AI courses on Coursera: which to take (2026)
Start with Building with the Claude API, first in our order for Coursera: free, beginner level, no certificate. 2 of the 32 Coursera courses listed here are free.
- Courses listed
- 32 courses
- Free
- 2
- Certificate or exam
- 30 with a certificate
All AI courses on Coursera
| Course | Delivery | Cost | Level | For | Hours | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building with the Claude APIAnthropic on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free | Beginner | Developers and engineers | 1 week to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | No certificate |
| Generative AI for EveryoneDeepLearning.AI on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free to learnCertificate paid | Beginner | Everyone, Business professionals | 6 | Paid professional certificate |
| AI For EveryoneDeepLearning.AI on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free to learnCertificate paid | Beginner | Everyone, Business professionals | 7 | Paid professional certificate |
| AI Applications in People ManagementThe Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free to learnCertificate paid | Beginner | HR professionals, Managers and leaders | 1 week to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Paid certificate |
| Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Professional CertificateMicrosoft on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free to learnSome parts paid | Beginner | Business professionals | 2 months to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Claude Code in ActionAnthropic on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Developers and engineers | 1 | Certificate |
| Google Prompting Essentials SpecializationGoogle on Coursera | Online, self-paced | $49 per month | Beginner | Everyone, Business professionals | 4 | Professional certificate |
| Google AI EssentialsGoogle on Coursera | Online, self-paced | $49 per month | Beginner | Everyone, Business professionals | 4 | Professional certificate |
| Claude Code: Software Engineering with Generative AI AgentsVanderbilt University on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Developers and engineers | 5 | Certificate |
| Agentic AI and AI Agents: A Primer for LeadersVanderbilt University on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Managers and leaders, Business professionals | 6 | Certificate |
| Google AI Professional CertificateGoogle on Coursera | Online, self-paced | $49 per month | Beginner | Everyone, Business professionals | 8 | Professional certificate |
| IBM AI Developer Professional CertificateIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Developers and engineers, Students and career changers | 6 months at 4 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| AI for Marketing SpecializationEmory University on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Marketers, Business professionals | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Machine Learning SpecializationDeepLearning.AI on Coursera | Online, self-paced | $49 per month | Beginner | Developers and engineers, Data scientists and analysts | 2 months at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Certificate |
| AI For Business SpecializationThe Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Business professionals, Managers and leaders | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| AI in Healthcare SpecializationStanford Online on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Healthcare, Data scientists and analysts | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Claude AI Tools for Beginners SpecializationSkillsBooster Academy on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Business professionals, Developers and engineers | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Real-World AI with Claude SpecializationAnthropic on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Everyone, Business professionals | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| AI Agents: Complete Beginner's Guide SpecializationLearnQuest on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Business professionals, Everyone | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| No-Code AI for Business Professionals SpecializationBoard Infinity on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Business professionals, Small business owners | 12 weeks to complete at 5 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Certificate |
| Microsoft AI & ML Engineering Professional CertificateMicrosoft on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Developers and engineers, Data scientists and analysts | 6 months at 7 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Deep Learning SpecializationDeepLearning.AI on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Developers and engineers, Data scientists and analysts | 3 months at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| IBM Machine Learning Professional CertificateIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Data scientists and analysts, Developers and engineers | 3 months to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| ChatGPT Foundations for TeachersOpenAI on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free | Beginner | Teachers and educators | 5 | No certificate |
| Generative AI in HR - Impact and Application of Gen AIBoard Infinity on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free to learnCertificate paid | Beginner | HR professionals | 5 | Paid certificate |
| Generative AI for Recruiters and HR ProfessionalsLearnKartS on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Free to learnCertificate paid | Beginner | HR professionals | 1 week to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Paid certificate |
| Generative AI for Project Management SpecializationSkillsBooster Academy on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Project managers | 23 | Certificate |
| Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional CertificateMicrosoft on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Product managers | 3 months at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Generative AI for Marketers SpecializationMicrosoft on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Beginner | Marketers, Small business owners | 4 weeks to complete at 5 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Generative AI for Human Resources (HR) Professionals SpecializationIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | HR professionals | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Generative AI for Finance and Accounting SpecializationEdureka on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Finance and accounting | 8 weeks to complete at 5 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Professional certificate |
| Generative AI for Project Managers SpecializationIBM on Coursera | Online, self-paced | Paid subscription. Price on the provider's page | Intermediate | Project managers | 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a weekDuration (as stated by provider) | Certificate |
In what order should I take courses on Coursera?
Grouped by each course's stated level and whether it ends in an exam or professional certificate, in the table's order within each step. This is our grouping of the provider's stated levels, not a path the provider sets.
- Start here: beginner courses. Building with the Claude API; AI Applications in People Management; Claude Code in Action; Claude Code: Software Engineering with Generative AI Agents; and 7 more in the table.
- Then: intermediate and advanced courses. Generative AI for Project Managers Specialization.
- To finish: exam or professional certificate. Generative AI for Everyone; AI For Everyone; Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Professional Certificate; Google Prompting Essentials Specialization; and 16 more in the table.
Which certifications cover what Coursera teaches?
Certifications from other issuers in the area most Coursera courses cover, with the price, length and requirements each issuer states.
| Certification | Issuer | Price as shown | Who can take it | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) | IAPP | $799 (non member); $649 (member) | No requirement listed | Active |
| ISACA Advanced in AI Audit (AAIA) | ISACA | $599 (non member); $459 (member) | Needs another credential | Active |
| ISACA Advanced in AI Risk (AAIR) | ISACA | $599 (non member); $459 (member) | Needs another credential | Active |
| Oracle Agentic AI Foundations Associate (1Z0-1157-26) | Oracle | Free | No requirement listed | Active |
Which Coursera AI courses are free?
Some courses on Coursera we list are free or free to learn: the 8 below. "Free to learn" means the course is free but the certificate or full access costs extra.
- Building with the Claude API: Free.
- Generative AI for Everyone: Free to learn, paid certificate.
- AI For Everyone: Free to learn, paid certificate.
- AI Applications in People Management: Free to learn, paid certificate.
- Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Professional Certificate: Free to learn, certificate offered.
- ChatGPT Foundations for Teachers: Free.
- Generative AI in HR - Impact and Application of Gen AI: Free to learn, paid certificate.
- Generative AI for Recruiters and HR Professionals: Free to learn, paid certificate.
Other providers
DeepLearning.AI, IBM, MIT Professional Education, Project Management Institute, or all providers. For certifications across providers, see our AI certifications guide.
Follow changes
Follow retirements, price changes and new AI certifications by RSS or JSON Feed. See Changes.