AI Skills Studio is a space within Handshake where students can build practical AI skills through hands-on activities called missions. It helps students gain confidence using AI tools they may encounter in their coursework, job search, and careers—regardless of their background, major, or degree.
AI Skills Studio complements the work your team is already doing by giving students a free, scalable way to practice on their own time and build tangible evidence of their skills. It’s available right where students are already exploring opportunities and connecting with employers.
Participation is completely optional, and missions are designed for students across majors and career paths. No technical experience is required.
Below are some FAQs to help answer common questions about AI Skills Studio on Handshake.
Note: AI Skills Studio is currently in Beta and may not yet be available to all students. Availability may vary by school as we continue to expand access.
General
Who can use AI Skills Studio? Anyone with a Handshake student account. It's open to all, from students to recent grads including career changers and experienced professionals.
Is AI Skills Studio a separate product, or is it part of the Handshake platform my school already uses? AI Skills Studio is part of Handshake. Students do not need a separate account or login. They can access AI Skills by selecting AI Skills in the left-hand navigation menu or by visiting app.joinhandshake.com/learn while logged in to Handshake.
Does AI Skills Studio cost anything? No. AI Skills Studio is included with students’ existing Handshake access at no additional cost to students or institutions.
Could students still have to pay for anything? Possibly. Some missions may use paid features of third-party AI tools, such as Gemini or ChatGPT. Any costs associated with these tools are separate from Handshake. Students may already have access to these tools on their own or through their school, and some mission partners may offer redeemable access as part of the mission. Before starting, each mission clearly identifies any third-party tools, paid features, or account requirements students may need. To learn more about partner offers, refer to Partner Offers in AI Skills Studio.
Access & Eligibility
Which students can access AI Skills Studio? Currently, AI Skills Studio is available only to students at schools participating in the Beta. We plan to make AI Skills Studio available to all students on Handshake over time.
Can Handshake AI (HAI) Fellows access AI Skills Studio? Yes. Many HAI Fellows can access AI Skills Studio through their Handshake student account. Because AI Skills Studio is available to students with a Handshake student account, Fellows who have one can access AI Skills Studio without any additional setup through HAI.
Missions & Content
What is a mission? A mission is a short, guided project that helps students build a specific AI skill through hands-on practice. Missions use real tools and workflows and end with a tangible deliverable that students can keep and share.
For more information about the student process of completing a mission, refer to How do I complete a mission in AI Skills Studio?
What skills and topics do missions cover? Missions are developed with partner companies and are designed around real workplace tools and workflows. Students can find missions by Month’s Challenge, Featured Missions, Partner, Topic, or Career Path, or browse the full catalog. There is no required order, and students can choose any mission that interests them.
Do students receive a badge, certificate, or credential for completing a mission? Not in the traditional sense. AI Skills Studio missions are designed to help students practice AI skills and create something they can show for it, rather than earn a certificate or credential. Each mission ends with a tangible project or artifact that students can use to demonstrate what they’ve learned. Depending on the mission, this might include a personal website, data dashboard, marketing plan, or company hiring brief.
Students can then share their work directly on their Handshake profile or submit it to the AI Showcase to highlight their skills and projects to employers. To learn more about AI Showcase, check out AI Showcase in Handshake.
Can career center staff see which students have completed missions? Reporting on mission completion isn’t currently available, though it’s something we may support in the future. For now, students who complete a mission and build a project can showcase their work on their Handshake profile and receive an AI Project Builder badge. Staff can also encourage students to share their projects or add them to the AI Showcase.
Can students complete missions on their phones? Students can access AI Skills Studio, work through missions, and use the AI Skills Instructor on a mobile device. However, they’ll need a desktop computer to submit a completed mission.
What is a challenge? Each month, we spotlight select missions as a Monthly Challenge. Every challenge has a clear deadline, giving students a reason to start now and an opportunity to put their work in the spotlight. Challenge submissions may receive extra visibility through Handshake and our partners, and some challenges offer prizes, recognition, or other opportunities to celebrate outstanding work.
Partner AI Tools
Some missions mention partner AI tools. How do students get access? The actual building and project work for most missions happens in third-party tools, not inside Handshake. Before starting a mission, students should check the Requirements section. It explains exactly which tools and accounts they need.
Can students use personal accounts instead of school-provided accounts? Yes. Students can use a school-provided account, if available, or a personal account to access third-party tools.
Work they create for a mission belongs to them and can be saved and shared with employers. If they use a school account, they should save or export their work before graduation, since school accounts may be deactivated.
Promoting AI Skills Studio to Your Students
Want to get the word out to your student population? Check out the AI Skills Studio EDU marketing toolkit for ready-to-use materials.
Note: This toolkit is currently separate from the general EDU marketing toolkit, though the two may be combined in the future.