Streamlining the office with AI
6 - 9 months
7857959
This Program is Perfect For
- Non-technical professionals wanting to streamline typical office workflows using AI
- Business leaders or team leads eager to harness AI responsibly and innovatively
- Professionals seeking a flexible, badge-ready credential to signal AI-savviness
Program review underway
As we evolve our programs to reflect today’s technology landscape, the specialization in AI Business Practices is under review and is not currently open for new enrollment. If you are enrolled in this specialization and are finishing up your courses, please reach out to us at extension@ucsc.edu. We will help you plan your journey.
After reviewing the current market conditions and engaging with industry, we are now offering new short programs, that are flexible paths to get the skills you need fast. During this time, our specialization programs continue to be under review and we are committed to assisting all enrolled students to finish the specialization programs. To learn more, visit our Short Programs page.
Courses are open to everyone
You are invited to enroll in individual courses to build your knowledge and develop new skills.
Practical AI for workplace automation
In this highly practical specialization for the nontechnical professional, students explore the characteristics of generative AI and learn real-world AI applications to improve workplace productivity.
You’ll explore AI use cases and learn to streamline your daily tasks, such as document and presentation creation, report generation, and project management—all using readily available, free AI technology and by refining your AI prompts.
Strategic innovation, responsible AI integration
By implementing the principles of generative AI, students address ethical challenges while deploying new models.
- Get hands-on practice with freely available AI-enhanced tools.
- Learn efficient natural language prompts for generating content.
- Experience robotic process automation (RPA).
- Integrate AI intelligence.
- Evaluate agent performance.
- Explore advancements toward human-level control.
- Increase your understanding of the ethical, responsible, and security aspects of AI.
By the end of the program, you'll be empowered to leverage AI effectively for personal and professional growth in diverse settings and have a comprehensive understanding of AI technologies, ethical implications, and practical applications across industries.
Learning outcomes
- Optimize AI technology for specific needs.
- Address ethical challenges while deploying effective generative AI models.
- Enhance workplace productivity via freely available AI-enhanced tools and prompt engineering.
- Set up and evaluate simple agents for task automation.
Courses
Program Requirements
Total: 4 courses. (7.5 CEUs)
- 3 required courses (5.5 CEUs)
- Choose 1 elective credit course (2 CEUs)
- End with review of specialization completion
1. Required Courses:
AISV.800
$580
You may enroll in this offering at any time.
Jul. 27 - Aug. 24, Mon, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
- Flexible Attend in person or via Zoom at scheduled times.
AISV.800.(16)
Schedule
| Date | Start Time | End Time | Meeting Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, 07-27-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Mon, 08-03-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Mon, 08-10-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Mon, 08-17-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Mon, 08-24-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
This class meets simultaneously in a classroom and remotely via Zoom. Students are expected to attend and participate in the course, either in-person or remotely, during the days and times that are specified on the course schedule. Students attending remotely are also strongly encouraged to have their cameras on to get the most out of the remote learning experience. Students attending the class in-person are expected to bring a laptop to each class meeting.
To see all meeting dates, click "Full Schedule" below.
You will be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Required Text: None
Recommended Text:
What is ChatGPT Doing, Stephen Wolfram, Wolfram Media, 2023. ISBN: 9781579550820.
This text is available online at no cost to students.
You may enroll in this offering at any time.
Oct. 21 - Dec. 2, Wed, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
- Live-Online Attend via Zoom at scheduled times.
AISV.800.(17)
Schedule
| Date | Start Time | End Time | Meeting Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, 10-21-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Wed, 10-28-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Wed, 11-04-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Wed, 11-18-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Wed, 12-02-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
This class is offered in an online synchronous format. Students are expected to log into this course via Canvas at the start time of scheduled meetings and participate via Zoom, for the duration of each scheduled class meeting.
No meeting on November 11, 2026 and November 25, 2026. To see all meeting dates, click “Full Schedule” below.
You will be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Required Text: None
Recommended Text:
What is ChatGPT Doing, Stephen Wolfram, Wolfram Media, 2023. ISBN: 9781579550820.
This text is available online at no cost to students.
Fall
Summer
AISV.815
$625
You may enroll in this offering at any time.
Sep. 15 - Nov. 3, Tue, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
- Live-Online Attend via Zoom at scheduled times.
AISV.815.(5)
Schedule
| Date | Start Time | End Time | Meeting Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 09-15-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 09-22-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 09-29-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 10-06-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 10-13-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 10-20-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 10-27-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Tue, 11-03-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
This class is offered in an online synchronous format. Students are expected to log into this course via Canvas at the start time of scheduled meetings and participate via Zoom, for the duration of each scheduled class meeting.
To see all meeting dates, click "Full Schedule" below.
You will be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Fall
Currently no classes scheduled. Would you like to be notified when a class is available?
Summer
2. Complete one of the following.
AISV.818
$650
You may enroll in this offering at any time.
Oct. 15 - Dec. 3, Thu, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
- Flexible Attend in person or via Zoom at scheduled times.
AISV.818.(5)
Schedule
| Date | Start Time | End Time | Meeting Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, 10-15-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Thu, 10-22-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Thu, 10-29-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Thu, 11-05-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Thu, 11-12-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Thu, 11-19-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
| Thu, 12-03-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Flexible | SANTA CLARA / REMOTE |
This class meets simultaneously in a classroom and remotely via Zoom. Students are expected to attend and participate in the course, either in-person or remotely, during the days and times that are specified on the course schedule. Students attending remotely are also strongly encouraged to have their cameras on to get the most out of the remote learning experience. Students attending the class in-person are expected to bring a laptop to each class meeting.
No meeting on November 26, 2026. To see all meeting dates, click "Full Schedule" below.
You will be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Required Tools & Materials:
No textbooks are required for this course.
|| Prerequisites:
Prerequisites / Skills Needed
Fall
AISV.823
$650
You may enroll in this offering at any time.
Sep. 28 - Nov. 16, Fri, Mon, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
- Live-Online Attend via Zoom at scheduled times.
AISV.823.(1)
Schedule
| Date | Start Time | End Time | Meeting Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, 09-28-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 10-05-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 10-12-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 10-19-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 10-26-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 11-02-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 11-09-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
| Mon, 11-16-2026 | 6:30pm | 9:30pm | Live-Online | REMOTE |
This class is offered in an online synchronous format. Students are expected to log into this course via Canvas at the start time of scheduled meetings and participate via Zoom, for the duration of each scheduled class meeting.
To see all meeting dates, click “Full Schedule” below.
You will be granted access in Canvas to your course site and course materials approximately 24 hours prior to the published start date of the course.
Fall
Currently no classes scheduled. Would you like to be notified when a class is available?
3. Completion Review:
O-CE0531
$50
You may enroll in this offering at any time.
Schedule
Please enroll in the AI Business Practices Completion Fee only when all of the specialization requirements have been met and your final grades are posted.
Requisite knowledge
We recommend that you launch your studies in AI Business Practices with AI Essentials or have equivalent knowledge.
Establish Candidacy
Instructors
Program Chair
Hien Luu
Program Chair | Head of Machine Learning Infrastructure, Zoox
HIEN LUU, M.S, head of machine learning infrastructure at Zoox and chair of the AI Business Practices program, has over 20 years of experience designing and developing scalable web applications and big data infrastructure and applications at Silicon Valley companies, such as DoorDash, LinkedIn, Uber, Netflix, and Yahoo. He specializes in big data technologies and machine learning and is an artificial intelligence enthusiast. He has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in Software Engineering from San Jose State University. He has taught for UCSC Extension since 2003, serves as chair of both the AI Business Practices and the AI Engineer programs, and as an advisor on the Data Science and Data Analysis Advisory Board. To reach him directly, email him at hcluu@ucsc.edu.
