Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming how software is built, deployed, and used across industries. As companies increasingly adopt AI-driven solutions, the demand for developers with AI and generative AI skills continues to grow. The IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera is designed to help beginners and aspiring developers build a strong foundation in software development while gradually transitioning into artificial intelligence and AI-powered application development. This program offers a structured, beginner-friendly learning path that aligns with real-world industry needs.
Course Description | IBM Launches AI Developer Certification Courses for 2026
The IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera is a comprehensive learning program designed to help learners build job-ready skills in software development, artificial intelligence, and generative AI. The program begins with core software engineering and web development fundamentals, followed by Python programming for data science and AI. Learners then progress into artificial intelligence concepts, generative AI, prompt engineering, and building AI-powered applications using modern frameworks and tools. The certificate also focuses on real-world application development, ethical AI practices, and career preparation, including interview readiness and job search guidance. Overall, this program provides a structured pathway for beginners and aspiring developers to confidently transition into AI-focused software development roles.
Eligibility Criteria | IBM Launches AI Developer Certification Courses for 2026
The IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate is suitable for beginners and does not require any prior experience in artificial intelligence or software development. Learners from any educational background can enroll, including students, fresh graduates, and working professionals who want to transition into AI-focused roles. Basic computer literacy and a willingness to learn programming concepts are sufficient to get started. While prior exposure to coding or mathematics can be helpful, it is not mandatory, as the program is designed to build skills gradually from foundational concepts to more advanced AI applications.
How to Enroll | IBM Launches AI Developer Certification Courses for 2026
There are primarily three ways to access and enroll in these IBM Data Science courses on Coursera:
- Enroll for Free (Audit Option): The IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate allows learners to explore course content for free through Coursera’s audit option. By selecting this option, you can access video lectures, reading materials, and selected practice resources at no cost. However, graded assignments, hands-on labs, projects, assessments, and the official certificate of completion are available only with paid enrollment. The audit option is ideal for learners who want to preview the curriculum and understand the learning structure before committing financially.
- Enroll with Certificate Option (Paid): Learners who choose the paid enrollment for the IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate receive full access to all course features, including graded assignments, practical projects, hands-on labs, and assessments. Upon successful completion, participants earn an official IBM Professional Certificate, which can be added to LinkedIn profiles, resumes, and professional portfolios to showcase verified AI development skills. This certificate serves as strong proof of job readiness and can significantly enhance opportunities for roles in AI development, software engineering, and data-driven technology positions.
- Consider Coursera Plus: For learners planning to complete multiple courses or professional certificates, Coursera Plus offers a flexible and cost-effective learning option. With Coursera Plus, you gain unlimited access to thousands of courses, including the IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate, without paying separately for each program. This subscription is ideal for long-term learners who want to upskill across AI, programming, and software development domains while earning multiple certificates at their own pace.
Course 1: Introduction to Software Engineering
This course, “Introduction to Software Engineering,” is a beginner-friendly program designed to help learners understand the fundamentals of software engineering and how modern software systems are built. It introduces core concepts such as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), programming basics, software architecture, and industry-standard tools and technologies. Through structured learning, students gain clarity on how software projects are planned, developed, tested, and deployed. The course also provides insights into real-world software engineering roles, skills, and career paths, making it ideal for beginners looking to enter the tech industry.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructors: Rav Ahuja, Bethany Hudnutt
- Enrollment: 369,405 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 10 hours (1 week at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.7 rating (4,426 reviews)
- Modules: 6 modules
- Course Approval: 96% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Outline the roles, required skills, and career paths available in the software engineering field.
- Explain the principles of software engineering, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), and commonly used development tools, technologies, and stacks.
- Differentiate between programming language types and apply basic programming constructs such as loops, conditionals, and functions using Python.
- Summarize key software architecture and design approaches, including common architectural and deployment patterns.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 2: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This course, “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI),” is a beginner-friendly program designed to introduce learners to the core concepts, applications, and impact of artificial intelligence across industries. It covers essential AI fundamentals, including machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, and generative AI. Through structured learning, students explore how AI technologies are transforming business operations and driving innovation. The course also emphasizes ethical considerations and practical problem-solving, preparing learners to understand and design AI-powered solutions for real-world organizational challenges.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructor: Rav Ahuja
- Enrollment: 777,843 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 10 hours (1 week at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.7 rating (22,277 reviews)
- Modules: 4 modules
- Course Approval: 96% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Explain the fundamental concepts and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) across various domains.
