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There are 6 modules in this course
ChatGPT and other large language models are going to be more important in your life and business than your smartphone, if you use them right. ChatGPT can tutor your child in math, generate a meal plan and recipes, write software applications for your business, help you improve your personal cybersecurity, and that is just in the first hour that you use it. This course will teach you how to be an expert user of these generative AI tools. The course will show amazing examples of how you can tap into these generative AI tools' emergent intelligence and reasoning, how you can use them to be more productive day to day, and give you insight into how they work.
Large language models respond to instructions and questions posed by users in natural language statements, known as “prompts”. Although large language models will disrupt many fields, most users lack the skills to write effective prompts. Expert users, who understand how to write good prompts, are orders of magnitude more productive and can unlock significantly more creative uses for these tools.
This course introduces students to the patterns and approaches for writing effective prompts for large language models. Anyone can take the course and the only required knowledge is basic computer usage skills, such as using a browser and accessing ChatGPT. Students will start with basic prompts and build towards writing sophisticated prompts to solve problems in any domain. By the end of the course, students will have strong prompt engineering skills and be capable of using large language models for a wide range of tasks in their job, business, personal life, and education, such as writing, summarization, game play, planning, simulation, and programming.
What's included
5 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 44 minutes
Motivating Example: Building a Meal Plan with a Fusion of Food from Ethiopia and Uzbekistan that is Keto•12 minutes
Overview of the Course•10 minutes
Motivating Example: Act as a Speech Pathologist•8 minutes
What are Large Language Models?•10 minutes
Randomness in Output•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Setting Up an Account and Using ChatGPT•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 60 minutes
Creating Your First Prompts•60 minutes
Introduction to Prompts
Module 2•4 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
9 videos5 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 93 minutes
What is a Prompt?•13 minutes
Intuition Behind Prompts•15 minutes
Everyone Can Program with Prompts•7 minutes
Prompt Patterns•4 minutes
The Persona Pattern•14 minutes
Introducing New Information to the Large Language Model•8 minutes
Prompt Size Limitations•8 minutes
Prompts are a Tool for Repeated Use•13 minutes
Root Prompts•11 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
Reading a Prompt Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Persona Pattern•10 minutes
Learn More About Prompt Patterns•10 minutes
Staying Connected & Learning More•10 minutes
What to Take After or With this Course•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Applying the Persona Pattern•60 minutes
Creating Prompts with New Information•60 minutes
Prompt Patterns I
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
4 videos4 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 33 minutes
Question Refinement Pattern•6 minutes
Cognitive Verifier Pattern•10 minutes
Audience Persona Pattern•9 minutes
Flipped Interaction Pattern•8 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Format of the Question Refinement Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Cognitive Verifier Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Audience Persona Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Flipped Interaction Pattern•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 60 minutes
Applying Prompt Patterns I•60 minutes
Few-Shot Examples
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
7 videos2 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 65 minutes
Few-shot Examples•6 minutes
Few-shot Examples for Actions•6 minutes
Few-Shot Examples with Intermediate Steps•10 minutes
Writing Effective Few-Shot Examples•10 minutes
Chain of Thought Prompting•12 minutes
ReAct Prompting•12 minutes
Using Large Language Models to Grade Each Other•8 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Learn More About Chain of Thought Prompting•10 minutes
Learn More About ReAct•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 60 minutes
Applying Few-Shot Examples Concepts•60 minutes
Prompt Patterns II
Module 5•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
5 videos5 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 59 minutes
Game Play Pattern•16 minutes
Template Pattern•12 minutes
Meta Language Creation Pattern•10 minutes
Recipe Pattern•7 minutes
Alternative Approaches Pattern•14 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
Format of the Game Play Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Template Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Meta Language Creation Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Recipe Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Alternative Approaches Pattern•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 60 minutes
Applying Prompt Patterns II•60 minutes
Prompt Patterns III
Module 6•5 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
8 videos7 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 54 minutes
Ask for Input Pattern•5 minutes
Combining Patterns•5 minutes
Outline Expansion Pattern•10 minutes
Menu Actions Pattern•8 minutes
Fact Check List Pattern•7 minutes
Tail Generation Pattern•7 minutes
Semantic Filter Pattern•8 minutes
Course Conclusion & Thank You•4 minutes
7 readings•Total 70 minutes
Format of the Ask for Input Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Outline Expansion Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Menu Actions Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Fact Check List Pattern•10 minutes
Tail Generation Pattern•10 minutes
Format of the Semantic Filter Pattern•10 minutes
Continue Learning About Prompt Engineering•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 180 minutes
Creating a Prompt-based Application•180 minutes
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We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
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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M
MS
5·
Reviewed on Feb 20, 2024
Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT has been a great introduction course. I look forward to diving into additional AI courses. I've even joined a Meetup group to continue learning outside of the classroom!
R
RW
5·
Reviewed on Jan 22, 2025
Dr. White does a fantastic job of breaking down the complexities of GenAI and delivers excellent coursework that provides the student with foundational tools for harnessing the power of ChatGPT.
W
WA
5·
Reviewed on Apr 17, 2024
I really loved it, I used chatgpt to understand the videos and I'm glad coursera offers context under the videos, this helped me finish the certificate in not a long time, all it takes is dedication.
What will I actually learn in this prompt engineering course?
You'll learn how to write effective prompts for ChatGPT and other large language models, understand why prompts change the results you get, and use those tools more deliberately. It starts with prompt basics and how language models respond, then builds into prompt patterns, few-shot examples, and more complex prompt-based workflows. Along the way, you'll practice tasks like refining questions, asking for structured output, and shaping responses for a specific audience.
Do I need to know programming before taking this course?
No, you don't need programming experience to start. The course only assumes basic computer skills, such as using a browser and accessing ChatGPT, and it includes a short guide to setting up an account and choosing a model. It moves quickly into writing prompts, so it isn't trying to teach coding or general AI from scratch.
Is this course beginner-friendly for prompt engineering?
Yes, it's beginner-friendly if you're new to prompt engineering and want a clear walkthrough of how to work with ChatGPT. It begins with what prompts are, how large language models behave, and how to get more consistent results before moving into reusable prompt patterns. If you already build advanced AI workflows, the early lessons may feel introductory.
How long does it take to complete this course?
Plan on about 19 hours in total. At around 10 hours a week, that's roughly two weeks of study with a mix of lessons, readings, and practice work. The course includes graded assignments where you create and test prompts as you move through the material.
Are there hands-on exercises or projects in this course?
Yes, but the hands-on work is mostly guided prompt-writing assignments rather than coding labs or a large independent project. You'll create prompts, test them with ChatGPT or a similar model, and revise them using approaches like persona prompts or few-shot examples. The course also ends with a prompt-based application assignment, so you apply the ideas in a concrete way instead of only reading about them.
What prompt engineering skills and methods are covered?
You'll cover the core skills behind getting better results from large language models: writing clear prompts, adding the right context, and improving outputs through iteration. The course also introduces prompt patterns such as persona prompts and few-shot prompting, along with ways to structure responses, fact-check outputs, and manage longer conversations. Overall, the emphasis is on building a reusable prompt toolkit for work, school, and everyday problem-solving.
What can I actually do after finishing this course?
After finishing, you should be able to write stronger prompts for ChatGPT, adapt them to different goals, and improve them when the first response isn't enough. You'll be able to ask for structured output, guide the model with a persona or examples, and combine prompts into a simple workflow. For example, you could create a reusable prompt that asks follow-up questions, plans a task, and returns the result in an organized format.
Is this course more focused on theory or hands-on learning?
It's more focused on understanding how prompt engineering works, with guided practice built in. The lessons explain why prompts and patterns change model behavior, and the assignments let you try those ideas for yourself. It's a good fit if you want explanation and practice, not just a list of prompt templates.
Why would I choose this course over other prompt engineering courses?
This course stands out if you want prompt engineering taught as a set of reusable patterns rather than one-off tricks. Dr. Jules White starts with basic prompts and model behavior, then builds toward techniques like persona prompts, few-shot examples, and combining patterns into prompt-based applications. If you want a beginner-friendly course that explains the logic behind the prompts and gives you guided assignments to practice them, this is a better fit than a tips-only alternative.