AI Free course · Certificate included
Model Context Protocol (MCP): Connect AI to Your Tools and Data
Design, build, secure and ship MCP servers and clients that connect Claude, ChatGPT, IDEs and agents to real business systems
- Advanced
- 8 h 19 min
- 18 lessons in 7 modules
- 2 h 42 min of video lectures
- Updated Sep 2026
About this course
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the open standard for connecting AI applications to tools and data, now governed by the Agentic AI Foundation and updated in the stateless 2026-07-28 specification. This advanced, hands-on course takes you from why MCP exists to running it in production. You will learn the host–client–server architecture, tools, resources and prompts, elicitation and multi round-trip requests, extensions such as Tasks and MCP Apps, and the stdio and Streamable HTTP transports. You will build servers with the official Python and TypeScript v2 SDKs, design tools models use well, connect them to Claude, ChatGPT, VS Code and your own agents, and write your own client. You will implement OAuth 2.1 authorization correctly, defend against tool poisoning, prompt injection and confused-deputy attacks, test with the MCP Inspector, deploy remote servers, publish to registries, and govern an enterprise rollout. The capstone builds and ships an MCP server for a marketing CRM dataset.
Tools you’ll use
- MCP Python SDK
- MCP TypeScript SDK
- MCP Inspector
- MCP Registry
- Claude Desktop
- Claude Code
- ChatGPT
- VS Code
- Cursor
- Claude API
- OpenAI Agents SDK
- OAuth 2.1
- Docker
- SQLite
- Zod
Skills
- Model Context Protocol
- MCP server development
- AI tool integration
- OAuth 2.1 for AI apps
- AI security
- API design for LLMs
- Python
- TypeScript
What you’ll be able to do
- Explain MCP's architecture, primitives and what changed in the 2026-07-28 specification
- Build MCP servers in Python and TypeScript with the official v2 SDKs
- Design tools, resources and prompts that models select and use reliably
- Connect servers to Claude, ChatGPT, IDEs and custom agents, and build your own MCP client
- Implement OAuth 2.1 authorization with audience validation, scopes and no token passthrough
- Defend against tool poisoning, prompt injection, confused deputies and classic web flaws
- Test, deploy, publish and govern MCP servers across an organization
Curriculum
Syllabus
- Modules
- 7
- Lessons
- 18
- Reading time
- 5 h
- Assessment questions
- 30
The integration problem MCP solves, its governance and version history, and the host–client–server architecture including the stateless 2026-07-28 core.
- Why MCP exists: the integration problem it solvesVideo lecture, 9′13 min
- MCP architecture: hosts, clients, servers and the protocolVideo lecture, 9′15 min
Tools, resources and prompts; elicitation, multi round-trip requests, deprecated features and extensions; and the stdio and Streamable HTTP transports.
- Server primitives: tools, resources and promptsVideo lecture, 9′15 min
- Client features, multi round-trip requests and extensionsVideo lecture, 9′15 min
- Transports: stdio, Streamable HTTP and running at scaleVideo lecture, 9′14 min
Hands-on servers with the official v2 SDKs in Python and TypeScript, plus the design principles that make tools reliable for models.
- Build an MCP server in Python with the official SDKVideo lecture, 9′18 min
- Build an MCP server in TypeScript with the official SDKVideo lecture, 9′17 min
- Designing MCP tools and servers that LLMs use wellVideo lecture, 9′15 min
Connecting servers to Claude, ChatGPT, IDEs and agent SDKs, and building your own MCP client that bridges tools from many servers into any model.
- Connecting MCP servers to Claude, ChatGPT, IDEs and agentsVideo lecture, 9′15 min
- Building MCP clients and wiring them into your own agentVideo lecture, 9′16 min
OAuth 2.1 for remote servers with resource indicators, issuer validation and CIMD, and defending against tool poisoning, injection, confused deputies and classic web flaws.
- Authorization for remote MCP servers: OAuth done rightVideo lecture, 9′18 min
- MCP security: tool poisoning, injection, confused deputies and least privilegeVideo lecture, 9′18 min
Testing and debugging with the Inspector and automated suites, deploying remote servers and publishing to registries, and running MCP as a governed enterprise program.
- Testing and debugging MCP servers with the Inspector and automated testsVideo lecture, 9′14 min
- Deploying remote MCP servers and publishing to registriesVideo lecture, 9′15 min
- Rolling out MCP across an organizationVideo lecture, 9′14 min
Design, build, secure, test and ship crescent-crm, a production-style MCP server over a marketing and CRM dataset.
- Capstone part 1: design an MCP server for a marketing CRM datasetVideo lecture, 9′16 min
- Capstone part 2: build crescent-crm in PythonVideo lecture, 9′24 min
- Capstone part 3: secure, test and ship crescent-crmVideo lecture, 9′20 min
- Final assessment
Your certificate
Finish with a credential anyone can check
Earn the Certified MCP Integration Engineer badge: The holder can design, build, secure and ship Model Context Protocol integrations: servers in Python and TypeScript with well-designed tools, resources and prompts; connections to AI hosts and custom clients; OAuth 2.1 authorization with audience validation and scopes; defenses against tool poisoning and prompt injection; and testing, deployment, registry publishing and enterprise governance.
Completed all lessons and scored at least 80% on the final assessment.
- A public verification page
- A PDF certificate to download
- An Open Badge you can share
- One click to your LinkedIn profile
Final assessment
- 30questions drawn from a larger pool
- 45 mintime limit
- 80%pass mark
- 3attempts per 24 hours
Start learning today. It’s free.
Every lesson is free to read. A free account saves your progress, unlocks the final assessment and issues your certificate.