George Fox U Free AI Basics and AI Advanced Short Certificates

[Jonathan Whatley]

George Fox University has launched two new self-paced, free short courses for the public – AI BASICS: Fluency & Discernment and AI ADVANCED: Leadership & Wisdom.

The two online courses are designed to empower people ranging from tech novices to organizational leaders and provide a comprehensive toolkit for navigating the AI revolution. The curriculum goes beyond technical skills to address the ethical, social and theological dimensions of this rapidly evolving technology.

Both courses are delivered through the George Fox online learning platform, making them available to working professionals, students and lifelong learners. Each course consists of five modules, requiring approximately one hour per module to complete. Every module features an engaging video presentation, an automated quiz, hands-on learning activities, and curated supplemental resources.

While the courses do not give university academic credit, students who successfully complete all five modules in sequence will earn a Certificate of Completion from George Fox University to display on their résumés and LinkedIn profiles.

The AI BASICS: Fluency & Discernment Course is an introductory program designed to build a foundational understanding of generative AI tools and establish a framework for their responsible use. Participants will learn how large language models function, identify major industry players, and develop competence in creating and refining multimedia content through effective prompting.

Additionally, the course emphasizes critical evaluation by teaching students to identify AI risks – such as bias, hallucinations and privacy concerns – and to navigate broader ethical and social controversies with balanced judgment. Ultimately, the curriculum integrates these technical skills with a faith-based framework, aligning AI usage with Christian theology to guide wise, responsible decision-making in both personal and professional contexts.

The AI ADVANCED: Leadership & Wisdom Course is a strategic program tailored for individuals ready to move beyond basic prompting and focus on organizational integration, sophisticated workflows, and technological leadership. Participants will learn to orchestrate complex, multi-step AI agents and automations, while responsibly customizing specialized AI platforms to fit specific organizational or domain needs.

The curriculum also prepares leaders to guide institutions through change management and AI governance, while critically analyzing the technology's broader impacts on labor, power, creativity and truth. Grounding these advanced practices in a faith-based perspective, the course integrates Christian theology and reflection to foster wise, long-term leadership in an evolving technological landscape.

The courses are designed to give professionals a distinct advantage – combining cutting-edge technical workflows with the deep, values-driven discernment our world desperately needs right now. “This is one of the only high-level, organized courses of this type infused with a Christian faith perspective,” said Brian Doak, vice president of digital programs and academic innovation. “We're so excited to offer this expert content, for free, to our local community and also to the entire world.”

George Fox University is Oregon’s largest private university. It’s affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church International, a branch of Quakerism that’s remained part of Evangelical Christianity.

Free Online AI Certificate Courses (landing page)

George Fox Launches Free AI Certificate Courses (news release, August 17, 2026)

[Vle045]

Interesting. I’m going to try it out

[Maltus]

Do you get a certificate after finishing? I think the advanced course is very interesting!
Thank you for that finde!

[Jonathan Whatley]

Do you get a certificate after finishing? I think the advanced course is very interesting!
Thank you for that finde!

“students who successfully complete all five modules in sequence will earn a Certificate of Completion from George Fox University to display on their résumés and LinkedIn profiles.”

Probably a digital certificate, not physical.

[Maltus]

Thank you I just signed up for both courses :-)
Will tell you, how it goes.

[Maltus]

So here is my experience with the courses:

AI and (Christian) Ethics – Do They Go Together? That is 2/5 of the courses while 3/5 is pracitcal use of AI.

I used part of my vacation to take the two courses at George Fox University in Oregon. Online, of course — I didn’t fly to the States just for that :-)

George Fox University is affiliated with evangelical Quakers and therefore represents a fairly progressive form of Christianity (MAGA — no way!). In two courses, they combined the practical use of AI with ethical principles. So not the Elon Musk approach of: I can do it and I will do it! — but rather the question: Which tasks can we entrust to AI without allowing it to make ethically or morally questionable decisions without human review?

I learned a lot about the practical use of AI, including how to build my first AI agent, which I will also use in my job!

To finish I needed about 1h of time for each module. It consists of a video by various professors, a quizz (which can be taken again if you fail) and a practical task (like builiding an AI-Agent) and reflecting on it in an essay (around 500 Words). Downer (or qiuality): The essay is checked by AI but not graded. So you cant just put in any text, it should correspond with the questions given with the topic of the essay. So you really have to make up your mind.

I realy really liked that courses. Not because of the certificates (have a look I posted them), but because it showed me that you can use AI without having to do everything that seems technically possible. Instead, AI can be a responsible and helpful tool if it is used appropriately.

So if you want to learn about AI and using AI as more than a chatbot, go for that freebee! It IS quality I'd say.
Unfortunately since it is free you don't get any credit for it - but since I don't need any credits and did it for the content I'm quite happy with the courses!