- Describe the core principles of machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks and apply them to real-world scenarios.
- Analyze how generative AI is transforming business operations by identifying opportunities for innovation and process improvement.
- Design a generative AI solution for an organizational challenge while integrating ethical considerations.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 3: Generative AI: Introduction and Applications
This course, “Generative AI: Introduction and Applications,” is a beginner-level program designed to help learners understand what generative AI is and how it differs from traditional AI approaches. It introduces the core capabilities of generative AI and explores its real-world use cases across multiple industries. Through structured learning, students gain insights into popular generative AI models and tools used for generating text, code, images, audio, and videos. The course builds a strong foundation for anyone looking to understand or start working with generative AI technologies.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructor: Rav Ahuja
- Enrollment: 331,375 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 8 hours
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.6 rating (4,001 reviews)
- Modules: 3 modules
- Course Approval: 97% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Describe generative AI and clearly distinguish it from discriminative AI approaches.
- Explain the capabilities of generative AI and identify its real-world use cases.
- Identify how generative AI is applied across different sectors and industries.
- Explore common generative AI models and tools used for text, code, image, audio, and video generation.
Course Link: Click Here
Also Read: Best Free Course For Jobseekers | TCS Career Edge
Course 4: Generative AI: Prompt Engineering Basics
This course, “Generative AI: Prompt Engineering Basics,” is a beginner-friendly program that introduces learners to the fundamentals of prompt engineering and its importance in working with generative AI models. The course focuses on how well-crafted prompts can significantly improve AI outputs across different use cases. Through practical examples, students learn best practices, commonly used tools, and proven techniques for writing effective prompts. This course is ideal for anyone looking to enhance their ability to interact efficiently with generative AI systems.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructors: Antonio Cangiano, Rav Ahuja
- Enrollment: 560,005 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 9 hours
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.8 rating (7,682 reviews)
- Modules: 3 modules
- Course Approval: 97% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Explain the concept and importance of prompt engineering in generative AI models.
- Apply best practices for creating clear, effective, and reliable prompts.
- Assess commonly used tools designed for prompt engineering tasks.
- Use common prompt engineering techniques and approaches to write high-quality prompts.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 5: Introduction to HTML, CSS, & JavaScript
This course, “Introduction to HTML, CSS, & JavaScript,” is a beginner-level program designed to introduce learners to the fundamentals of web development. It covers the complete web application development ecosystem, including front-end, back-end, and full-stack concepts. Through hands-on learning, students build and style basic web pages using HTML and CSS and add interactivity using JavaScript. The course also introduces essential developer tools and environments, helping learners gain practical skills needed to start a career in web development.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructors: Michelle Saltoun, Upkar Lidder
- Enrollment: 114,886 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 10 hours (1 week at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.4 rating (755 reviews)
- Modules: 4 modules
- Course Approval: 94% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Describe the web application development ecosystem and key terminology such as front-end, back-end, server-side, and full-stack development.
- Identify developer tools, online editors like JSFiddle, and integrated development environments (IDEs) used for building and testing web applications.
- Create and structure basic web pages using HTML and apply styling using CSS.
- Develop dynamic and interactive web pages using JavaScript, including DOM manipulation, form validation, and client-side scripting techniques.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 6: Python for Data Science, AI & Development
This course, “Python for Data Science, AI & Development,” is a beginner-friendly program designed to build a strong foundation in Python programming for data science, artificial intelligence, and software development. It covers Python basics such as syntax, data types, and control structures, along with advanced concepts like functions, object-oriented programming, and exception handling. Through hands-on practice, learners work with popular Python libraries and real-world tools to analyze data, build programs, and access web-based data. The course is ideal for anyone aiming to start a career in data science, AI, or development using Python.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructor: Joseph Santarcangelo
- Enrollment: 1,399,933 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 30 hours (3 weeks at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.6 rating (43,191 reviews)
- Modules: 5 modules
- Course Approval: 95% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Develop a foundational understanding of Python programming, including syntax, data types, expressions, variables, and string operations.
- Apply Python programming logic using data structures, conditionals, loops, functions, exception handling, objects, and classes.
- Demonstrate proficiency in using Python libraries such as Pandas and NumPy while developing code in Jupyter Notebooks.
