The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Center for Professional Education will launch two online AI programs in September, giving working professionals a chance to build practical skills across different experience levels. The courses-a one-day workshop and an eight-week cybersecurity certification prep-reflect growing employer demand for employees who can use AI tools effectively and responsibly.
The offerings are AI Essentials with Prompting, a live online workshop on Sept. 15 and 17, and CompTIA Security AI+ Certification Prep, an eight-week live online course starting Sept. 19. John Freeze, director of the Center for Professional Education, said both programs are instructor-led and designed to fit the schedules of working adults. "These courses came from employees and students asking for them," Freeze said. "Part of UTC's role is to educate and elevate the community, and that is the driving force behind this."
AI Essentials: Practical fluency for any professional
The $699 workshop meets from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on both days and awards 1.6 CEUs. It targets people who want to use AI with more confidence but haven't had guided instruction. Participants explore AI fundamentals, workplace productivity strategies, and responsible use of tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The course is platform-agnostic, so the focus stays on how to think about AI and get better results across different systems.
"This course is built to meet people where they are," Freeze said. "It's platform-agnostic, so it is not just about one tool. It is about helping people understand how to think about AI, how to use it across different platforms and how to get better results from it in their everyday work." He added that many professionals are already expected to use AI for tasks like drafting emails or summarizing meetings, yet they still have questions about what good prompting looks like and how much trust to place in AI-generated output.
Cybersecurity AI+: Defense in an AI-shaped threat environment
The $1,699 certification prep course runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon ET for eight weeks and includes official CompTIA curriculum, course materials, and a voucher for the CompTIA Security AI+ exam. It is built for people already working in cybersecurity, not those seeking an entry point. The curriculum covers threat detection, secure network architecture, identity and access management, risk assessment, cryptography, and compliance-all within a field being reshaped by AI.
Freeze said the program addresses a growing need for professionals who can see AI from both sides of the security equation. "What AI is really good at is problem-solving," he said. "That creates real opportunity, but it also creates real challenges. In cybersecurity, professionals need to be able to look at it from both angles. They need to understand how to use AI tools as part of a defense strategy, but also where AI is being deployed as a threat."
Why this matters for education professionals
For teachers, instructional designers, and school administrators, the UTC programs signal two shifts worth watching. First, AI literacy is no longer a niche skill-it is becoming a baseline expectation across job functions, much like spreadsheet or presentation software a generation ago. Second, specialized fields such as cybersecurity are embedding AI into their core credentialing, which means students entering those careers will need exposure to AI concepts early.
Educators who understand prompting and responsible AI use can model those practices for students and weave them into lesson planning, assessment design, and administrative workflows. The structure of these courses-live, instructor-led, and built around working adults-also offers a template for districts or universities looking to upskill their own staff without pulling them out of their daily responsibilities.
Registration and more details are available at go.utc.edu/ai-programs.
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