Citizen Developer Course Structure for Microsoft Power Platform

Introduction

The Citizen Developer course structure is designed to equip individuals with the skills to build and deploy business solutions using Microsoft Power Platform tools. This learning path is ideal for non-technical users who wish to become proficient in low-code/no-code development using tools like Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Power Virtual Agents, and Power Pages.

Course Path Overview

Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals (PL-900)

Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate (PL-200)

Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate (PL-400)

Suggested Learning Path for Citizen Developers

1. Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals (PL-900)

Gain foundational knowledge about the Microsoft Power Platform, including the tools that enable low-code/no-code development for business solutions.

• Describe the Business Value of the Microsoft Power Platform: Introduction to Power Platform, Benefits for businesses.
• Identify Foundational Components of Microsoft Power Platform: Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents overview.
• Describe How to Build Applications with Microsoft Power Apps: Canvas apps vs. Model-driven apps.
• Describe Building Automation with Microsoft Power Automate: Automating workflows and processes across apps.
• Describe the Capabilities of Microsoft Power BI: Creating reports and dashboards.
• Demonstrate the Capabilities of Microsoft Power Pages: Overview of Power Pages for building websites.
• Describe the AI Authoring Experience in Power Platform: Using AI Builder to create AI models and automate tasks.

Duration: 16 hours + Self-study hours

Outcome: Learners will understand the basics of Power Platform, including building apps, automating workflows, and creating reports.

2. Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate (PL-200)

Learn how to configure and implement solutions using Power Platform tools, and enhance business processes with automation and data integration.

• Configure Microsoft Dataverse: Data modeling, creating tables, columns, and relationships.
• Create Apps Using Microsoft Power Apps: Building model-driven and canvas apps.
• Create and Manage Logic and Process Automation: Automating business processes using Power Automate.
• Developing Chatbots with Power Virtual Agents: Designing chatbot conversation flows.
• Integrating Power BI Dashboards: Embedding Power BI into Power Apps.
• Managing Environments and Solutions: Managing environments for solution deployment and management.

Duration: 32 hours + Self-study hours

Outcome: Learners will be capable of designing, configuring, and managing business solutions, including automation, apps, and reports.

3. Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Developer Associate (PL-400)

Learning advanced development techniques for building complex solutions and extending the functionality of the Power Platform.

• Create a Technical Design: Designing secure and scalable solutions, and version control.
• Work with Microsoft Dataverse: Advanced data modeling and security in Dataverse.
• Create and Configure Power Apps: Developing custom model-driven and canvas apps.
• Automate Business Processes with Power Automate: Developing complex flows and workflows with external APIs.
• Extend Power Platform User Experience: Customizing Power Apps UI with custom components.
• Integrate Power Platform with Other Services: Developing custom connectors and integrating external services.
• Develop Plug-ins and Custom Connectors: Writing custom code for Dataverse plug-ins and custom connectors.
• Monitor and Troubleshoot Solutions: Using monitoring tools like Application Insights.

Duration: 48 hours + Self-study hours

Outcome: Learners will be skilled at developing advanced solutions, integrating with external systems, and managing the entire application lifecycle.

4. Suggested Learning Path for Citizen Developers

Role	Recommended Courses	Total Duration
Business Users	PL-900 (Fundamentals), PL-200 (Functional Consultant)	48 hours
Analysts	PL-900, PL-200, Power BI deep dive	56 hours
IT Professionals	PL-900, PL-400 (Developer)	64 hours
Citizen Developers	PL-900, PL-200, PL-400	72 hours

Additional Notes

Hands-on Practice: Citizen Developers must engage in practical exercises to apply concepts in real-world scenarios.

Learning Approach: Courses can be taken via instructor-led or self-paced learning. To gain practical experience, it is highly recommended that students work on hands-on labs and real projects.

Certifications: Upon completion of each course, learners can take the corresponding certification exam (PL-900, PL-200, and PL-400) to validate their skills.

Conclusion

By following this structured path, Citizen Developers can quickly transition from foundational knowledge to advanced development skills within the Microsoft Power Platform. The course structure is ideal for business professionals, analysts, IT staff, and anyone interested in using low-code/no-code tools to enhance business processes.