This article covers courses available through OpenAI Academy. For information about the OpenAI Certified app in ChatGPT, see: OpenAI Certified App.
Overview
OpenAI Academy courses are free, self-paced learning experiences designed to help people build practical AI skills for work.
The initial learning pathway helps learners progress from understanding AI fundamentals, to applying ChatGPT in everyday work, to working with agents across more structured tasks and workflows.
OpenAI Academy courses are hosted through Gradual, which powers course enrollment, progress tracking, and course-completion certificates. You sign in to OpenAI Academy using your ChatGPT account, but parts of the course experience are managed through Gradual.
Availability
OpenAI Academy courses are available globally to anyone with a ChatGPT account.
Courses are free and do not require a workspace membership or technical background. Learners can access courses as individuals or through an organization.
OpenAI Academy courses are different from OpenAI Certifications. Course-completion certificates show that a learner completed an eligible Academy course. They are not OpenAI Certifications, do not represent a formal OpenAI credential, and do not guarantee eligibility for a future certification.
Courses included
AI Foundations
AI Foundations is a practical introduction to AI, large language models, and ChatGPT. Learners build core habits for prompting, providing context, evaluating outputs, and using AI responsibly.
Estimated duration: 60–75 minutes.
Applied AI Foundations
Applied AI Foundations helps learners move from individual prompts to repeatable workflows. Learners practice breaking work into steps, identifying where ChatGPT can help, and adding review points throughout a process.
Estimated duration: 75–90 minutes.
Agents and Workflows
Agents and Workflows introduces learners to working with AI agents across structured tasks and workflows. Learners practice providing context, reviewing outputs, refining results, and reusing successful workflow patterns.
Estimated duration: 75–90 minutes.
Actual completion time may vary depending on how much learners choose to follow along with activities and exercises.
Accessing Academy courses
You can browse available courses without signing in. To start a course, save your progress, and receive a course-completion certificate, you must sign in with a ChatGPT account.
To start a course:
Go to academy.openai.com
Select the course you want to take
Select Enroll
Sign in with your ChatGPT account
Start the course
Choosing the correct ChatGPT account
Course progress and course-completion certificates are associated with the email address for the ChatGPT account you use to sign in.
Before beginning a course, make sure you are signed in to the correct ChatGPT account. If you use the wrong account, your course activity and course-completion certificates will be associated with the email address for that account.
Academy accounts cannot currently be linked or merged after you begin a course.
Course-completion certificates
Eligible course-completion certificates are issued through Gradual after a learner completes a course.
Course-completion certificates:
confirm that a learner completed an eligible course
are issued and managed through Gradual
are associated with the email address used to sign in
are not OpenAI Certifications
do not represent a formal OpenAI credential
do not guarantee eligibility for a future certification
Reporting for organizations
Reporting is available for organizations that want visibility into learner participation and course completion.
Customers interested in reporting should contact their OpenAI account team for more information about availability and access.
Getting assistance
OpenAI Academy uses Gradual to host courses and manage enrollment, course progress, and course-completion certificates. Because these parts of the experience are powered by Gradual, some technical or account issues must be investigated by Gradual support.
Contact Gradual support at support@gradual.com for:
login or access issues after selecting Sign in with ChatGPT
missing or incorrect course progress
missing course-completion certificate
enrollment or permission issues
course visibility issues
account mismatches, such as using the wrong email address
problems loading or using the Gradual course platform
other platform bugs
When contacting Gradual, include the email address associated with your ChatGPT account and the name of the affected course.
FAQ
Are Academy courses free?
Yes. Academy courses are free. You must have a ChatGPT account to start a course and save your progress.
Which ChatGPT account should I use?
Use the ChatGPT account you want associated with your course progress and course-completion certificates.
Your course activity and course-completion certificates will be associated with the email address for the account you use to sign in. Before beginning a course, confirm that you are signed in to the correct account.
Why might I need to contact Gradual?
OpenAI Academy courses are hosted through Gradual. Gradual manages parts of the course experience, including enrollment, saved progress, course visibility, and course-completion certificates.
Please contact Gradual support for assistance.
Are Academy course-completion certificates the same as OpenAI Certifications?
No. Academy course-completion certificates confirm that you completed an eligible course. They are not OpenAI Certifications and do not represent a formal OpenAI credential.
Can workspace administrators track learner progress?
Reporting is available for organizations. Contact your OpenAI account team for more information about availability and access.
Can my organization export Academy courses or import them into an LMS?
No. Academy course content cannot be exported from OpenAI Academy or imported into an organization's LMS. Courses should be taken in OpenAI Academy so OpenAI can maintain course quality and update content as products evolve.