Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs
Free Advanced course · 12 lessons · 4 weeks · Certificate on completion
Take an open model and make it yours: dataset prep, LoRA training, evaluation, and deployment. Across 12 lessons you'll move from fundamentals to a portfolio-ready outcome — at your own pace, with quizzes after each lesson and a final exam to certify your mastery.
What you'll learn
- When fine-tuning beats prompting
- Choosing a base model
- Dataset design and cleaning
- Instruction and chat formats
- LoRA and QLoRA explained
- Running your first training job
Skills you'll pick up
- When fine-tuning beats prompting
- Choosing a base model
- Dataset design and cleaning
- Instruction and chat formats
- LoRA and QLoRA explained
- Running your first training job
Tools covered
- LLM Fine-Tuning
- Real-world projects
- Quizzes
- Final exam
Course modules
Module 1: When fine-tuning beats prompting
Module 1 of Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs. 3 lessons · 3h
Module 2: Choosing a base model
Module 2 of Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs. 3 lessons · 3h
Module 3: Dataset design and cleaning
Module 3 of Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs. 3 lessons · 3h
Module 4: Instruction and chat formats
Module 4 of Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs. 3 lessons · 3h
Lessons in this course
- When fine-tuning beats prompting
- Choosing a base model
- Dataset design and cleaning
- Instruction and chat formats
- LoRA and QLoRA explained
- Running your first training job
- Hyperparameters that matter
- Evaluating a fine-tuned model
- Quantization and serving
- Cost and hardware planning
- Failure modes and overfitting
- Shipping a fine-tuned model
Instructor
Daniel Brooks — AI Product Lead
Daniel Brooks is a AI Product Lead with years of hands-on experience teaching LLM Fine-Tuning to thousands of learners worldwide.
Certificate
Finish every lesson and pass the final exam to earn a free, verifiable Learnera certificate for Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs. It can be downloaded as a PDF and shared on LinkedIn.
Career outcomes
Median global salary $145,000 per year · median India salary ₹20,30,000 per year · 116,289 open roles worldwide
- LLM Fine-Tuning Specialist
- Senior LLM Fine-Tuning Lead
- LLM Fine-Tuning Consultant
Frequently asked questions
Is the Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs course free?
Yes. Every Learnera course, including Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs, is completely free — lessons, quizzes, the final exam, and the certificate.
How long does Fine-Tuning Open-Source LLMs take?
12 lessons, typically completed in 4 weeks at a comfortable pace.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes — pass the final exam and you receive a free, verifiable certificate you can share on LinkedIn.