Prompt engineering courses and certifications tech companies want

Prompt engineering is the process of structuring or creating an instruction to produce the best possible output from a generative AI model. Industries such as healthcare, banking, financial services, insurance, and retail all have use cases for prompt engineering, according to a report from Grand View Research. Prompt engineering serves various applications, including content generation, problem-solving, and language translation, among others, and helps genAI models respond to a range of queries, says the report.

Factors driving the market growth in prompt engineering include technological advancements in genAI and related fields, along with the growing digitalization and automation in various industries. The report says the growing adoption of AI— especially natural language processing (NLP)—is boosting the demand for prompt engineers.

Prompt engineering certification and hiring

As software developers and others integrate prompt engineering into their AI-enabled workflows, professional courses and certifications are bridging the knowledge gap, and some hiring managers are taking notice.

A multitude of prompt engineering courses and certifications offer candidates the opportunity to learn new skills in artificial intelligence, genAI, and other areas. Such courses or certifications can make a job applicant more attractive to organizations looking to hire people with these types of skills.

“Prompt engineering certifications can have a huge impact on the hiring process,” says Jason Wingate founder and CEO of Emerald Ocean, a holding company. As prompt engineering is fairly new, human resources can’t rely on years of experience or the completion of a four-year degree in prompt engineering, Wingate says, so certifications become the next best thing.

“We are at the early stage of how prompt engineering certifications get included in the recruiting process,” says Neil Costa, founder and CEO at HireClix, a global recruitment marketing agency. “I think it’s important that formal education programs and certifications are spawning and rapidly evolving, so there can be a measure of validation in this new area of skill development.”

John Yensen, president of managed IT services provider Revotech Networks, says prompt engineering certifications can have a large impact on the hiring process, but their value largely depends on context.

“For example, in industries where AI drives automation, customer support, or even content generation, certified professionals might stand out more,” Yensen says. “With that said, hands-on experience demonstrating real-world problem-solving skills with AI stands out even more. Of course, certifications can help verify a candidate’s foundational knowledge. But hiring managers will still look for practical expertise.”

Certification vs. hands-on experience

Others downplayed certifications for prompt engineering. “I don’t think certifications are the key factor in hiring for AI-related roles, especially for a field like prompt engineering,” says Ximena Hartsock, founder of BuildWithin, a company that helps organizations build apprenticeship, upskilling, training, and mentoring programs.

“What matters most is hands-on experience, playing with the available tools, experimenting, and learning by doing,” Hartsock says. “AI models are improving rapidly, and fine-tuning is becoming less critical than it once was. The real skill is understanding how to work with the AI tools effectively.”

Prompt engineering is more about language than code, Hartsock says. “My suggestion for anyone trying to break into the industry is to learn through the many free resources available,” she says.

Prompt engineering certifications are still finding their place in hiring, says Damien Filiatrault, founder and CEO of Scalable Path, a software staffing agency with a network of over 39,000 developers. “While they can signal AI literacy, hiring managers—especially in technical fields—still prioritize hands-on experience over a certificate.”

For some roles, such as AI-integrated marketing or customer support, a certification might be helpful in demonstrating structured knowledge, Filiatrault says. “However, in software engineering, data science, or machine learning, companies still expect candidates to show practical problem-solving skills rather than rely on formulaic prompt design,” he says.

“We’ve found that businesses benefit more from internal AI upskilling than relying on external certifications,” Filiatrault says. “Many AI-first companies are training employees on domain-specific AI applications rather than hiring based on standalone prompt engineering credentials.”

How certification can accelerate career development

Prompt engineering certificates can provide benefits for both individuals and organizations.

“It goes without saying that certifications can help accelerate career development by showcasing specialized skills in AI model optimization and prompt refinement,” Yensen says. “Certified employees can help improve efficiency in AI-driven workflows, which helps reduce costs and increase productivity,” and this is a benefit for all organizations.

“For example, companies that integrate AI into customer service can benefit from employees trained to craft precise, high-performing prompts, improving response accuracy and user experience,” Yensen says.

