Fundamentals of Microsoft 365 Generative AI
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Fundamentals of Microsoft 365 Generative AI
This course is part of Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Professional Certificate
Instructor: Microsoft
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What you'll learn
Learn to create effective prompts and use Copilot’s intelligent tools to retrieve relevant data.
Learn how to incorporate Copilot into workflows to enhance productivity and facilitate better decision-making.
Learn how to analyze data, generate content, and streamline tasks with Copilot.
Skills you'll gain
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There are 5 modules in this course
This course is for professionals new to Microsoft 365 Copilot who want to integrate AI into their workflows. No prior experience is required, but you’ll need access to Microsoft 365 with Copilot enabled. If you don’t have a license, a free 30-day trial is available via the course link.
The course introduces Microsoft 365 Copilot, covering its core features. You’ll learn how to create effective prompts and use Copilot across Microsoft 365 applications. Build a foundation in retrieving information, generating content, and streamlining tasks. Through hands-on activities and real-world scenarios, you’ll learn to integrate Copilot into your workflows to boost productivity and make informed decisions. By the end of the course, you'll be able to: • Explain the key concepts and capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot across applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. • Create effective prompts to get accurate, relevant, and creative responses from Copilot for various tasks. • Retrieve, organize, and analyze information from different Microsoft 365 sources using Copilot's intelligent tools. • Generate, edit, and format text content with Copilot in Microsoft Word to meet your professional needs. • Identify ethical principles like transparency and privacy and apply best practices to ensure responsible AI use. This course will give you the confidence to use Microsoft 365 Copilot in personal and professional settings.
In this module, you will explore the core components and capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot, its integration with key applications, and how to configure its basic settings for optimal use. You’ll also examine ethical AI principles, addressing challenges like bias and privacy concerns, and learn best practices for responsible AI deployment.
What's included
11 videos17 readings4 assignments
11 videos•Total 71 minutes
- Introduction to the program: Microsoft 365 Copilot for Productivity•4 minutes
- Introduction to Fundamentals of Microsoft 365 Copilot•5 minutes
- A day in the life •5 minutes
- Overview of Copilot ecosystem•7 minutes
- Transforming small business operations•7 minutes
- Copilot Pro•8 minutes
- Copilot for Microsoft 365: An overview of the interconnected apps•7 minutes
- Copilot pricing•8 minutes
- Ethical AI principles•8 minutes
- Explore AI merits and ethics: real-world case studies•6 minutes
- Module summary: Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot•7 minutes
17 readings•Total 165 minutes
- Setting up Microsoft 365•10 minutes
- Microsoft 365 Copilot troubleshooting guide•10 minutes
- Activating Copilot•10 minutes
- Course syllabus: Fundamentals of Microsoft 365 Copilot•10 minutes
- How to be successful in this course•10 minutes
- Course navigation: Enhanced image viewing•10 minutes
- Course navigation: Locating downloaded files•10 minutes
- Enhancing collaboration with Copilot across Microsoft 365•10 minutes
- Case study: Empowering small business owners with Copilot•10 minutes
- Defining the right Copilot for your needs•10 minutes
- Configuring Copilot 365•10 minutes
- Microsoft dashboard•10 minutes
- Exploring Microsoft licensing requirements•10 minutes
- AI in the workplace•10 minutes
- Ethical pitfalls in AI usage•10 minutes
- Additional resources: Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot•5 minutes
- Introduction to the Coursera Community: Microsoft 365 for Copilot•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 75 minutes
- Knowledge Check: Microsoft Copilot for productivity•15 minutes
- Knowledge check: Copilot integration with 365 Apps•15 minutes
- Knowledge check: Ethical considerations•15 minutes
- Module quiz: Introduction to Microsoft 365 Copilot•30 minutes
This module equips you with the skills to communicate effectively with Copilot and optimize its output through carefully crafted prompts. Building on the foundational knowledge from the previous module, you'll focus on using Copilot more strategically and efficiently.
What's included
10 videos2 readings4 assignments
10 videos•Total 55 minutes
- Unpacking the power of the prompt•4 minutes
- Prompt strategies for success•7 minutes
- Applying the prompt•4 minutes
- Prompt patterns•6 minutes
- The art of asking effective questions for AI•4 minutes
- Advanced prompting techniques•6 minutes
- Few-shot prompting•6 minutes
- Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting•7 minutes
- Comparing prompt approaches•4 minutes
- Module summary: Mastering Prompt Engineering•8 minutes
2 readings•Total 15 minutes
- Prompt chaining•10 minutes
- Additional resources: Mastering prompt engineering•5 minutes
4 assignments•Total 90 minutes
- Knowledge check: Fundamentals of prompt engineering•15 minutes
- Activity: Prompt approach comparison•30 minutes
- Knowledge check: Advanced prompting techniques•15 minutes
- Module quiz: Mastering prompt engineering•30 minutes
In this module, you’ll discover the powerful searching capabilities available with Microsoft 365 Copilot. You’ll practice applying your newly acquired prompting skills and learn how to access information seamlessly across various Microsoft applications.
What's included
10 videos6 readings6 assignments
10 videos•Total 59 minutes
- Enhancing searches with AI tools•6 minutes
- Generative and deep searching with Microsoft Bing•3 minutes
- Mastering information retrieval and presentation with Copilot•7 minutes
- Creative search strategies•8 minutes
- Mastering precision searches with Copilot Pro•7 minutes
- Chain-of-Thought in action•5 minutes
- RAG in action•7 minutes
- Bringing it all together•6 minutes
- Case study: Master the art of advanced searches•4 minutes
- Module summary: Information retrieval with Copilot•5 minutes
6 readings•Total 55 minutes
- Discover generative search with Microsoft Bing•10 minutes
- Utilize deep search with Microsoft Bing•10 minutes
- Case study: Leveraging AI for varied outcomes•10 minutes
- Advanced AI-driven creative solutions•10 minutes
- Optimizing searches with Boolean logic and Copilot Pro•10 minutes
- Additional resources: Information retrieval with Copilot•5 minutes
6 assignments•Total 135 minutes
- Activity: Generate two presentations on the same topic•30 minutes
- Knowledge check: Information retrieval using Copilot•15 minutes
- Knowledge check: Search strategies•15 minutes
- Activity: Crafting organization-specific searches with Copilot•30 minutes
- Knowledge check: Advanced search strategies•15 minutes
- Module quiz: Information retrieval with Copilot•30 minutes
In this module, you’ll explore how to apply Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word to streamline your workflow and enhance your document creation process. You’ll learn practical techniques to save time, improve productivity, and create polished, professional documents with ease.
What's included
12 videos5 readings7 assignments
12 videos•Total 78 minutes
- Setting up Microsoft Word and activating Copilot•4 minutes
- Introduction to Microsoft Word using Copilot•6 minutes
- Create a Word document with Copilot•6 minutes
- Using Copilot for help and changing settings•5 minutes
- Navigating Microsoft Word with Copilot •5 minutes
- Efficiently searching your Word documents with Copilot•9 minutes
- Effortless editing with Microsoft Word and Copilot•7 minutes
- Enhancing document editing with research tools and Copilot•9 minutes
- Master font customization in Microsoft Word with Copilot•6 minutes
- Unlock the power of AI-Driven content creation with Copilot•7 minutes
- Mastering Copilot: Tone, style, and targeted text generation•7 minutes
- Module summary: Content generation and modification in Word•6 minutes
5 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Expand on existing content•10 minutes
- Case study: Transforming documents with Copilot•10 minutes
- Case study: Examine the use of Copilot to quickly transform a Word document•10 minutes
- Smart document review•10 minutes
- Additional resources: Content generation and modification in Word•10 minutes
7 assignments•Total 165 minutes
- Activity: Document transformation with Copilot•30 minutes
- Knowledge check: Drafting documents with Copilot•15 minutes
- Activity: Edit a Word document•30 minutes
- Knowledge check: Text rewriting and reformulation•15 minutes
- Activity: Enhance document for structure and flow with AI•30 minutes
- Knowledge check: Enhancing document structure and flow•15 minutes
- Module quiz: Content generation and modification in Word•30 minutes
In this final module, you’ll take on an engaging capstone project that puts everything you’ve learned into practice. You’ll create a hands-on report, reflect on your progress through a self-review, and revisit key highlights in a course summary. You’ll also gain valuable insights into the opportunities and next steps that await you after completing the course.
What's included
2 videos6 readings2 assignments1 plugin
2 videos•Total 9 minutes
- Course recap: Fundamentals of Microsoft 365 Copilot•6 minutes
- Congratulations•3 minutes
6 readings•Total 80 minutes
- About the final project•5 minutes
- Course project: Ethical report creation with Microsoft Copilot•40 minutes
- About the final assessment•10 minutes
- Coursera community•10 minutes
- Showcase your skills•10 minutes
- Next steps•5 minutes
2 assignments•Total 120 minutes
- Self-review: Evaluating an ethical report•30 minutes
- Course quiz: Fundamentals of Microsoft 365 Copilot•90 minutes
1 plugin•Total 30 minutes
- Exemplar: Ethical report creation with Microsoft Copilot•30 minutes
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Reviewed on Jun 16, 2026
Excellent training focusing on the use of Copilot to make effective use of MS Office products.
Reviewed on Jun 23, 2025
It is a nice course. It gave me good insight into prompt engineering.
Frequently asked questions
This course is part of a professional certification program designed for people who use Microsoft 365 in their daily work or personal tasks and want to boost their productivity with the power of AI tools like Copilot. If you're an office worker, manager, business analyst content creator, or someone looking to improve your document creation, data analysis, and collaboration skills, this course is for you. Whether you're enhancing your career or streamlining your projects, you'll find that with basic Microsoft 365 knowledge, you can optimize your workflows and become more efficient.
Basic proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams is required. It is necessary to have access to Microsoft 365 with Copilot enabled, although no prior experience with Copilot is needed.
This program, designed by industry experts, helps individuals who regularly use Microsoft 365 applications in their work boost productivity with AI-assisted tools like Copilot. Ideal for office workers, managers, knowledge workers, project managers, business analysts, and content creators, it equips you with the skills to streamline workflows, enhance document creation, and improve collaboration across various industries. Upon completion, you will earn a professional certificate that demonstrates your expertise and boosts your career potential.
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