minutes

The Three-Layer Architecture: App → SDK → CLI8 minutes
Tracing a Message Through the Stack9 minutes
Common Runtime Failures by Layer7 minutes
Diagnosing Three Common Failures8 minutes

4 readingsTotal 27 minutes

JSON-RPC Message Format & Protocol Reference6 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Trace SDK Communication15 minutes
Architecture-Informed Agent Debugging2 minutes
Troubleshooting Guide & Error Code Reference4 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 78 minutes

Knowledge Check: JSON-RPC Communication Architecture18 minutes
Hands-on Activity: Runtime Issue Diagnosis Report30 minutes
Graded Quiz: SDK Architecture & Runtime Internals30 minutes

Explore how generative AI tools can augment the agent design process itself, from generating evaluation frameworks and architecture diagrams to drafting system prompts and reviewing agent configurations. You'll learn to use AI as a design collaborator while critically evaluating its outputs.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 assignment

Produce a professional feasibility assessment that evaluates multiple enterprise tasks for agentic automation, then validate your top recommendation by building a proof-of-concept agent that demonstrates the agentic loop, meaning iterative planning, tool usage, and execution, in action. This project integrates task evaluation, SDK (Software Development Kit) environment setup, agent-building patterns, and runtime-architecture analysis into one professional project deliverable.

What's included

3 readings1 assignment

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

GitHub

6 Courses5 learners

Offered by

GitHub

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Frequently asked questions

This program is for software developers and ML engineers who are ready to apply agentic AI patterns and build with the GitHub Copilot SDK.

Comfort writing Python or Node.js/TypeScript, using Git, REST APIs, and command-line tools. LLM and prompt-engineering familiarity is helpful.

The GitHub Copilot SDK lets developers build applications that use Copilot's agentic capabilities. In this program, learners use the SDK with Python and Node.js/TypeScript to create, test, and evaluate agent workflows.

To access course materials, assignments, and earn a Certificate, you'll need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. Eligible learners may also have the option to start with a Free Trial. Some courses may also offer a Full Course, No Certificate option. This lets you access course materials, submit required assessments, and receive a final grade, but you won't be able to earn or purchase a Certificate.