Offered by the College of Computing, Grand Valley State University
Artificial Intelligence is shaping how we work, learn, and live.
The AI community certificate introduces learners to the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and its real-world applications. Designed for a broad audience, this fully online, self-paced program builds practical understanding, critical thinking, and responsible AI use across work, learning, and everyday contexts.
Registration Opens: March 2, 2026
AI Literacy for Life
- Understand AI
- Responsibly use AI in everyday life and work
- No technical background required.
AI Literacy for Work
- Free & fully online certificate
- No Prerequisites
- 8-10 hours total
Learn more here
Fully online, self-paced
Artificial intelligence is no longer limited to technical roles; it is becoming a foundational skill across every profession and sector.
This certificate focuses on AI literacy, not just AI tools, helping learners:
- Build confidence using AI responsibly
- Think critically about AI-generated information
- Apply AI thoughtfully in real-life and work contexts
- Understand ethical, societal, and environmental implications
This program reflects GVSU’s commitment to accessible education, responsible innovation, and computing for everyone.
This program is designed for anyone who wants to understand AI’s real-world impact, including:
- Community members & lifelong learners
- Professionals across all fields
- GVSU staff, alumni, and students
- Anyone curious about how AI affects work, education, and society
- All learning content (videos, readings, activities) is free to access
- Learners pay only if they choose to earn a verifiable GVSU-issued certificate and digital badge
- Modules are designed to be completed independently, at your own pace
- Each module takes approximately 60–90 minutes
- The course is fully online
Artificial intelligence is becoming a foundational capability across every profession and sector. This certificate is designed to help learners understand, use, question, and responsibly apply AI in everyday contexts without requiring coding or prior technical experience.
Rather than focusing on tools alone, the program emphasizes:
- AI literacy and critical thinking
- Practical interaction with generative AI systems
- Human judgment, ethics, and responsibility
- Transferable skills applicable across careers (AI + X)
By the end of this certificate, learners will be able to:
- Describe how modern AI and generative AI systems work, including their capabilities and limitations
- Interact effectively with AI systems using clear, structured prompts
- Evaluate AI-generated outputs for accuracy, bias, security and reliability
- Apply AI tools to realistic work, learning, and life scenarios
- Recognize ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI use
- Understand and evaluate AI Opportunities and Challenges Related to Climate, Sustainability and Environment
- Demonstrate responsible AI judgment through an applied activity
Certificate Structure & Modules
Module 0
Welcome to AI for Everyone
Lead: Marouane Kessentini
Instructor: Marouane Kessentini
Bio: Dr. Kessentini is an internationally recognized leader in AI and Software Engineering. In these areas, he has 220+ research papers with 7000+ citations and an h-index of 50+, $20M+ in research funding, along with 14 licensed inventions to Fortune 500 companies related to intelligent software bots and 4 patents.
As Dean of the College of Computing at Grand Valley State University, he leads efforts to expand inclusive, accessible AI education and to create learning opportunities that open doors for individuals, families, and communities preparing for the future of work. He believes AI literacy is not just a technical skill, but a life skill empowering individuals to make informed decisions, adapt to change, and thrive in their careers and daily lives. He is a recipient of many distinguished awards and honors including the 2022 Oakland University Researcher of the Year Award, the 2022 Oakland University Most Active Researcher Award, the 2019 National Award for Best Tunisian Researcher living abroad, the 2018 President of Tunisia Distinguished Researcher Award, the 2019 University of Michigan Dearborn Distinguished Research Award, the 2018 University of Michigan Invention of the Year (Intelligent Software Refactoring bot), the IEEE 10-Year Most Influential Paper Award in Program Comprehension (2011-2021); and over 5 Best Paper Awards.
He has also been a dedicated teacher committed to excellence in teaching and scholarship. He received 2018 University of Michigan Dearborn Distinguished Digital Education Award and the 2016 University of Michigan Dearborn Distinguished Teaching Award (2016). He led the organization of prestigious international conferences ASE2022 and MODELS2025. He served as the founding director of the NSF IUCRC Center on Pervasive AI and the founding director of the Department of Energy Center on Cybersecurity for Energy Infrastructure. He led the effort to establish the first AI degree in the Midwest in 2019.
Instructor: Dr. Miloš Topić
Instructor: Dr. Miloš Topić, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Digital Officer, Grand Valley State University
Bio: Miloš has over 25 years of experience in positions of increasing responsibilities focused primarily on leadership, technology, innovation, strategy, and operations. His experiences range from startups to Fortune 1000 companies, to contributing across multiple universities (both public and private) over the past two decades. Prior to his current role as Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at GVSU, his most recent positions were Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Technology Services. Miloš’s responsibilities and experiences include customer experience; business development and product design; project and portfolio management; information security; network and system engineering and administration as well as programming and development.
