This beginner-friendly course introduces the core programming concepts used throughout the Specialization and prepares you for later study in AI-based optimization and data analysis. It aims to build the MATLAB skills you need to start working with AI and data-driven science and engineering applications.

You will learn how to work with variables, matrices, scripts, loops, functions, and built-in MATLAB tools. The course also covers practical data handling techniques, including tables, cell arrays, categorical data, encoding, and data visualization. These skills are essential for preparing engineering data and building reliable computational workflows. By the end of the course, you will be able to use MATLAB with greater confidence to organize data, write basic programs, and prepare for more advanced work in AI, evolutionary computation, and machine learning. In partnership with MathWorks, enrolled learners receive access to MATLAB for the duration of the course.