← All 186 courses
AI-501 AI & Data

Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) Program

Build the rare hybrid the market cannot hire enough of: engineers who scope, prototype, build and land AI solutions directly with business stakeholders. Twelve modules and 36 labs spanning discovery, rapid solutioning, hardening, deployment and executive communication, closing with a full client-simulation capstone.

B5Advanced
6modules
40skill atoms
2role journeys
Curriculum

What this course covers.

6 modules, 40 named skill atoms. Expand any module to see them.

1Discovery & Scoping7 skill atoms
stakeholder interviewsproblem framingsuccess contractscurrent-process mappingdata access reality checkdecision-maker identificationout-of-scope statement
2Rapid Prototyping7 skill atoms
thin-slice buildsdemo craftfeedback loopssandboxed client data48-hour build disciplinedeliberate fake-it seamsdemo failure recovery
3Solution Hardening6 skill atoms
from prototype to pilotsecurity & data realityauth & tenancyPII handlingretries & error handlingdependency risk review
4Deployment & Handover7 skill atoms
landing in client infraenablementrunbooksclient network & approval constraintsCI/CD in their toolchainadmin trainingexit checklist
5Executive Communication7 skill atoms
demos to CXOsobjection handlingvalue narrationbusiness-outcome framingcost & ROI narrativerisk answered without hedgingfollow-up commitments
6FDE Simulation Capstone6 skill atoms
end-to-end client engagementpanel-evaluateddiscovery to handover in one briefscope-change curveballevidence packlive demo & panel Q&A
Where it fits

AI-501 in the role journeys.

This course appears in 2 of our 45 role journeys. Here is what a learner takes immediately before and after it in each.

Forward Deployed Engineer

Capstone stage
AI-311AI-501journey complete

Solutions / Sales Engineer

Capstone stage
AI-508AI-501journey complete

Roles this course serves

The capability ladder

This course is authored to band B5.

Every course we run is written to one rung of the CASI ladder, so a plan can be assembled to take a team from where they are to where they need to be.

What do B1–B6 mean?The CASI Capability Ladder — click to expand

Every course targets a band on the CASI Capability Ladder — our six-band proficiency scale, anchored to open standards (O*NET, ESCO, NICE, NIST AI RMF, Bloom's). A band tells you how deep a course goes, and what evidence proves it.

What the learner can doTypical evidence
B1
AwareUnderstands concepts and vocabulary; uses tools with guidance
Knowledge checks
B2
FoundationPerforms standard tasks correctly in familiar contexts
Guided labs, autograded exercises
B3
PractitionerDelivers complete pieces of work independently
Scenario labs, proctored hands-on exams
B4
ProfessionalHandles production-grade complexity, trade-offs and failure modes
Break-fix drills, design defenses
B5
AdvancedEngineers systems end-to-end under constraints; leads others
Rubric-scored capstones, vivas
B6
ExpertSets direction; recognised authority across teams
Portfolio + panel evaluation

A note on B6. Courses in this catalog target B1–B5. B6 is not taught — it is recognised, through a portfolio and a panel, once someone is setting direction for others. Every journey here is built to land a learner at B5.

Next step

Run AI-501 for your team.

This course runs at several lengths depending on how deep you need to go and how much of it your people already have. Tell us who is being trained and we will scope it.

Add it to a training plan Talk to our team Check your team’s level free