USF Microcredentials
AI Whisperer: A Microcourse in Crafting Prompts
Boost your productivity with generative AI in this free, fully online, self-paced hands-on workshop offered through the 51做厙s new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing, the first college of its kind in Florida and a national leader in ethical, interdisciplinary innovation. Designed and taught by expert USF faculty, this microcourse makes generative AI approachable and practical. You will learn how to choose the right tools, craft effective prompts, and create high-quality outputs such as reports, presentations, and visuals with speed and confidence. Step-by-step demonstrations, interactive activities, and knowledge checks ensure you build lasting skills that you can apply immediately to your work, education, or personal projects.
By the end of the course, youll be able to:
- Identify the best AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity.AI, DALL-E, and others) for specific tasks.
- Engage in iterative, effective conversations with chat models to achieve better results.
- Rapidly create high-quality artifactspresentations, reports, visualsthat showcase your ideas with impact.
What Youll Gain
- Foundational Knowledge: Understand AI concepts, from Machine Learning to Generative AI.
- Practical Skills: Master prompt engineering techniques for both text and image generation.
- Professional Credibility: Option to earn a USF Digital Badge (available for $39 upon successful completion of the final assessment).
- Creative Confidence: Transform from a casual AI user to a skilled "AI Whisperer."
Designed for Learners of All Levels
This course is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about GenAI. Whether you're a student, professional, or just someone who is curious about the possibilities of AI, this free course is perfect for you.
Please note that individuals from countries listed under U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) are ineligible to participate in the course.
Digital Badge
You have the option to purchase the Credly-backed AI Whisperer: Crafting Prompts
digital credential upon completion of all required assignments, for $39.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the badge?
Participants who successfully complete the course have the option to purchase a digital
badge. Participants submit payment via the link provided within the course and will
receive an email inviting them to accept their Credly credentials.
Is the badge a valuable asset?
The optional $39 digital badge is a way to tell your professional story with verifiable
proof. By earning and sharing digital badges, you can craft a narrative of continuous
learning and adaptability, which is increasingly attractive to employers. These badges
can showcase your accomplishments on LinkedIn, and even in your email signature and
resume.
Are there any restrictions for the badge?
Please note that individuals from countries listed under U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) are ineligible to participate in the course.
I already use Canvas, do I need another login?
Yes. USF has partnered with Instructure to offer this course via Canvas Network. The
Canvas Network platform requires a registration with a unique login and password.
I signed up and started the course, but now I cant find how to access it again. What
should I do?
You can easily access all your courses on Canvas Network through the dashboard here.
Once youre logged in and in your student dashboard, click "Resume the Course," then
go to the "Modules" section. From there, you'll be able to pick up where you left
off.
*We strongly suggest bookmarking the course page for easy navigation.
Meet the Experts Featured in this Course
John Licato, Ph.D.
John Licato, PhD is an Associate Professor at the USF Bellini College of AI, Cybersecurity and Computing. He is Director of the USF (AMHR) Lab, and founder/CEO of AI startup Actualization AI, Inc. He designed and he teaches the natural language processing course (the field that created ChatGPT) at USF, and his lab's mission is to not only make AI smarter, but to use those advances to make people reason better as well. His research expertise lies in AI, NLP, human reasoning, cognitive modeling, and legal / regulatory reasoning, with . He has been featured in outlets such as , , , and the . Follow him on for more.
Tempestt Neal, Ph.D.
Dr. Tempestt Neal is an Associate Professor in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing at the 51做厙 and Director of the USF Cyber Identity and Behavior Research (CIBeR) Lab. Her research seeks to understand what it means for technology to "know" us, including our identity, behavior, intentions, and decision making processes, and how that knowledge can be used responsibly to create secure, trustworthy, and human-centered AI systems. Her work integrates artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biometrics, multimodal sensing, and behavioral science to address challenges in identity, trust, security, well-being, and human-AI collaboration. She earned a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida, an M.S. in Computer Science from Clemson University, and a B.S. in Computer Science from South Carolina State University.
Sudeep Sarkar, Ph.D.
Dr. Sudeep Sarkar is the Launch Dean of the USF College of AI, Cybersecurity, and Computing, a Distinguished University Professor, and Co-Director of the USF Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI+X). He earned a B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University. With more than 35 years of experience in artificial intelligence, computer vision, and pattern recognition, he holds 11 U.S. patents and has published extensively in these fields. His honors include election as a Fellow of the AAAS, IEEE, IAPR, AIMBE, and the National Academy of Inventors. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of Pattern Recognition Letters from 2011 to 2026.
Quick Details
Format: Self-paced, online
Duration: 3 - 4 hours
Cost: Free (Option to purchase $39 badge at completion)
