Microsoft and Great Learning Launch Agentic AI for Practitioners Program

Microsoft and Great Learning have introduced the Agentic AI for Practitioners Program, a five-month online program designed for AI practitioners, data professionals, software developers, and other technical professionals looking to build and deploy reliable Agentic AI systems.

According to McKinsey’s April 2026 report, Building the foundations for Agentic AI at scale, nearly two-thirds of enterprises worldwide have experimented with AI agents, but fewer than 10% have scaled them to deliver tangible value. As organizations look to move beyond experimentation, technical professionals need the skills to evaluate, deploy, secure, monitor, and govern AI agents in production environments.

What Does the Agentic AI for Practitioners Program Cover?

The program takes participants from building and automating large language model (LLM) workflows to developing single-agent and multi-agent systems. It then focuses on deploying, scaling, and governing these systems using Azure technologies.

The curriculum progresses through workflow automation, agent development, multi-agent orchestration, and production deployment. Participants learn grounding and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agent memory, evaluation, monitoring, interoperability through MCP and A2A, and advanced retrieval techniques.

The program also addresses production requirements, including observability, AgentOps, CI/CD pipelines, versioning, security, compliance, governance, and cost management. Participants develop the skills to assess system reliability, identify deployment risks, and prepare AI applications for production.

Note: The curriculum listed above is indicative and subject to updates as technology evolves.

How Does the Program Apply Agentic AI to Real-World Problems?

The Agentic AI projects include an enterprise knowledge assistant, a multi-agent financial research analyst, a claims triage and processing agent, and a customer operations multi-agent system.

In the self-directed capstone, participants choose a real-world problem and work through scoping, architecture design, evaluation, development, deployment, and a final demonstration. They select workflow, single-agent, or multi-agent approaches based on the problem's requirements.

Note: The sample projects are indicative and subject to change to reflect evolving industry requirements.

Program Delivery and Learning Experience

The five-month online program combines 15+ live mentored weekend sessions with asynchronous recorded content. Participants can expect a weekly commitment of 8–10 hours and receive access to Azure Labs for hands-on learning.

The curriculum includes guidance from expert faculty and experienced industry practitioners. The program is designed for professionals with working knowledge of Python and foundational Generative AI concepts; prior Azure or cloud experience is not required.

Certification Preparation and Certificate of Completion

The program includes dedicated preparation for the Microsoft AI-103: Azure AI App & Agent Developer Associate certification, with practice tests and mock exams to help participants identify knowledge gaps.

Upon successful completion, participants earn a co-branded Microsoft and Great Learning Certificate of Completion.

Who Should Apply for the Program?

The Agentic AI for Practitioners program is designed for AI practitioners, data professionals, software development professionals, and other technical professionals seeking practical skills in building and operating Agentic AI systems on Azure.

Applicants should have working knowledge of Python and foundational Generative AI concepts. Prior Azure or cloud experience is not required.

About Great Learning

Great Learning is a global professional and higher education company offering industry-relevant programs across technology, data, and business. It collaborates with leading institutions and industry experts to deliver learning experiences aligned with evolving professional and industry needs.

Explore the Agentic AI for Practitioners Program

Learn more about the curriculum, program format, and application details on the Agentic AI for Practitioners program page.