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Individual Course

Agentic AI Foundations: Business Applications and Risks

Course Length

4 weeks

2–3 hours per week

Featuring faculty from:

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences LogoHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Certificate Price:

$ 595

$ 295

Enroll by May 31, 2026

Enroll Now

Certificate Price:

$ 595

$ 295

Enroll by May 31, 2026

Enroll Now

Agentic AI is changing how professionals and teams think about work, automation, and human-AI collaboration, moving us from tools that simply answer prompts to systems that can share in planning, execution, and decision-making.

Special introductory pricing: The inaugural June cohort is available for $295. All future cohorts will be priced at $595.

This course examines how these shifts may change roles, workflows, and organizational structures in the years ahead. Led by Harvard Professor Hanspeter Pfister, this course guides you through the transition from generative AI, which primarily responds to prompts, to agentic AI: systems that can plan steps, call tools, interact with applications, and carry out complex tasks with varying levels of autonomy.

Through expert insights and real-world examples, you will explore the technology behind AI agents. You’ll learn how large language models serve as a foundation for agentic systems, and how agents use reasoning, task decomposition, and tool integration to turn simple prompts into multi-step actions.

You will also learn to identify high-potential uses for agentic AI in your own work while recognizing where human judgment should remain central. Along the way, you’ll consider key challenges such as hallucinations, bias, bad agents, data exposure, and governance, preparing you to evaluate when and how to use AI agents responsibly.

Self-Guided

Harvard Online

Industries:

  • Technology
  • Consumer Products
  • Advertising/marketing/public Relations
  • Financial Services
  • Learn from real case studies
  • Do it on your own time
  • Get a certificate, add it to your resume
  • Be part of the Harvard Community
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Past Participant Discounts

Learners who have enrolled in at least one qualifying Harvard Online program receive a 30% discount on this course. Select Past Participant Discounts are automatically applied to the Program Fee upon time of payment.

Learners who have earned a verified certificate for a HarvardX course hosted on the edX platform are eligible to receive a 30% discount on this course using a discount code. Discounts are not available after you've submitted payment, so if you think you are eligible for a discount on a registration, please check your email for a code or contact us.

Nonprofit, Government, Military, and Education Discounts

Eligibility is determined by a prospective learner’s email address, ending in .org, .gov, .mil, or .edu. Interested learners can apply below for the discount and, if eligible, will receive a promo code to enter when completing payment information to enroll in a Harvard Online program.

FAQs

While the inaugural June wave of this Agentic AI Foundations course is not eligible for discounts, we offer 30% discounts to past participants of select Harvard Online courses. We also offer discounts on select courses to learners who work in nonprofits, government, military, or education, or are U.S. veterans. You can find more information about current discounts and eligibility on our course policies and discounts page.

Apply for a Discount

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" as follows:

School: Harvard Online

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Agentic AI Foundations: Business Applications and Risks explores how agentic AI uses reasoning, planning, and tools to automate complex workflows responsibly

After the final deadline in your course, our team reviews all participant coursework. Once this review is complete, you’ll be notified of your final eligibility via email. Certificates are currently available as Certified Electronic Credentials. Your Certified Electronic Credential will be delivered to your email address after this review of coursework is complete.

You are expected to complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely way. This includes completing the modules and fully answering the questions in each module between the course start and end dates so that the cohort can move through the course at a similar pace and benefit from social learning opportunities. ⁠In addition to completing modules and assignments, you are expected to provide feedback on other learners’ reflections and contribute to discussions on the platform.

⁠You can set your own daily or weekly routine and adjust it as needed, but to receive your certificate you must complete all modules and assignments by the stated course end date. Learners who do not complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course. No letter grades are assigned for this course; your participation is evaluated on a complete or incomplete basis.

For detailed information about technology and bandwidth requirements, please see our full Harvard Online FAQs.

There is no application required for this course. You can enroll directly through Harvard Online if you are at least 18 years old, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program.

Upon successful completion of this program, you will receive a digital Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online. Our team reviews all participant coursework after the final deadline in your course, and, once eligibility is confirmed, your Certified Electronic Credential will be delivered to your email address.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Course Syllabus

Agentic AI Foundations demystifies the transition from generative AI to autonomous agentic systems. You will explore the technology behind these systems, the risks they introduce, and how to lead effectively in an AI-augmented professional landscape.

Download Full Syllabus

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