Prompt Engineering

Catalog description

This course introduces students to prompt engineering, the art of designing and refining effective inputs for generative AI and large language models. Students explore prompt engineering techniques such as zero shot prompting, few shot prompting, chain of thought prompting, and tree of thought prompting to support complex tasks and improve desired output quality. The course also examines how user prompts, precise instructions, and additional context influence AI model behavior and model’s responses across different prompt engineering use cases. Students work with AI tools and generative AI models to practice optimizing prompts that produce accurate responses, relevant output, and clearly defined desired outcomes. Hands-on exercises and projects provide practical experience in crafting effective prompts, applying prompt engineering best practices, and analyzing intermediate steps in complex reasoning. By course end, students develop core prompt engineering skills and critical thinking abilities needed to use artificial intelligence systems responsibly and effectively across diverse applications. (Prerequisite: ARIN100)