Microsoft AI Agents: From Foundations to Applications Professional Certificate course Syllabus

Overview: This professional certificate program is designed to equip developers with the skills needed to build and deploy scalable AI agents using Microsoft's cloud ecosystem. The course spans approximately 13–20 weeks of part-time study, combining foundational concepts with hands-on development and real-world applications. Learners will progress through core modules covering AI agent fundamentals, development with Microsoft tools, multi-agent systems, deployment, monitoring, and responsible AI practices, culminating in a final project that demonstrates end-to-end proficiency.

Module 1: Foundations of AI Agents

Estimated time: 12 hours

• Introduction to AI agents and autonomous systems
• Understanding agent reasoning, planning, and task execution
• Differences between traditional AI systems and AI agents
• Real-world applications of AI agents

Module 2: Building AI Agents with Microsoft Tools

Estimated time: 16 hours

• Using Microsoft Azure AI services for agent development
• Integrating APIs and enterprise data into agent workflows
• Implementing LLM-based reasoning and orchestration
• Building agent components with Azure Cognitive Services

Module 3: Designing Agent Workflows with Large Language Models

Estimated time: 12 hours

• Designing workflows powered by large language models (LLMs)
• Orchestrating agent tasks using LLMs
• Enhancing agent decision-making with prompt engineering
• Connecting agents to external knowledge sources

Module 4: Multi-Agent Systems and Workflow Automation

Estimated time: 14 hours

• Designing collaborative multi-agent systems
• Automating business processes using AI agents
• Managing state, memory, and tool interactions
• Implementing agent communication and coordination

Module 5: Deployment, Monitoring, and Responsible AI

Estimated time: 14 hours

• Deploying scalable AI agents in cloud environments
• Monitoring agent performance, security, and compliance
• Applying fairness, transparency, and governance frameworks
• Implementing security best practices for AI agents

Module 6: Final Project

Estimated time: 20 hours

• Design and build an AI agent using Microsoft Azure AI services
• Integrate tools, APIs, and memory systems into the agent architecture
• Deploy and monitor the agent in a cloud environment with responsible AI considerations

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with programming fundamentals (Python preferred)
• Basic understanding of cloud computing concepts
• Experience with Microsoft Azure is recommended but not required

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Understand the fundamentals of AI agents and autonomous systems
• Build AI agents using Microsoft AI and cloud services
• Design agent workflows powered by large language models (LLMs)
• Integrate tools, APIs, and memory systems into AI agent architectures
• Deploy and monitor AI agents in cloud environments with responsible AI practices