Honors AI Foundations for High School Students

О курсе

Honors AI Foundations for High School Students Prepare yourself for the AI-driven future. Large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are transforming every field—from science and medicine to business, creative arts, and engineering. They're becoming as essential to your future as smartphones are today. But here's the difference: while everyone will have access to these tools, only those who truly understand how to use them will be prepared to innovate, lead, and succeed. This Honors AI Foundations course is designed for accomplished high school students ready to develop genuine expertise in applied AI—not just familiarity, but real skill. Think of it as the AI equivalent of an AP course: it positions you to enter college with a competitive edge and a Vanderbilt University certificate from Coursera that signals serious preparation in one of the world's most important emerging fields. What You'll Learn: - Use large language models effectively and strategically - Master prompt engineering—the skill that separates expert users from novices - Apply prompt patterns and advanced techniques to solve problems across any domain - Build applications powered by large language models - Harness AI for innovation in writing, coding, summarization, planning, simulation, tutoring, and problem-solving - Understand the limitations and risks of AI systems - Use AI to process information, reason through complex problems, and program solutions Concrete, practical skills. You'll work through real examples showing how AI can tutor you in math, help you write better essays, generate code for your projects, improve your cybersecurity, plan your life more effectively, and tackle problems in your job or personal interests. You'll build toward writing sophisticated prompts that can handle nuanced, multi-step problems across any field. No prerequisites required—just basic computer skills (using a browser and accessing ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or another equivalent AI tool). Why This Matters for College and Your Future: Colleges are beginning to recognize AI literacy as a foundational skill, much like they did with computer science. An Honors AI Foundations certificate from Vanderbilt demonstrates that you've invested in serious preparation, that you understand both the power and the responsibility of AI, and that you're ready to innovate and lead in an AI-driven world. Whether you pursue computer science, business, medicine, engineering, humanities, or any other field, this credential and these skills will distinguish your college applications and prepare you to succeed wherever AI intersects with your interests. Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive an Honors AI Foundations Certificate from Vanderbilt University via Coursera.

Навыки, которые вы освоите

Учитесь у экспертов

Dr. Jules White

Professor of Computer Science