Course IntroductionLesson 4 of 6

Prerequisites

Good news — this course has almost no prerequisites. Here is exactly what you need (and what you do not need) before you begin.

The Short Answer

If you completed the previous two lessons — What is Claude? and Getting Started — you already have everything you need to follow this course from beginning to end.

  • ✓
    A device with a web browser
    Phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop — all work.
  • ✓
    A free Claude account
    Created at claude.ai — takes 60 seconds.
  • ✓
    Basic ability to type and read English
    Claude also supports many other languages, but this course is in English.
  • ✓
    Curiosity and willingness to experiment
    The single most important ingredient.
No coding knowledge required. This course teaches you to use Claude as a tool — you will not be writing software (unless you want to explore the Claude Code section later).

What You Do NOT Need

Many people hesitate to start an AI course because they assume it requires a technical background. Here is a clear list of things that are not required.

💻
No programming experience needed
You will never write a single line of code in this course (the Claude Code section is optional, and even there Claude writes the code for you).
🧠
No AI or machine learning knowledge
You do not need to understand how Claude works internally. You just need to know how to talk to it — and that is exactly what we teach.
💳
No paid subscription
Everything in this course works on Claude's free tier. The Pro plan offers higher limits, but it is completely optional.
📚
No prior AI tool experience
Never used ChatGPT, Gemini, or any AI assistant before? That's fine — we start from scratch.
🖥️
No special hardware or software
Claude runs in the browser. You do not need a powerful computer, a GPU, or any installed software.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is designed primarily for beginners, but it has value for all skill levels.

🌱
Complete Beginner
Never used any AI assistant before. Want to understand what Claude is and how to use it effectively.
Perfect fit
⚡
Some Experience
Used ChatGPT or Gemini casually. Want to get deeper knowledge and learn Claude's specific strengths.
Great fit
🚀
Power User
Already use AI daily. Want to explore Claude Code, Cowork, and Plugins in depth.
Skip to section 2

Check Your Setup in 30 Seconds

Follow these three quick checks to confirm you are ready to start.

Check 1 — You can reach claude.ai

claude.ai
🧠
Claude is loading⬦
Connecting to claude.ai ✓
If you see the Claude home screen (or login page) you are good to go

Check 2 — You are logged in

claude.ai
How can I help you?
Message Claude⬦
Write codeSummarise docExplain concept
If you see a text box saying 'Message Claude⬦' you are logged in and ready

Check 3 — Send a test message

claude.ai
Hello Claude
C
Hello! It's great to meet you. I'm Claude, an AI assistant made by Anthropic. How can I help you today?
Type 'Hello Claude' and press Enter — if you get a reply, everything is working
All three checks passed? You are fully set up and ready to continue with the rest of the course.

Optional but Helpful

These are not required, but if you have them they will make some lessons more interesting.

📄
A document or article you want to summarise
The summarisation lessons are more engaging when you use something you actually care about — a work report, a news article, a chapter from a textbook.
✉️
A real email or message to rewrite
The writing lessons work best when you have a real-world piece of text to improve. A professional email is perfect.
💡
A problem you are currently trying to solve
The best way to learn Claude is to use it for something you genuinely need. Keep a real problem in mind as you go through the course.

Key Takeaways

  • ✅You only need a browser, a free Claude account, and the ability to type — nothing else.
  • 🚫No coding, no AI expertise, no paid subscription, and no special hardware required.
  • 🌱This course is built for complete beginners, but experienced users will find value in the advanced sections.
  • 🔍Run the three setup checks to confirm everything is working before moving on.
  • 💡Having a real document, email, or problem to work on makes the lessons much more practical.

What's Next

Prerequisites covered. Next up: a tour of all the things you can do with Claude's different tools — chat, code, cowork, and more.