# AI for Workplace Productivity with Microsoft Copilot Course Canonical URL: ## Overview Transform the way you work with Copilot, Microsoft’s advanced AI technology. This course introduces the core concepts of AI and explores its powerful role in boosting productivity across industries. Learn how Copilot enhances efficiency, expands capabilities, and streamlines workflows by automating tasks and helping you achieve more in less time. Through real-world scenarios and hands-on applications, discover how to apply Copilot to communication (email, meetings, and chat), writing, data analysis, decision-making, and beyond—elevating your productivity, creativity, and overall impact in the workplace. ## What you'll learn - Understand the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and how large language models (LLMs), like Copilot, work - Learn how to write effective prompts and refine Copilot's responses across different workplace scenarios - Explore how to use Copilot with Microsoft 365 apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive - Automate and enhance everyday tasks, such as email writing, meeting notes, data analysis, and document summarization - Create AI-generated images and graphics, and understand the limitations, as well as best practices, of generative AI - Compare Copilot with ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot and identify when to use each for maximum productivity - Stay up-to-date with the latest AI tools and mobile apps to extend your workflow beyond the desktop ## Curriculum #### The Technology & Importance of AI (Artificial Intelligence) - What is a Large Language Model (LLM) & how does it work? - The Importance of AI - AI Products from Microsoft vs OpenAI (makers of ChatGPT) #### Data Privacy - Large Language Model Training & Data Privacy - Does Copilot use your Company Data for Training the AI? #### Copilot Plans: Free vs Paid - Copilot vs Copilot Pro vs Microsoft 365 Copilot - Copilot Plans for Individuals - Copilot Plans for Organizations - Microsoft Copilot vs GitHub Copilot #### Getting Started with Copilot: Writing Prompts - Ask Copilot a Question - Work vs Web Tabs - Follow Up Messages - Create a New Chat or Continue the Current Chat? - What to Do If You Are Not Satisfied with Copilot's Response - Edit in Pages #### Ideas For How You Can Use AI - What can Copilot do for you? - Learn the Most Important Aspects About a Topic - Write Something For You - Get Summaries of Documents, Articles, etc - Improve Your Writing - Clean Up a Video Transcript - and many more... #### Generating Images - Generating Images from a Text Prompt - The Style of Graphics: Illustration vs Photography - Tips for Generating Realistic Looking Photos - Tips for Creating Images with Copilot #### Things to Watch Out For - Potential Downsides to Generative AI - AI is Not Perfect (You must verify) #### Copilot’s Integration into Microsoft Office (365) Apps - Excel - Word - PowerPoint - Outlook (App or outlook.com) - Teams (Meetings & Chat) - OneDrive #### Microsoft Excel - Write formulas for you (inside Excel) - Insert columns for you - Apply color and formatting - Understand/visualize your data by having Copilot create charts, Pivot Tables, and even Pivot Charts #### Microsoft Outlook & Email - Get caught up on your email faster - Write better emails (Copilot can write emails for you or suggest improvements to what you write) - Create email rules #### Microsoft Word - Summarize documents - Have it review your writing - Have it write for you: - Brand new writing based on a prompt you type - Based on a reference file you provide it #### Microsoft PowerPoint - Summarize PowerPoint presentations - Ask questions about content in a presentation - Generate entire presentations with a Copilot prompt - Convert files in PowerPoint presentations - Add new slides #### Microsoft Teams (Meetings & Chat) - Catch up on chats with coworkers - Ask questions and get answers about a meeting without having to rewatch a meeting or read the entire transcript - Review/create meeting notes - Catch up on a meeting if you’re late #### Microsoft OneDrive - Summarize files - Ask questions about a file’s contents - Compare files #### Using AI In “Your” Job - How can AI help “you specifically” in your job? #### Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT - When to use Copilot Instead of ChatGPT - When to use ChatGPT instead of Copilot #### Copilot & AI Are Rapidly Developing - Resources for Staying Up to Date #### Copilot Mobile Apps - Getting the correct Mobile App for your plan (there are multiple) ## Schedule - Jun 18, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online - Jul 16, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online - Aug 14, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online - Aug 14, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online - Sep 17, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online - Oct 15, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — Live Online ## Instructors ### Bruce Gay — Instructor Bruce is an engaging trainers and program manager who brings 25+ years practical experience to deliver effective and experiential training to students. Able to engage adult learners with a range of backgrounds and professional experiences. Successful at building effective stakeholder relationships and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams for solution delivery. Bruce has over 25 years of project and program management experience across multiple industries. He has a Masters degree from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Bruce currently runs his own freelance training and consulting business, helping project managers and team leaders improve their business skills, become better leaders, and achieve professional greatness. Bruce is a well-received speaker in the areas of design thinking, project management, cross-team collaboration, and AI tools for projects, and has presented at regional and international conferences. ### Steve Pesklo — Instructor Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance. Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years. Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). ### Brian Simms — Instructor Brian Simms is a seasoned educator and training leader with extensive experience developing and delivering innovative learning programs in project management and emerging technologies. Over the course of his career, he has designed adaptive learning models that combine instructor-led sessions, live online experiences, and self-paced study, ensuring professionals can access training in flexible and effective ways. His work has emphasized the integration of artificial intelligence into professional development, helping organizations and individuals understand how AI can be applied to solve real-world challenges in leadership, project execution, and decision-making. In addition to his instructional expertise, Brian has guided curriculum development, led large training initiatives, and advanced the use of collaboration tools that improve learner engagement and retention. His depth of experience and forward-looking perspective make him uniquely equipped to prepare federal professionals to navigate the complexities of data, project management, and the transformative potential of AI. ### Clarissa J. Corbin — Instructor Clarissa J. Corbin is an accomplished corporate trainer, project manager, and business consultant with over 25 years of experience designing and delivering impactful learning experiences. As President and CEO of Projections Training Solutions, she partners with federal agencies, private corporations, and international organizations to provide results-driven training in leadership, project management, business analysis, and emerging technologies. Clarissa has trained more than 10,000 professionals worldwide, serving clients such as the DoD, NASA, FEMA, Microsoft, Citibank, PNC Bank, Del Monte, and Symantec. Her expertise has taken her across the globe, leading initiatives in Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Thomas, USVI. Known for her ability to engage diverse audiences and create interactive, high-impact sessions, Clarissa equips participants with practical solutions they can apply immediately. At Graduate School USA (GSUSA), Clarissa is regarded as one of the most versatile and trusted instructors. She teaches across multiple programs. She played a pivotal role in redesigning the flagship “Managing for Results” course, while also contributing to the development and review of numerous others. Her contributions have earned her two GSUSA Customer Excellence Awards and a two-year appointment to the GSUSA Instructor Advisory Council, underscoring her commitment to innovation, quality, and learner success. ### Natalya H. Bah — Instructor Natalya Bah has been a part-time instructor at the Graduate School USA for over fifteen years. Natalya teaches across multiple curricula, including Leadership and Management, Project Management, and Human Resources. She has created a curriculum for the school, including Change Management Workshops and project management courses. She has served as an action learning coach, instructor, and facilitator for government leadership programs in the Center for Leadership and Management. Natalya also provides self-assessments and dynamic team-building sessions on behalf of the Graduate School USA. Outside of Graduate School USA, Ms. Bah is a self-employed business owner providing executive coaching, training, and consulting services to the public and private sectors. She created the Define and Achieve Your Goals Process™ and is a certified Birkman Method© Consultant. She received her Master of Science degree in Project Management from George Washington University’s School of Business, where she served as a teaching assistant and received the Project Management Award. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). ### Michiel Pruijssers Michiel is a Principal Designer and Forward Deployed Engineer at Microsoft's Industry Solutions Engineering Division, where he partners with strategic enterprise customers to architect and ship production AI systems. With over 15 years of experience, he operates at the intersection of user research, design, engineering, and cloud architecture, anchored by deep expertise in machine learning. His career spans senior roles at Snorkel AI, Determined.ai, and earlier Microsoft teams behind foundational AI products including LUIS.ai, Azure Bot Service, and Azure Stack, where he led both customer discovery and platform design for some of the industry's most technically ambitious ML offerings. He pairs rigorous qualitative research with hands-on building, shipping his own production SaaS products in Python while also teaching students through cohort-based AI courses. His instruction is grounded in real practice: what it takes to design, build, and operate AI systems that actually hold up in the wild. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $299