When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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
There are 6 modules in this course
In this first course of the AI Product Management Specialization offered by Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, you will build a foundational understanding of what machine learning is, how it works and when and why it is applied. To successfully manage an AI team or product and work collaboratively with data scientists, software engineers, and customers you need to understand the basics of machine learning technology. This course provides a non-coding introduction to machine learning, with focus on the process of developing models, ML model evaluation and interpretation, and the intuition behind common ML and deep learning algorithms. The course will conclude with a hands-on project in which you will have a chance to train and optimize a machine learning model on a simple real-world problem.
At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:
1) Explain how machine learning works and the types of machine learning
2) Describe the challenges of modeling and strategies to overcome them
3) Identify the primary algorithms used for common ML tasks and their use cases
4) Explain deep learning and its strengths and challenges relative to other forms of machine learning
5) Implement best practices in evaluating and interpreting ML models
In this module we will be introduced to what machine learning is and does. We will build the necessary vocabulary for working with data and models and develop an understanding of the different types of machine learning. We will conclude with a critical discussion of what machine learning can do well and cannot (or should not) do.
What's included
10 videos4 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 47 minutes
Specialization Overview•4 minutes
Instructor Introduction•1 minute
Course Overiew•5 minutes
Module 1 Introduction & Objectives•1 minute
Introduction to Machine Learning•9 minutes
Data Terminology•8 minutes
What is a Model?•5 minutes
Types of Machine Learning•5 minutes
What ML Can and Cannot Do•7 minutes
Module Wrap-up•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 30 minutes
About the Course•5 minutes
Report a problem with the course •5 minutes
Important Reminder•10 minutes
Module 1 Slides•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 1 Quiz•30 minutes
The Modeling Process
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module we will discuss the key steps in the process of building machine learning models. We will learn about the sources of model complexity and how complexity impacts a model's performance. We will wrap up with a discussion of strategies for comparing different models to select the optimal model for production.
What's included
8 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 40 minutes
Introduction and Objectives•1 minute
Building a Model•7 minutes
Feature Selection•7 minutes
Algorithm Selection•7 minutes
Bias-Variance Tradeoff•6 minutes
Test and Validation Sets•5 minutes
Cross Validation•4 minutes
Module Wrap-up•3 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Download Module Slides•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 2 Quiz•30 minutes
Evaluating & Interpreting Models
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module we will learn how to define appropriate outcome and output metrics for AI projects. We will then discuss key metrics for evaluating regression and classification models and how to select one for use. We will wrap up with a discussion of common sources of error in machine learning projects and how to troubleshoot poor performance.
Classification Error Metrics: ROC and PR Curves•5 minutes
Troubleshooting Model Performance•6 minutes
Module Wrap-up•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Download Module Slides•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 20 minutes
Outcomes & Output Metrics•20 minutes
Linear Models
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module we will explore the use of linear models for regression and classification. We will begin with introducing linear regression and continue with a discussion on how to make linear regression work better through regularization. We will then switch to classification and introduce the logistic regression model for both binary and multi-class classification problems.
What's included
6 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 33 minutes
Introduction and Objectives•3 minutes
Linear Regression•9 minutes
Regularization•6 minutes
Logistic Regression•9 minutes
Softmax Regression•4 minutes
Module Wrap-up•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Download Module Slides•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
Trees, Ensemble Models and Clustering
Module 5•2 hours to complete
Module details
We will begin this model with a discussion of tree models and their value in modeling compex non-linear problems. We will then introduce the method of creating ensemble models and their benefits. We will wrap this module up by switching gears to unsupervised learning and discussing clustering and the popular K-Means clustering approach.
What's included
7 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 41 minutes
Introduction and Objectives•1 minute
Tree Models•11 minutes
Ensemble Models•6 minutes
Random Forest•7 minutes
Clustering•6 minutes
K-Means Clustering•6 minutes
Module Wrap-up•5 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Download Module Slides•30 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 5 Quiz•30 minutes
Deep Learning & Course Project
Module 6•7 hours to complete
Module details
Our final module in this course will focus on a hot area of machine learning called deep learning, or the use of multi-layer neural networks. We will develop an understanding of the intuition and key mathematical principles behind how neural networks work. We will then discuss common applications of deep learning in computer vision and natural language processing. We will wrap up the course with our course project, where you will have an opportunity to apply the modeling process and best practices you have learned to create your own machine learning model.
What's included
9 videos4 readings1 assignment1 peer review
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 73 minutes
Introduction and Objectives•1 minute
Introduction to Deep Learning•11 minutes
Artificial Neurons•11 minutes
From Neurons to Neural Networks•6 minutes
Training Neural Networks•8 minutes
Computer Vision•14 minutes
Natural Language Processing•13 minutes
Module Wrap-up•7 minutes
Course Wrap-up•3 minutes
4 readings•Total 65 minutes
Download Module Slides•30 minutes
Course Project Modeling Options•15 minutes
About the Duke Dialogue Pilot•10 minutes
Share your learning experience •10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 6 Quiz•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 240 minutes
Course Project•240 minutes
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Learner reviews
4.7
810 reviews
5 stars
78.51%
4 stars
14.81%
3 stars
3.20%
2 stars
1.48%
1 star
1.97%
Showing 3 of 810
K
KV
5·
Reviewed on Jun 23, 2023
Great way to get started and introduced to concepts. Project work ensure it covers all the topics taught in the course. Great way to recap and apply concepts to play.
A
AA
5·
Reviewed on Aug 23, 2025
Excellent course, very interesting, useful, well balanced. Very skilled lecturer and the material is easy to understand and fruitful for the graded assignment provided.
D
DK
4·
Reviewed on Apr 21, 2026
The AI course could easily integrated ai to keep learners engaged. AI eye correction was necessary for this kind of read only style teaching. Information valuable.
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, 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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.