Build AI Agents using MCP
Keep adding new skills with 10,000+ programs for $239 (usually $399). Save now.
Build AI Agents using MCP
This course is part of IBM RAG and Agentic AI Professional Certificate
7,404 already enrolled
Included with
Ask Coursera
43 reviews
Recommended experience
43 reviews
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Explain the architecture, components, and use cases of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), and how it differs from traditional APIs and tool calling
Build and run MCP servers using FastMCP, configuring tools, resources, and prompts to support AI applications such as retrieval-augmented generation
Develop MCP clients that connect to single and multiple servers using STDIO and Streamable HTTP for structured, context-aware LLM interactions
Implement secure, interactive MCP workflows by applying sampling, roots, and permission-based user-approval mechanisms for multi-agent applications
Skills you'll gain
Tools you'll learn
Details to know
February 2026
10 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your Software Development expertise
- 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 from IBM
There are 3 modules in this course
Get hands-on designing secure, intelligent AI agent workflows using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in this labs-driven course. You’ll see how AI systems connect to external tools, services, and data sources. You’ll learn how those connections can be designed to stay safe and predictable using structured permissions, user prompts, and validation workflows. And in hands-on labs, you’ll build agents that reason, retrieve information, and carry out tasks while maintaining security and control.
You’ll also work with permission enforcement models, JSON-schema-based elicitation, auditing concepts, and real-world security scenarios. You’ll explore how MCP works and why secure design decisions matter in practice. Plus, you’ll break down user requests, shape safe execution flows, and reduce the risk of unintended actions. Finally, you’ll plan and test a complete MCP-driven agent workflow, showing how usability, capability, and security come together in a real implementation. This course is designed for professionals in development, architecture, automation, or AI-powered applications who want hands-on, practical experience building responsible AI workflows.
In this module, you will gain a hands-on introduction to the Model Context Protocol (MCP). You will explore what MCP is, why it is used, and how it solves challenges compared to traditional APIs and tool-calling approaches. You will examine MCP's architecture, including clients, servers, and transport mechanisms, and see how MCP applications work in practice. Through guided demos and labs, you will connect to existing MCP servers and build your own MCP application.
What's included
9 videos1 reading3 assignments2 app items4 plugins
9 videos•Total 64 minutes
- Course Introduction•3 minutes
- What is MCP?•4 minutes
- Why MCP?•10 minutes
- MCP vs API: Simplifying AI Agent Integration with External Data•8 minutes
- MCP Application Demo•4 minutes
- MCP Architecture•9 minutes
- MCP in Action•8 minutes
- Run Existing MCP Servers•11 minutes
- Build an MCP Application with Python•7 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Course Overview•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 41 minutes
- Graded Quiz: Getting Started with MCP•21 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Introduction to MCP•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: MCP in Action •10 minutes
2 app items•Total 60 minutes
- Lab: Run Existing MCP Servers•30 minutes
- Lab: Build an MCP Application•30 minutes
4 plugins•Total 34 minutes
- Reading: Helpful Tips for Course Completion•10 minutes
- Reading: Agentic AI Protocols•10 minutes
- Summary and Highlights: Getting Started with MCP •4 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: Getting Started with MCP •10 minutes
In this module, you will learn how to build and enhance MCP servers. You will begin by converting tools into MCP servers and exploring simple "Hello World" examples. You will then extend server functionality with resources, prompts, and tools for real-world applications such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Finally, you will explore MCP transport mechanisms, including streamable HTTP, standard IO, and deprecated SSE, while considering their security and performance trade-offs. Through guided labs, you will build and run MCP servers, connect to them using different transports, and experiment with enhanced capabilities.
What's included
2 videos3 assignments2 app items2 plugins
2 videos•Total 19 minutes
- Hello World of MCP Servers•11 minutes
- Build an Enhanced MCP Server•9 minutes
3 assignments•Total 41 minutes
- Graded Quiz: MCP Server•21 minutes
- Practice Quiz: MCP Server Basics•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Building Enhanced MCP Servers•10 minutes
2 app items•Total 60 minutes
- Lab: Hello World of MCP Servers•30 minutes
- Lab: Build an Enhanced MCP Server•30 minutes
2 plugins•Total 13 minutes
- Summary and Highlights: MCP Server•3 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: MCP Server•10 minutes
In this module, you will learn how MCP clients are built and optimized for real-world use. You will examine client architecture, lifecycle management, and performance strategies such as connection pooling, caching, and load balancing. You will also explore advanced features like sampling and root controls to understand bidirectional LLM calls and filesystem boundaries. Finally, through guided labs, you will create custom MCP clients, implement advanced features, and design secure, interactive applications.
What's included
4 videos2 readings4 assignments3 app items2 plugins
4 videos•Total 31 minutes
- MCP Client Architecture and Fundamentals•8 minutes
- Streamable HTTP, Roots, and Sampling•9 minutes
- MCP Security with Permissions and Elicitation•9 minutes
- Course Wrap-Up •6 minutes
2 readings•Total 2 minutes
- Congratulations and Next Steps•1 minute
- Team and Acknowledgments•1 minute
4 assignments•Total 51 minutes
- Graded Quiz: MCP Hosts and Clients•21 minutes
- Practice Quiz: MCP Client Implementation Patterns•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: Advanced MCP Features: Sampling and Roots•10 minutes
- Practice Quiz: User Interaction Patterns: Elicitation and Permissions•10 minutes
3 app items•Total 165 minutes
- Lab: Build a Custom MCP Client with Python•45 minutes
- Lab: Advanced MCP Applications with Streamable HTTP, Roots, and Sampling•60 minutes
- Lab: MCP Security with Permissions and Elicitation•60 minutes
2 plugins•Total 13 minutes
- Summary and Highlights: MCP Hosts and Clients•3 minutes
- Cheat Sheet: MCP Hosts and Clients•10 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructors
Explore more from Software Development
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Frequently asked questions
This course equips professionals with valuable, hands-on skills used in roles such as MCP Developer, AI Agent Engineer, AI Tool Integration Specialist, Multi-Agent System Developer, and AI Workflow Engineer. It is ideal for software developers, Python programmers, and AI practitioners looking to expand into building and managing MCP-based AI applications. This course is also suitable for professionals reskilling to work on secure, multi-server AI agent systems.
You’ll need familiarity with basic programming skills (Python recommended) and a general understanding of how AI applications interact with tools and data sources. Completing the earlier courses in the IBM RAG and Agentic AI Professional Certificate is highly recommended for smooth progression.
You’ll work with MCP servers and clients, explore FastMCP, STDIO and HTTP transports, ReAct agents, and implement tools, prompts, resources, and user-aware workflows. Labs provide hands-on experience with multi-server interactions, context management, and secure elicitation workflows.
More questions
Financial aid available,
