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EC Free Coding Academy
Artificial Intelligence & Automation Beginner 1h 22m English

Claude Code Full Course: Autonomous Goals, MCP and VS Code Setup

Free Claude Code course: set up VS Code, use permission modes, Plan Mode, /goal, skills and slash commands, then deploy apps with MCP.

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Chapter 1

Introduction & Course Overview

Sets out what the course covers, from local setup through autonomous goals, skills, MCP, and deployment, so you know what you will be able to do by the end.

Key concepts

  • Course roadmap from install to deployment
  • Where Claude Code fits in a developer workflow
  • What you need before starting

Practice task

Write down one real task in your own project that you want Claude Code to help you finish by the end of the course.

Notes

  • Keep that task in mind; later chapters on goals and MCP are easier to absorb with a concrete target.

What you will learn

  • Install Claude Code locally and run it inside VS Code
  • Choose the right permission mode (Plan, Accept Edits, Auto, Bypass) for a task
  • Use Plan Mode and autonomous goals with /goal to complete multi-step work
  • Install, trigger, and organise Claude skills and project files
  • Manage the context window and token usage during long sessions
  • Use built-in slash commands and GitHub for a safe version control workflow
  • Connect external tools and deploy apps through MCP and the CLI

Prerequisites

  • Basic familiarity with a code editor and the terminal
  • A Claude subscription or API access to run Claude Code
  • A GitHub account for the version control section
  • Optional: a small personal project to practise on

Course resources

What is the Claude Code Full Course?

The Claude Code Full Course is a free, 82-minute beginner course on using Claude Code, Anthropic’s agentic coding tool. It takes you from installing Claude Code and setting up VS Code to running autonomous goals, using skills, managing context, and deploying an app with MCP. It suits developers who want a quick, practical start with AI-assisted coding.

What will you learn?

You will set up a working local environment and learn the controls that matter most day to day. That means knowing which permission mode to use, how Plan Mode and /goal fit together, where Claude Code keeps its configuration, and how to stop long sessions from running out of context. The final chapters connect Claude Code to GitHub and to external services through the Model Context Protocol.

Who is this course best for?

  • Developers trying Claude Code for the first time
  • Engineers who already use AI chat tools and want an agent that edits code directly
  • Students and self-taught programmers who want to ship small projects faster
  • Team leads assessing how an AI coding agent could fit their workflow

How should you study this course?

  1. Watch chapters 1–5 in one sitting and finish installation before moving on.
  2. Study permission modes and Plan Mode slowly. They shape every later session.
  3. Pause after the skills and file structure chapters to set up your own project.
  4. Practise context management and slash commands on a real task, not a toy example.
  5. Finish with GitHub and MCP, then deploy something small from start to finish.

Why was this course selected?

It is short but covers the features that separate a productive Claude Code workflow from casual prompting: permission modes, autonomous goals, skills, context management, and MCP. The chapter order also matches how most people actually adopt the tool.

Strengths

  • Covers modern features such as /goal, skills, and MCP rather than only basic prompting
  • Clear, accurate chapters make it easy to jump back to a specific topic
  • Includes version control and deployment, so the workflow ends with shipped code

Limitations

  • At 82 minutes it gives breadth, not depth. Advanced configuration, hooks, and team setups need further study.
  • AI tools change fast, so check the official Claude Code documentation for any command that behaves differently in your version.

Practice project ideas

  • Personal landing page: plan it in Plan Mode, build it with a goal, commit each step, and deploy it.
  • Commit message skill: write a skill that enforces your team’s commit style and use it for a week.
  • MCP-connected helper: connect an MCP server for a service you already use and automate one repetitive task.

Career relevance

Engineering teams now expect developers to use AI agents confidently and safely. Showing that you can plan agent work, keep the review loop tight, manage context, and connect tools through MCP is practical, visible evidence of modern development skills.

Original creator credit

This course was published by freeCodeCamp.org and developed by Eric Tech. Free Coding Academy curates and organises publicly available learning media for educational purposes and does not own, host, download, or re-upload the video.

FAQ

Is this Claude Code course free?

Yes. The full 82-minute course is free to watch, and this page adds chapter summaries, practice tasks, and notes at no cost. You will need your own Claude access to run Claude Code while following along.

Do I need coding experience to take this Claude Code course?

Basic familiarity with a code editor and the terminal is enough. The course starts with installation and VS Code setup, so beginners can follow it, although having a small project to practise on makes the later chapters more useful.

What are Claude Code permission modes?

Permission modes control how much Claude Code can do without asking. The course compares Plan (read-only planning), Accept Edits, Auto, and Bypass, and explains when each fits. A good rule is to use the most restrictive mode that still lets you make progress.

What does /goal do in Claude Code?

The /goal command gives Claude Code an objective to pursue autonomously across several steps. The course shows pairing it with Plan Mode, so you review the approach first and then let the agent carry it out while you monitor the changes.

What is MCP in Claude Code?

MCP, the Model Context Protocol, lets Claude Code connect to external tools and services through MCP servers. In this course it is used alongside command-line tools to connect services and deploy an application from inside a session.

How long does it take to finish this course?

The video runs about 1 hour 22 minutes. Plan for three to four hours in total if you complete the practice tasks, set up your own project, and try MCP and deployment yourself.

Does Free Coding Academy own this course?

No. The course was published by freeCodeCamp.org and developed by Eric Tech. Free Coding Academy organises it into a structured learning page and links to the original lesson.

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