Program profile · official sources
Microsoft Generative AI for Software Developers Specialization
A short Microsoft introduction to generative AI for developers, built around GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code.
Commercial status: no commercial relationship is documented for this page. The verification link goes directly to the official provider source.
Who it is for
Developers and students who code and want a short, practical introduction to working with GitHub Copilot.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want to build generative AI models or applications yourself, or a certification exam; this is about using Copilot as a coding assistant.
Facts checked 26 Oct 2026
- Price
- See pricing
No accepted price. As shown in the United States on 26 October 2026, the Coursera programme page shows no programme amount: it lists the programme as included with Coursera Plus. The Coursera Plus page prices Coursera Plus at $59/month, cancel anytime, or $399/year with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Those are subscription prices for the whole Coursera Plus catalogue, not a programme or completion price.
- Provider link
See price and enroll at Microsoft (official site) ↗
Official site. No commission.
- Time
- Coursera headline: 4 weeks at 5 hours a week. The four course estimates are 6, 4, 4 and 4 hours. Provider estimates, not completion guarantees.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Credential
- Career certificate
Add to a LinkedIn profile, resume or CV; share on social media and in a performance review.
- Prerequisites
- No prerequisites required, per the page; the FAQ says no specific background knowledge is needed, though learners likely have a basic understanding of coding. Coursera labels it intermediate. Each course says a Copilot license is required; without a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family license, a free 30-day trial is available through a link in the course.
- Format
- Online, self-paced four-course specialization on Coursera, taught in English with 10 languages available; hands-on coding activities with Copilot.
Sources ↗
What you actually do
Hands-on activities use Microsoft Copilot Chat for code completion, a Flask-based to-do app for code testing and GitHub Copilot to translate code snippets; one course builds and refactors a Pomodoro timer. Each course needs a Copilot license; a free 30-day trial link is provided.
Before you start
No prerequisites required, per the page; the FAQ says no specific background knowledge is needed, though learners likely have a basic understanding of coding. Coursera labels it intermediate. Each course says a Copilot license is required; without a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family license, a free 30-day trial is available through a link in the course.
Curriculum
The headline estimates four weeks at five hours weekly; the four course estimates are 6, 4, 4 and 4 hours. These observations are not reconciled into one completion or billing period.
| Entry | Subject | Listed time | Share | Role | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Generative AI for Developers With Copilot | 6 hours | 33.3% | Course 1 of 4. Core concepts, functions and ethical considerations of generative AI; practical uses in code review, documentation and project planning. | 2026-10-26 |
| 2 | Boost Your Productivity with GitHub Copilot | 4 hours | 22.2% | Course 2 of 4. Install and configure Visual Studio Code; generate code suggestions and use chat in GitHub Copilot; zero-shot, one-shot and few-shot prompting. | 2026-10-26 |
| 3 | GitHub Copilot for Project Management | 4 hours | 22.2% | Course 3 of 4. The outline under this title describes building and refactoring a Pomodoro timer in Next.js with tests, plus code translation and debugging. | 2026-10-26 |
| 4 | Optimizing Your Workflow with GitHub Copilot and VS Code | 4 hours | 22.2% | Course 4 of 4. The outline under this title describes Copilot for code review, test cases, documentation with version control and development planning. | 2026-10-26 |
Allocation denominator: 1080.0 summed minutes; each displayed share = entry minutes / 1080.0 × 100, rounded to one decimal.
US price
| Purchase information | Recorded terms |
|---|---|
| Access and billing | No accepted price. As shown in the United States on 26 October 2026, the Coursera programme page shows no programme amount: it lists the programme as included with Coursera Plus. The Coursera Plus page prices Coursera Plus at $59/month, cancel anytime, or $399/year with a 14-day money-back guarantee. Those are subscription prices for the whole Coursera Plus catalogue, not a programme or completion price. |
| Refund and trial | Coursera Plus page, 26 October 2026: the monthly plan has a 7-day free trial (no charge until it ends); the annual plan allows a refund request within 14 days of payment, and certificates earned in those 14 days are revoked if you take the refund. |
| Access-source disagreement | As shown in the United States on 26 October 2026: the page structured data marks the programme isAccessibleForFree=True with a Subscription offer, while the visible FAQ says you cannot take this course for free. No free completion or free certificate is inferred. |
Alternatives
Generative AI for Software Developers Specialization
| Provider and format | Level | Workload | Award | US price observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM · Online, flexible schedule, learn at your own pace | Intermediate level | 1 month or less; 4 weeks to complete at 10 hours a week | Provider-issued course certificate | As shown in the United States on 14 October 2026, no accepted numeric price is stated. The page lists 'Enroll for free' and 'Join for Free', though the FAQ clarifies 'No, you cannot take this course for free'. |
| Entry and assessment questions | Recorded answer |
|---|---|
| Who is it aimed at? | anyone interested in leveraging the power of generative AI in software development. This includes existing and aspiring web developers, mobile app developers, front-end developers, backend-end developers, full stack developers, DevOps professionals, and Site Reliability Engineers (SREs). |
| What preparation is required? | The FAQ states 'This Professional Certificate is open to anyone with any job and academic background', while the header lists 'Intermediate level' and 'Recommended experience'. |
| What remains unconfirmed? | Not verified in saved official evidence: expiry_renewal. Do not infer no expiry or no exam from absence. |
Generative AI for Software Development Skill Certificate
| Provider and format | Level | Workload | Award | US price observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepLearning.AI · Flexible schedule, Learn at your own pace | Beginner level | Headline estimate of 4 weeks at 5 hours a week. The FAQ estimates about 5 hours per course. | Provider-issued course certificate | As shown in the United States on 14 October 2026, no accepted numeric price is stated. The page lists 'Enroll for free' and mentions unlocking access to courses with a subscription. |
| Entry and assessment questions | Recorded answer |
|---|---|
| Who is it aimed at? | Ideal for software developers, engineers, and aspiring professionals with intermediate knowledge of software development and a basic understanding of AI concepts. |
| What preparation is required? | The main page lists 'Beginner level' and 'Recommended experience', while the FAQ states 'Intermediate knowledge of software development' is necessary and familiarity with programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and C# will help. |
| What remains unconfirmed? | Not verified in saved official evidence: expiry_renewal. Do not infer no expiry or no exam from absence. |
Questions before enrolling
Can I take just one course from the Microsoft Generative AI for Software Developers specialization?
Yes, per the FAQ: you can enroll in a single course and complete it to earn a shareable certificate for that course. Subscribing to a course that is part of the specialization automatically subscribes you to the full specialization. Observed 26 October 2026.
Change log
- : Initial record from the official Coursera specialization page and the Coursera Plus page captured from the United States on 24 October 2026. · Source
- : Fresh US recheck on 26 October 2026 of the Coursera programme page and the Coursera Plus page: no recorded fact changed (programme facts as before; Coursera Plus still $59/month or $399/year, with the 7-day trial and the 14-day refund terms as before); observation dates renewed to 26 October 2026. · Source