MCP for Beginners
by Microsoft
Microsoft's free 13-module MCP curriculum with runnable samples in six languages.
Overview
MCP for Beginners is Microsoft's MIT-licensed, open-source curriculum for the Model Context Protocol, carrying roughly 17,000 GitHub stars. It is structured as thirteen modules numbered 00 through 12. Modules 00-02 cover an introduction to MCP, core concepts, and a dedicated security module on protocol-specific threats and mitigations. Module 03 is the bulk of the beginner path and splits into fifteen sub-lessons: building a first server, a first client, a client wired to an LLM, VS Code integration, stdio servers, HTTP streaming, the Microsoft Foundry toolkit, testing, deployment, advanced server usage, simple auth with RBAC, configuring MCP hosts such as Claude Desktop, Cursor and Cline, the MCP Inspector, sampling, and MCP Apps. Module 04 covers SDKs, debugging, prompt templates and pagination; module 05 runs seventeen advanced topics including Azure integration, multi-modality, OAuth2, root contexts, routing, scaling, Entra ID authentication, context engineering, custom transports and adversarial multi-agent reasoning. Modules 06-10 cover community contributions, early-adoption insights, best practices, case studies and a Foundry workshop. Module 11 is a thirteen-lab path that builds a production-shaped PostgreSQL retail analytics server with row-level security, multi-tenancy, pgvector semantic search, Azure Container Apps deployment and Application Insights monitoring. Module 12 covers MCP tooling. Prerequisites are modest: basic programming in one supported language plus familiarity with client-server models, REST and HTTP.
At a Glance
- Topic
- MCP
- Level
- Beginner
- Format
- Course
- Cost
- Free
- Duration
- Self-paced; 13 modules (00-12) plus a 13-lab hands-on workshop, no fixed schedule
- Provider
- Microsoft
- Hands-on
- Yes — code/exercises
- Certificate
- None
What You’ll Learn
- ✓Build and run your first MCP server and client from scratch
- ✓Wire an MCP client to an LLM and consume servers inside VS Code
- ✓Choose between stdio and HTTP streaming transports for a given deployment
- ✓Apply MCP-specific security practices, simple auth, RBAC and Entra ID authentication
- ✓Debug and validate servers with the MCP Inspector and a testing strategy
- ✓Implement advanced protocol features: sampling, root contexts, pagination and routing
- ✓Ship a PostgreSQL-backed MCP server with row-level security and pgvector semantic search
- ✓Deploy to Azure Container Apps and monitor the result with Application Insights
Highlights
- •Six languages of working samples (C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Rust), not just Python
- •A dedicated security module plus advanced OAuth2 and Entra ID lessons, rare in free MCP material
- •Module 11's thirteen labs build one realistic multi-tenant server rather than thirteen toy projects
- •Maintained by Microsoft against current MCP specification revisions, with a changelog tracking drift
- •MIT licensed, so teams can fork it wholesale as internal MCP onboarding material
Who It’s For
Best For
- ✓Developers who know one backend language and are new to MCP
- ✓Enterprise teams needing an MCP onboarding path with security and auth included
- ✓.NET and Java shops underserved by Python-first MCP tutorials
- ✓Architects evaluating how MCP servers get deployed and monitored in production
Prerequisites
- •Basic programming ability in C#, Java, JavaScript, Python or TypeScript
- •Understanding of client-server models, REST and HTTP concepts
- •An AI/ML background is helpful but explicitly optional
FAQ
What is MCP for Beginners?
Microsoft's open-source, self-paced curriculum teaching the Model Context Protocol from first principles through to production deployment. Thirteen modules move from core concepts and security to building servers and clients, Azure integration, and a thirteen-lab PostgreSQL workshop. Code samples ship in C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, TypeScript and Rust, so you can follow it in the language you already work in.
Is MCP for Beginners free?
MCP for Beginners is free to access.
What level is MCP for Beginners for?
MCP for Beginners is aimed at a beginner audience. Recommended background: Basic programming ability in C#, Java, JavaScript, Python or TypeScript, Understanding of client-server models, REST and HTTP concepts, An AI/ML background is helpful but explicitly optional.
How long does MCP for Beginners take?
Expect roughly Self-paced; 13 modules (00-12) plus a 13-lab hands-on workshop, no fixed schedule. Most learners work through it at their own pace.
What will I learn from MCP for Beginners?
You'll learn: Build and run your first MCP server and client from scratch; Wire an MCP client to an LLM and consume servers inside VS Code; Choose between stdio and HTTP streaming transports for a given deployment; Apply MCP-specific security practices, simple auth, RBAC and Entra ID authentication; Debug and validate servers with the MCP Inspector and a testing strategy; Implement advanced protocol features: sampling, root contexts, pagination and routing; Ship a PostgreSQL-backed MCP server with row-level security and pgvector semantic search; Deploy to Azure Container Apps and monitor the result with Application Insights.
Topics
Sources
This page was written from 3 sources, 2 on domains other than github.com.