- Access and extract web-based data using REST APIs with requests and perform web scraping using BeautifulSoup.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 7: Developing AI Applications with Python and Flask
This course, “Developing AI Applications with Python and Flask,” is an intermediate-level program designed for learners who want to build and deploy real-world AI-powered web applications. It focuses on the complete Python application development lifecycle, from creating modules and writing unit tests to packaging and deployment. Learners gain hands-on experience with Flask to develop web applications featuring routing, error handling, and CRUD operations. The course also demonstrates how to integrate IBM Watson AI libraries with Flask to create and deploy intelligent AI-based applications.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructors: Abhishek Gagneja, Ramesh Sannareddy
- Enrollment: 142,135 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 10 hours (1 week at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Intermediate level
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.5 rating (1,312 reviews)
- Modules: 3 modules
- Course Approval: 90% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Describe the steps and processes involved in creating a Python application, including the application development lifecycle.
- Create Python modules, run unit tests, and package applications while following PEP8 coding best practices.
- Build and deploy web applications using Flask, including routing, error handling, and CRUD operations.
- Create and deploy AI-based applications on a web server using IBM Watson AI libraries and Flask.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 8: Building Generative AI-Powered Applications with Python
This course, “Building Generative AI-Powered Applications with Python,” is an intermediate-level program designed for learners who want to create real-world applications powered by generative AI. It covers essential concepts such as large language models (LLMs), speech technologies, and modern AI platforms like IBM watsonX and Hugging Face. Through hands-on projects, learners build AI-powered applications and chatbots using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and Python frameworks. The course also introduces voice-enabled interfaces and web-based deployment using popular Python and front-end tools.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructors: IBM Skills Network Team, Sina Nazeri
- Enrollment: 32,866 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 10 hours (1 week at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Intermediate level
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.6 rating (255 reviews)
- Modules: 7 modules
- Course Approval: 94% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Explain the core concepts of generative AI, including large language models, speech technologies, and platforms such as IBM watsonX and Hugging Face.
- Build generative AI-powered applications and chatbots using LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and foundational Python frameworks.
- Integrate speech-to-text (STT) and text-to-speech (TTS) technologies to enable voice interfaces in generative AI applications.
- Develop web-based AI applications using Python libraries like Flask and Gradio, along with basic front-end tools such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 9: Generative AI: Elevate Your Software Development Career
This course, “Generative AI: Elevate Your Software Development Career,” is an intermediate-level program designed for software developers who want to enhance their productivity and career growth using generative AI. It explores how generative AI can assist across the software development lifecycle, from writing code to optimizing and refactoring applications. Learners gain practical exposure to popular generative AI-powered tools and understand how to apply them responsibly. The course also addresses ethical considerations and challenges associated with using generative AI in programming.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructors: Rav Ahuja, Ramanujam Srinivasan
- Enrollment: 34,741 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 20 hours (2 weeks at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Intermediate level
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.6 rating (229 reviews)
- Modules: 3 modules
- Course Approval: 95% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Demonstrate how to generate code snippets, scripts, and programs using generative AI models.
- Apply generative AI techniques for application design, architecture, bug detection, code refactoring, and optimization.
- Develop innovative solutions using generative AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini, and IBM watsonx Code Assistant.
- Explain the challenges and ethical considerations involved in using generative AI for programming and strategies to mitigate them.
Course Link: Click Here
Course 10: Software Developer Career Guide and Interview Preparation
This course, “Software Developer Career Guide and Interview Preparation,” is a beginner-level program designed to help aspiring software developers understand the profession and confidently prepare for job opportunities. It covers software developer roles, career paths, and emerging opportunities in the tech industry. Learners gain practical guidance on job searching, networking, evaluating job listings, and preparing for interviews. The course also focuses on building readiness for technical, behavioral, and post-interview stages, making it ideal for beginners entering the software development field.
Course Details:
- Platform: Coursera (part of multiple programs)
- Instructor: IBM Skills Network Team
- Enrollment: 36,302 learners already enrolled
- Included With: Coursera subscription
- Duration: Approximately 10 hours (1 week at 10 hours per week)
- Difficulty: Beginner level (No prior experience required)
- Pace: Flexible schedule, learn at your own pace
- Learner Satisfaction: 4.8 rating (348 reviews)
- Modules: 3 modules
- Course Approval: 97% of learners liked this course
What You Will Learn:
- Describe the role of a software developer, common career paths, and emerging opportunities in the field.
- Explain how to prepare for a job search, including researching companies, identifying suitable roles, and developing key job-hunting skills.
- Apply effective networking strategies and assess job listings to target the right software development positions.
- Demonstrate readiness for each stage of the interview process, including
- technical challenges, behavioral questions, and post-interview follow-up.
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