MCP Tutorial by Microsoft is the open source curriculum at github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners, with sixteen thousand stars as of mid 2026. Thirteen modules, fifty plus lessons, six programming languages including C#, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Rust. The Module 11 capstone is a thirteen lab hands on path that builds a production grade MCP server with PostgreSQL plus pgvector plus Azure OpenAI. Free MIT licensed, no certificate.
MCP Tutorial: What You’ll Learn
This is the second MCP course in the Iqraa AI Agents series. The Hugging Face MCP course is the project based guided path with two certificates. This course is the multi language reference encyclopedia. Together they cover MCP from both angles. Six languages, thirteen modules, fifty plus lessons. Free, no certificate, MIT licensed.
MCP Tutorial: The Thirteen Modules
- 00 Introduction. Overview of MCP.
- 01 Core Concepts. Client server architecture, primitives including Resources, Prompts, Tools, Sampling, Elicitation, Roots, Tasks. Transports.
- 02 Security. Threats, OWASP MCP Top 10, Prompt Shields, Sherpa workshop, Azure Content Safety.
- 03 Getting Started, fifteen sub lessons. First server, first client, client with LLM, VS Code integration, stdio server, HTTP streaming, Foundry Toolkit, testing, deployment, advanced server usage, simple auth, MCP hosts, MCP Inspector, sampling, MCP Apps.
- 04 Practical Implementation. Cross language SDK samples, debugging, prompt templates.
- 05 Advanced Topics. Azure integration, OAuth2, Entra ID auth, Foundry integration, context engineering, custom transports, adversarial multi agent reasoning.
- 06 Community Contributions. PR and CLA workflow.
- 07 Insights from Early Adoption. Survey of ten production Microsoft MCP servers including Learn Docs, Azure, GitHub, Azure DevOps, MarkItDown, SQL Server, Playwright, Dev Box, Foundry, M365 Agents Toolkit.
- 08 Best Practices. Performance and fault tolerance patterns.
- 09 Case Studies. Seven case studies including Azure AI Travel Agents, Azure DevOps, real time docs retrieval, study plan generator, in editor docs, Azure API Management, GitHub MCP Registry.
- 10 Hands on Workshop with Foundry Toolkit. Four labs, weather MCP and GitHub MCP production servers.
- 11 MCP Server Database Integration capstone. Thirteen labs. Production grade MCP server with PostgreSQL plus pgvector plus Azure OpenAI. Retail analytics use case called Zava.
- 12 Tooling. MCP in Copilot app.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of at least one of C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, TypeScript. Rust also covered. Understanding of client server model and APIs. Familiarity with REST and HTTP concepts. Optional background in AI and ML.
The Module 11 Capstone
Module 11 is a thirteen lab hands on path that teaches production grade MCP server development with PostgreSQL integration. The use case is retail analytics for a fictional company called Zava. You build core architecture, security and multi tenancy with Row Level Security, environment setup, database design, MCP server implementation with FastMCP, tool development for DB queries and schema introspection, semantic search with Azure OpenAI embeddings plus pgvector, testing and debugging, VS Code integration, deployment strategies with Docker plus Azure Container Apps, monitoring with Application Insights, best practices for performance and security.
Spec Alignment
The curriculum is aligned with MCP Specification 2025-11-25, the latest stable release. The MCP specification uses date based versioning. The course also includes a forward looking lesson on the 2026-07-28 release candidate covering stateless protocol, Extensions framework, and the deprecation of Roots, Sampling, and Logging.
A Worked Example, Module 11 Zava Retail Server in Depth
Module 11 is the most substantial single piece of content in the course. The Zava Retail use case has a real PostgreSQL schema, sample data, and a multi tenant Row Level Security design. You build the FastMCP server, expose DB query tools, add semantic search via pgvector and Azure OpenAI embeddings, deploy to Azure Container Apps, and monitor with Application Insights. By the end you have a production grade MCP server with semantic search, multi tenancy, observability, and a deployed endpoint.
MCP Tutorial: Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trying to do all six languages at once. Pick one. The official SDK is identical across languages, only the syntax differs.
- Skipping Module 11 because it is the capstone. Module 11 is the production reference. It is the most valuable module for engineers shipping real MCP servers.
- Confusing with the HF MCP course on this site. HF is guided path with Anthropic. Microsoft is reference with Azure.
MCP Tutorial: Best Practices
- Pick one language and stick with it through all modules.
- Do Module 11 even if you do not do anything else. It is the production reference.
- Pair with the HF MCP course on this site for the guided project path.
- Read the 2026-07-28 RC lesson to stay ahead of spec changes.
MCP Tutorial: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Microsoft MCP course free?
Yes. MIT licensed open source.
Does it issue a certificate?
No certificate, no badge. Portfolio piece is the Module 11 Zava Retail server.
What languages does it cover?
Six. C#, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Rust.
What MCP spec version?
Aligned with 2025-11-25 stable. Forward looking lesson on 2026-07-28 RC.
How is this different from the HF MCP course on this site?
HF is project based guided path, Anthropic partnership, two certificates, Claude Code capstone. Microsoft is multi language reference, Module 11 PostgreSQL production capstone.
How long does it take?
Variable. Modules 0 to 4 take a weekend. Module 11 capstone takes one to two weeks of focused work.
MCP Tutorial by Microsoft is the multi language reference. Pair with the HF MCP course on this site for the guided project path.