Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT
Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT is a beginner-level online course from Coursera in Prompt Engineering. It is structured in 6 modules with 3 stated learning outcomes, over 18h 48m. Learners rate it 4.8/5 from 8.3K ratings on Coursera.
Part of our Prompt Engineering courses collection, where we compare it against 10 other courses.
Course highlights
| Provider | Coursera |
| Duration | 18h 48m |
| Level | Beginner |
| Mode | Self-paced |
| Language | English |
| Certificate | Yes — shareable certificate |
| Rating | 4.8★ (8.3K reviews) |
| Price | Check price |
About this course
Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT is a beginner-level course on Coursera offered by Vanderbilt University. It runs for 18 hours and 48 minutes and is taught in English. The course is self-paced and provides a certificate on completion. It is designed for anyone with basic computer skills, such as using a browser and accessing ChatGPT. The course costs nothing to enroll in, as the provider does not publish a price.
What you learn in this course rests on three core ideas. First, you apply prompt engineering to work effectively with large language models like ChatGPT. Second, you use prompt patterns to tap into powerful capabilities within those models. Third, you create complex prompt-based applications for life, business, or education. The syllabus moves from course introduction through introduction to prompts, prompt patterns I, few-shot examples, and prompt patterns II and III. Skills built include AI literacy, ChatGPT use, large language modeling, prompt engineering, LLM application, prompt patterns, AI-powered creativity, and AI enablement.
By the end of the course, a learner can write stronger prompts for ChatGPT, adapt prompts to different goals, and improve them when the first response falls short. You will be able to ask for structured output, guide the model with a persona or examples, and combine prompts into simple workflows. For example, you could create a reusable prompt that asks follow-up questions, plans a task, and returns results in an organized format.
This course does not cover programming or deep technical AI theory. It assumes only basic computer usage skills. Learners who need hands-on coding labs or a large independent project may find the guided prompt-writing assignments limiting. Those seeking a more technical AI bootcamp may prefer the Udemy bootcamp listed in the alternatives, which has over 400K learners and a 4.5 rating.
Free options include the Udemy course ChatGPT Prompt Engineering Free Course, which has 5K+ ratings and 60K+ learners, and the Codecademy course Learn How to Use AI for Data Analysis, which is free and takes under four hours. Both are beginner-level and taught in English.
What you’ll learn
Level and time commitment
- Anyone can take the course and the only required knowledge is basic computer usage skills, such as using a browser and accessing ChatGPT.
Skills you’ll gain
What this course covers
6 modulesThe 6-part outline Coursera publishes for this course, across 18h 48m.
Module 1 · Course Introduction
Module 2 · Introduction to Prompts
Module 3 · Prompt Patterns I
Module 4 · Few-Shot Examples
Module 5 · Prompt Patterns II
Module 6 · Prompt Patterns III
What learners rate it
Rated 4.8/5 by 8.3K learners on Coursera (checked 8 Nov 2026).
This rating is collected by Coursera from its own enrolled learners. We reproduce it as reported and do not accept paid or incentivised reviews. See it on Coursera →
Compiled by the CoursesGlobal editorial desk. Fees, ratings, duration and certificate details for the 1 course shown are read directly from Coursera course pages — we never estimate a price or a rating. Last verified 8 November 2026.
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Compare with alternatives
Same topic, different trade-offs — here's who runs each one and what it's best at.
| Course | Provider | Rating | Price | Duration | Why pick this one | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT This |
 Coursera
|
4.8★ | Check price | 18h 48m | Beginner-friendly · 18h 48m | |
| AI Mastery for Professionals |
Coursera
|
4.8★ | Check price | 1 month | Highest rated (4.8★ from 10.2K reviews) | View ↗ |
| Generative AI: Prompt Engineering Basics |
Coursera
|
4.7★ | Check price | 9h 39m | Quickest to finish (9h 39m) | View ↗ |
| The Complete Prompt Engineering for AI Bootcamp (2026) |
 Udemy
|
4.5★ | ₹499 | 19.5 hours | Most popular — 429K learners | View ↗ |
Common questions
How much does Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT cost?
Coursera does not publish a price we can read on the course page, so we do not show one. Check the fee on the provider site — we would rather say nothing than quote a number we did not collect.
Does Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT come with a certificate?
Yes — Coursera lists a certificate on completion. It is a course certificate, not a formal qualification or university credit.
How long does Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT take?
Coursera lists it at 18h 48m. It is self-paced, so that is the volume of material rather than a deadline — how long it actually takes depends on the hours you put in each week.
Is Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT suitable for beginners?
Yes. Coursera lists it at Beginner level, so no prior experience in the subject is assumed.
What does Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT cover?
It is organised into 6 modules, starting with Course Introduction and going on to Introduction to Prompts, Prompt Patterns I, Few-Shot Examples, Prompt Patterns II, among others. The full outline is on this page.