--- title: "Model Context Protocol (MCP): Connect AI to Your Tools and…" description: "Design, build, secure and ship MCP servers and clients that connect Claude, ChatGPT, IDEs and agents to real business systems" url: https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp updated: 2026-10-05 --- AI · Advanced · 499 minutes · free · updated Sep 2026 # 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 - **Lessons:** 18 in 7 modules - **Video lectures:** 18 lectures, 162 minutes - **Updated:** Sep 2026 ## 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 [Start the course](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/why-mcp-the-integration-problem) ## 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. ## What you will learn - 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 ## Before you start - [Latest AI Techniques: RAG, Tool Use, Agents & MCP](https://optimizeall.com/learn/latest-ai-techniques-rag-agents-mcp) - [Building Production AI Agents](https://optimizeall.com/learn/ai-agents-engineering) ## Course content ### Why MCP and how it works 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 solves](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/why-mcp-the-integration-problem): 13 min - [MCP architecture: hosts, clients, servers and the protocol](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/mcp-architecture): 15 min ### Primitives, client features and transports 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 prompts](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/server-primitives-tools-resources-prompts): 15 min - [Client features, multi round-trip requests and extensions](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/client-features-elicitation-mrtr-extensions): 15 min - [Transports: stdio, Streamable HTTP and running at scale](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/transports-stdio-streamable-http): 14 min ### Building MCP servers in Python and TypeScript 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 SDK](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/python-server-with-official-sdk): 18 min - [Build an MCP server in TypeScript with the official SDK](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/typescript-server-with-official-sdk): 17 min - [Designing MCP tools and servers that LLMs use well](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/designing-mcp-tools-for-llms): 15 min ### Connecting hosts and building clients 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 agents](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/connecting-servers-to-ai-hosts): 15 min - [Building MCP clients and wiring them into your own agent](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/building-mcp-clients-and-agent-integration): 16 min ### Authorization and security 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 right](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/authorization-oauth-for-mcp): 18 min - [MCP security: tool poisoning, injection, confused deputies and least privilege](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/mcp-security-threats-and-defenses): 18 min ### MCP in production 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 tests](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/testing-and-debugging-mcp-servers): 14 min - [Deploying remote MCP servers and publishing to registries](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/remote-deployment-and-registries): 15 min - [Rolling out MCP across an organization](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/enterprise-mcp-rollout): 14 min ### Capstone: an MCP server for a marketing CRM 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 dataset](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/capstone-design-crm-mcp-server): 16 min - [Capstone part 2: build crescent-crm in Python](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/capstone-build-crm-mcp-server): 24 min - [Capstone part 3: secure, test and ship crescent-crm](https://optimizeall.com/learn/model-context-protocol-mcp/capstone-secure-test-ship-crm-mcp): 20 min ## Certificate: Certified MCP Integration Engineer 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. - **Final assessment:** 30 questions, 45 minutes - **Passing score:** 80%