As part of our effort at the UConn Digital Frontiers Initiative, we offer an intensive one-day Executive Workshop on Generative AI for business leaders, managers and data scientists. Using tools provided in class, we cover the following course content. You do not need to know programming to benefit from this workshop.

1. GenAI Introduction and Prompt Engineering
   Get started with the foundational concepts of generative AI and learn how to craft prompts that produce consistent, useful outputs.
   • Fundamentals of GenAI & Large Language Models (LLMs).
   • How to customize LLMs for your business applications.
   • Prompting engineering (e.g., few-shot, chain-of-thought) and hands-on exercise.
2. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
   Build scalable, knowledge-grounded chatbot with your organization’s private knowledge.
   • The RAG pipeline and business cases.
   • Embeddings, vector databases, and semantic search explained.
   • Hands-on exercise to create a RAG-based chatbot.
3. AI Agents and Workflows
   Explore agentic systems that reason, plan, and act with tools.
   • What makes an AI agent?
   • Business cases: AI for BI, code generation, deep research, and more.
   • Hands-on exercise to create an AI agent and workflow.
4. Evaluations and Team Integrations
   Explore how to structure AI initiatives with robust governance and long-term adaptability.
   • Transparency, hallucination, and evaluation frameworks.
   • Structuring teams for experimentation, deployment, and governance.
   • Business transformation using GenAI.

The workshop is based on the key learnings from my semester-long master class for the MS BAPM and FinTech programs (more info below). It typically takes the format of one-day training of 6 hours, but can be customized to the length and format most suited for your needs (e.g., 2-3 days). For workshop related inquiries, contact us here, or email me directly at weichen@uconn.edu.

OPIM 5515: Generative AI for Business is a graduate course designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to leverage generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) in business contexts. It was first offered in Fall 2024.

Course Description

This course will delve into the core mechanisms of GenAI, focusing on Large Language Models (LLMs). Participants will explore advanced techniques in prompt engineering, retrieval augmented generation (RAG), agentic systems, fine-tuning LLMs, and ensuring the safety and ethical use of GenAI. The curriculum balances theoretical knowledge with hands-on exercises, enabling participants to apply GenAI innovations to real-world business challenges effectively. By demystifying the complexities of LLMs, this course aims to empower students to leverage these powerful models for creating innovative solutions and navigating the dynamic landscape of generative AI with confidence. By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Articulate the essentials of LLM architecture, training methodologies, and business applications.
• Implement effective prompt engineering strategies to develop robust business applications.
• Integrate RAG into LLM applications to provide coherent and contextually relevant responses.
• Design agentic systems that incorporate tools, workflows, and multi-agent architectures.
• Customize LLMs using fine-tuning, balancing model capabilities and computational demands.
• Address safety and ethics issues in LLM applications.
• Engage in thoughtful discussions on the transformative potential of GenAI.

This course does require that you have some basic knowledge of machine learning and programming. But in general, this is not a coding heavy class. Instead, the focus is on creating business applications utilizing the rich ecosystem that has been built on top of LLMs.

University of Connecticut, 2023 - present

• OPIM 5515 (formerly 5894): Generative AI for Business
  • Fall 2024: 46 MS students, rating 5/5
• OPIM 3505: Business Database Management
  • Fall 2023: 18 undergraduate students, rating 5/5
  • Fall 2024: 17 undergraduate students, rating 5/5
• OPIM 5272: Data Management and Business Process Modeling
  • Fall 2023: 22 MS students, rating 5/5

University of Arizona, 2015 - 2023 (1,034 students)

• MIS 611C: Economics of Information Systems
  • Fall 2020 & 2022: 21 PhD students
  • Avg. rating: 4.96/5
• MIS 543 Online: Business Data Communications & Networking
  • Fall 2019 - Spring 2023: 263 MS students (online, Cybersecurity and MIS)
  • Avg. rating: 4.7/5
• MIS 543: Business Data Communications & Networking
  • Fall 2016 - Fall 2022: 464 MS students
  • Avg. rating: 4.6/5
• MIS 307: Business Data Communications
  • Fall 2015 - Fall 2018: 286 undergraduate students
  • Avg. rating: 4.5/5

UC San Diego, 2013 (32 students)

• MGT 103: Product Marketing and Management
  • Summer 2013: 32 undergraduate students
  • Avg. rating: 4.2/5