One of the biggest benefits of prompt engineering certifications for professionals is the fact that the field is so new. “It’s almost ‘all there is’ in terms of having a proven track record,” Wingate says. “For an individual that means potential career advancement, enhanced skills, and overall recognition.”

For employers, a prompt engineering certification can provide a reliable and efficient way to validate a candidate’s skills in very new and fresh field, Wingate says.

Prompt engineering certifications and courses

The certifications that are most demanded today tend to come from recognized technology leaders and educational platforms, Yensen says. “OpenAI, DeepLearning.AI, and Microsoft’s AI certifications have gained traction due to their alignment with industry tools and best practices,” he says. I anticipate that more specialist certifications will continue to emerge for different applications as AI adoption increases.”

Here are some of the most recognized prompt engineering certifications and courses.

AI+ Prompt Engineer Level 1

The AI+ Prompt Engineer Level 1 Certification Program introduces students to the fundamental principles of AI and prompt engineering. Covering the history, concepts, and applications of AI, machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, and NLP, the program also delves into best practices for designing effective prompts that harness the capabilities of AI models to their fullest potential.

AI Foundations: Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT

Offered by Arizona State University via Coursera, this prompt engineering course offers students an opportunity to delve into ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs). Students learn to evaluate prompts and create impactful ones, maximizing the potential of ChatGPT. Designed by Andrew Maynard, an expert in transformative technologies, the course covers prompt templates, creative prompt structures, and designing prompts for various tasks and applications.

AWS’s Essentials of Prompt Engineering

In this course from Amazon Web Services (AWS), participants are introduced to the fundamentals of crafting effective prompts. They gain an understanding of how to refine and optimize prompts for a range of use cases, and also explore techniques such as zero-shot, few-shot, and chain-of-thought prompting. Finally, students learn to identify potential risks associated with prompt engineering.

Blockchain Council’s Certified Prompt Engineer

The Certified Prompt Engineer certification program from Blockchain Council offers an overview of AI and prompt engineering and a deep understanding of prompt engineering fundamentals, including the principles and techniques of effective prompt engineering. Obtaining the Certified Prompt Engineer certification validates an individual’s knowledge and skills in prompt engineering, according to the council.

ChatGPT Masterclass: The Guide to AI & Prompt Engineering

This course offered by Udemy covers topics including how to apply ChatGTP to prompt engineering, task automation, code, digital marketing, optimizing workflows, creating content, and building websites.

ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers

Offered by Deeplearning.ai in partnership with OpenAI, this course teaches students how to use a large language model to quickly build new and powerful applications. Using the OpenAI API, they will be able to quickly build capabilities that learn to innovate and create value in ways that were cost-prohibitive, highly technical, or impossible before now. This short course describes how LLMs work, provide best practices for prompt engineering, and shows how LLM APIs can be used in applications for a variety of tasks.

Generative AI: Prompt Engineering Basics

This course from IBM explains the concept and relevance of prompt engineering in generative AI models; applies best practices for creating prompts and exploring examples of impactful prompts; practices common prompt engineering techniques and approaches for writing effective prompts; and explores commonly used tools for prompt engineering.

Google Prompting Essentials

Participants in this course practice the steps to write effective prompts, including applying prompting techniques to help with everyday work tasks, using prompting to speed up data analysis and build presentations, and designing prompts to creating AI agents to role-play conversations and get expert feedback.

MIT’s Applied Generative AI for Digital Transformation

The Applied Generative AI for Digital Transformation course, offered by MIT Professional Education, delves into how generative AI generates original and innovative content, propelling an organization’s digital transformation efforts, according to MIT. By combining technical knowledge with management perspectives, ethical concerns, and human elements, the eight-week program provides a comprehensive understanding of AI-driven digital transformation strategies.

Vanderbilt’s Prompt Engineering Specialization

This course from Vanderbilt University is designed to enable students to master prompt engineering patterns, techniques, and approaches to effectively leverage generative AI. Areas covered include ChatGPT, genAI, advanced data analysis, problem formulation for genAI, chain of thought prompting, prompt patterns, and LLMs.