Copilot Studio & Microsoft Foundry: A Beginner's Learning Curriculum

Outcome: Can explain agents, topics, and knowledge; has created a working agent in a trial environment.

• DocWhat is Microsoft Copilot Studio?

  The orientation read — capabilities, licensing, where it fits.
  0.5 h
• DocAgents hub: What is an agent?

  The mental model for agentic computing across Microsoft.
  0.5 h
• ModuleGet started with Microsoft Copilot Studio

  Hands-on intro module — key building blocks.
  1.5 h
• DocBuild an agent with generative AI from the ground up

  Create your first agent end-to-end with the new experience.
  1.5 h
• CertPL-900: Power Platform Fundamentals

  Optional but recommended — it anchors Copilot Studio in the Power Platform ecosystem it builds on.
  cert
• ShowMastering Copilot Studio (video series)

  Watch a few episodes alongside reading for visual reinforcement.
  browse

Build real agents — topics, entities, variables, knowledge sources, actions — test them, and publish to Teams / a website. The 6-module Microsoft Learn path is the spine here.

• ModuleBuild an initial agent

  Stand up an agent and understand its anatomy.
  1.5 h
• ModuleManage topics

  Trigger phrases and conversation paths — the heart of authoring.
  2 h
• ModuleWork with entities and variables

  Extract and store information during conversations.
  2 h
• ModuleEnhance agents (Power Automate, handoff)

  Add actions via flows and hand off to live agents.
  2 h
• ModuleBuild effective agents

  Design principles and best practices.
  1.5 h
• DocAdd knowledge sources

  Ground agents in SharePoint, files, and public websites.
  1 h
• DocPublish & deploy to channels (Teams, web)

  Get your agent in front of real users.
  1 h
• LabAgent in a Day (instructor-led workshop)

  Free, hands-on, guided build — an excellent capstone for level 200.
  full day

Move from conversational bots to capable, autonomous agents — custom tools, connectors, MCP servers, agent flows, prompts / code interpreter — plus the "enterprise" disciplines of governance, security, ALM, and evaluation.

• DocAdd tools to custom agents

  Give agents real capabilities beyond chat.
  1.5 h
• DocUse connectors

  Tap 1000+ Power Platform connectors — familiar territory for makers.
  1 h
• DocBuild agent flows with natural language

  Deterministic automation inside agentic experiences. Then: add a flow to an agent.
  2 h
• DocCustom prompts & code interpreter (Python)

  Prompt engineering and on-the-fly code execution as tools.
  2 h
• DocModel Context Protocol (MCP) in Copilot Studio

  Connect agents to MCP servers & their tools — a key modern skill. Then connect an existing MCP server.
  2 h
• DocChoose evaluation methods & build test sets

  Measure quality systematically — vital for production.
  1.5 h
• DocConfigure data policies (DLP) & authentication

  Security & compliance guardrails and end-user auth.
  1.5 h
• DocWork with environments (ALM)

  Dev/test/prod separation and solution lifecycle.
  1 h
• ProgramCopilot Studio Agent Academy

  Curated lessons to master agent building — great structured 300-level reinforcement.
  series

Orchestrate agents that call other agents — the headline objective of the advanced track. Learn connected/child agents in Copilot Studio, then bridge to pro-code orchestration with the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK and Microsoft Agent Framework, plus enterprise identity & governance for agents at scale.

• DocAdd other agents (overview)

  The conceptual entry point for agent-to-agent composition.
  1 h
• DocAdd a child agent

  Delegate specialized work to sub-agents.
  1.5 h
• DocConnect to an existing Copilot Studio agent

  Wire independent agents together.
  1.5 h
• DocMicrosoft 365 Agents SDK

  Build code-first agents deployable to any channel.
  3 h
• DocMicrosoft Agent Framework

  Open-source kit for agents & multi-agent workflows — the orchestration backbone.
  3 h
• DocAgent orchestration design patterns

  Sequential, concurrent, handoff, and group-chat patterns.
  1.5 h
• DocMicrosoft Entra Agent ID

  First-class identity, ownership & access control for agents.
  1 h

Outcome: Can navigate the Foundry portal, deploy a model, and explain core gen-AI & responsible-AI concepts — and is ready for the new AI-901 exam.

• DocWhat is Microsoft Foundry?

  The "AI app and agent factory" — platform orientation.
  0.5 h
• DocChoose how to build

  Low-code vs pro-code decision framework.
  0.5 h
• QuickstartBuild with models and agents

  First hands-on in the Foundry portal.
  1.5 h
• PathResponsible AI principles & practices

  Required knowledge for AI-901 and good practice.
  2 h
• CertAI-901: Azure AI Fundamentals (new)

  Target exam for Foundry 100. Explicitly covers implementing AI solutions with Microsoft Foundry.
  cert
• HubAI learning hub

  Broader catalog to browse as curiosity strikes.
  browse

Build generative AI applications and agents on Foundry — selecting and deploying models, adding tools & RAG, optimizing performance, evaluating, and applying responsible AI. Anchored by the official 6-module path (AI-3016).

• ModulePlan & prepare to develop AI solutions on Azure

  Pick services and set up your environment.
  1.5 h
• ModuleSelect, deploy & evaluate Foundry models

  Use benchmarks; deploy to endpoints; evaluate.
  2 h
• ModuleDevelop a generative AI chat app with Foundry

  Build with projects and the Responses API.
  2.5 h
• ModuleDevelop generative AI apps that use tools

  Let models call external systems — the agentic leap.
  2.5 h
• ModuleOptimize model performance (prompting, RAG, fine-tuning)

  When to use each technique and how to combine them.
  2 h
• ModuleImplement responsible generative AI in Foundry

  Content safety and risk mitigation.
  1.5 h
• DocFoundry Agent Service overview

  Orchestrate & host agents to automate business processes. Then create a prompt agent.
  2 h
• ToolMicrosoft Foundry for VS Code

  Develop agents right in the editor.
  setup