Module 1
AI Literacy: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters
Lead: Jared Moore
Focus: Shared foundations and future awareness
Instructor: Jared Moore
Bio: Jared Moore serves as the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies & Outreach for the College of Computing at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science. With a passion for both education and innovation, Dr. Moore’s research focuses on genetic algorithms, multiobjective optimization, evolutionary robotics, and computational art. He regularly teaches courses in artificial intelligence, computer architecture, and programming, bringing hands-on, real-world applications into the classroom. Outside of academia, he is an avid outdoorsman and craftsman who enjoys running, hockey, fly fishing, woodworking, leathercrafting, and knifemaking. His unique blend of technical expertise and creative pursuits shapes his approach to teaching and outreach, inspiring students to think both analytically and artistically. As advances in computing have made technology more accessible, he is committed to democratizing computing and helping others to recognize how they can use computing in their professional and personal lives.
Module 2
Communicating with AI: From Questions to Instructions
Lead: Rahat Rafiq
Focus: Practical interaction skills and prompting labs
Instructor: Rahat Rafiq
Bio: Rahat Ibn Rafiq is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Grand Valley State University, where he teaches courses in software engineering, data mining, social networks, and artificial intelligence. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder and brings experience in applied machine learning, natural language processing, and trustworthy AI systems. His research and industry work focus on building practical AI solutions across domains such as cybersecurity, mental health, and decision support.
Module 3
Trust, But Verify: Responsible AI & Evaluating AI Outputs
Lead: Samah Mansour
Focus: Reliability, verification, and critical thinking
Instructor: Samah Mansour
Bio: Dr. Samah Mansour is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technologies at Grand Valley State University. Mansour also serves as the Director of the Cybersecurity MS program. Mansour is awarded multiple internal undergraduate research grants, where she has supervised several undergraduate students in various research projects, including IoHT authentication, VR for teaching cybersecurity, IoT lightweight authentication protocols, and Metaverse security. Some of her undergraduate research projects were published in peer-reviewed conferences. Her research includes IoT authentication, IoV security, Federated learning, and using VR security and VR as a Cybersecurity educational tool.
Module 4
AI in Work, Organizations, and Professions
Lead: John Thompson
Focus: Application across sectors
Instructor: John Thompson
Bio: John is an international technology executive with over 38 years of experience in the fields of data, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). John is the Vice President, Product Analytics at CCC Intelligent Solutions. John’s responsibilities include designing, developing and deploying innovative ways to integrate data, deliver insights, and to apply Predictive AI, Generative AI and Causal AI to CCC products and services.
Mr. Thompson’s technology expertise includes all aspects of advanced analytics and information management including – descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, artificial intelligence, analytical applications, deep learning, cognitive computing, big data, simulation, optimization, synthetic data, and high-performance computing.
He is a technology leader with expertise and experience spanning all operational areas with a focus on strategy, product innovation, growth, and efficient execution. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Ferris State University and a MBA in Marketing from DePaul University.
Module 5
AI, Ethics, and Society: Human-Centered Decision Making
Lead: Rania Khalsi
Focus: Responsible and ethical AI engagement
Instructor: Rania Khalsi Ep Yousaf
Bio: Rania Khalsi is an affiliate faculty at Grand Valley State University. She previously worked as a lecturer and Artificial Intelligence postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan–Flint. She earned her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the National School of Computer Science (ENSI), University of Manouba, Tunisia. Her research focuses on trustworthy AI, interpretable deep learning, AI for healthcare, and AI for software engineering. She has taught and supervised graduate students internationally and has experience leading project-based AI courses.
Module 6
AI, Climate, and Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges
Lead: Figen Mekik
Focus: Evaluating how AI intersects with climate change, sustainability, and environmental decision-making
Instructor: Figen Mekik
Bio: An academic and educator for over a quarter of a century, Figen Mekik is the founder and lead PI of the Mekik Climatology Lab. She is a Professor of Geology and currently serves as Guest Faculty for Climate Science in the Physics Department at Grand Valley State University. Figen is a climate scientist, oceanographer, and micropaleontologist by her training and through her internationally published research. Figen earned her Bachelor and Master of Science, both, in Geological Engineering from Middle East Technical University in Turkiye, and her PhD in Geology at Northern Illinois University. She makes ethical, responsible, and impactful use of AI in all her work and has a keen interest in the use of AI in climate modeling. She has chaired the Geology Department at Grand Valley for 6 years, served as Chair to the University Academic Senate for two terms, and served as President of her section at the American Geophysical Union for two terms (Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology).