Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint 365

Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint 365

Introduction to PowerPoint is a beginner-friendly course designed to help you turn ideas into clear, engaging presentations. Perfect for students, professionals, or community organizers, this PowerPoint course requires no prior experience—just a willingness to learn. You will start with the basics of the PowerPoint interface, then move on to building and formatting slides, adding multimedia, and using tools like SmartArt and charts. By the end, you will be able to create polished, effective presentations for any setting, whether live or recorded.

6 Weeks Access / 24 Course Hrs
  • Details
  • Syllabus
  • Requirements
$163.00

Select Instruction Type:

$163.00
Self-Guided

Details

This Introductory Microsoft PowerPoint training course is designed for anyone ready to transform their ideas into clear, engaging presentations. Whether you are a student preparing for class projects, a professional sharing reports at work, or a community leader organizing events, this course will equip you with the skills to confidently use Microsoft PowerPoint. No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to learn and create.

Throughout the course, you will explore PowerPoint from the ground up, starting with the user interface and basic file management. You will then build and format slides, add multimedia elements, and incorporate tools like SmartArt and charts to bring your content to life. By the end, you will be able to design polished presentations and deliver them effectively—live or recorded. This course is a valuable first step for anyone pursuing a career in business, education, communications, or any field where clear, compelling visual communication is essential.

Syllabus

This lesson introduces you to the PowerPoint environment and lays the foundation for building strong presentation skills. You'll learn what PowerPoint is used for, how different versions compare, and how to navigate the interface confidently. The lesson covers key tools such as the ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar, and keyboard shortcuts for accessing commands. It also shows how to manage presentation files by saving, reopening, and setting properties.

This lesson guides you through the process of starting a new presentation from scratch or with help from templates, outlines, or Copilot. You'll learn how to switch between views, add and remove slides, and change their order. The lesson also explores how to enter content using placeholders and text boxes, how to control bullet levels and AutoFit behavior, and how to work efficiently with different types of slide content.

This lesson focuses on presentation design and visual consistency. You'll learn how to apply and change slide layouts, insert slide elements such as footers and dates, and use Designer suggestions. It also covers themes and backgrounds, showing you how to apply, customize, and share themes and create special background effects. You'll finish by working with slide masters to ensure a unified and professional appearance across your slides.

This lesson helps you format text to improve clarity and style. You'll learn how to choose and adjust fonts, apply character formatting, and work with color using different color models. Paragraph formatting tools help control alignment, spacing, and bullet styles. Finally, the lesson explores formatting text boxes themselves, including fills, outlines, effects, and text orientation.

This lesson teaches you how to enhance presentations with pictures and visual content. You'll explore several ways to insert pictures, including from files, online sources, and screenshots. Then, you'll learn to resize, crop, and modify pictures using styles, effects, and background removal tools. The lesson concludes with instructions for building a photo album presentation and customizing its layout.

This lesson shows how to use PowerPoint's drawing tools to add custom visuals. You'll learn to draw and format shapes, add text, and modify their structure. The lesson also covers how to arrange objects using alignment tools, guides, and grouping. You'll finish by using inking tools for annotations and converting hand-drawn elements into shapes or text.

This lesson focuses on organizing information with tables and SmartArt. You'll learn to create and edit tables, change their structure, format borders and shading, and style text. Then you'll explore SmartArt graphics, which help turn bullet points into visual diagrams. The lesson walks through how to insert, edit, and format SmartArt for maximum clarity and impact.

This lesson introduces charting tools to help visualize data. You'll create bar, column, and pie charts, identify the parts of a chart, and learn to switch between chart types. The lesson also covers how to customize charts by adjusting axes, elements, and layout. You'll learn to apply chart styles and format individual elements manually to create clean, informative visuals.

This lesson covers the dynamic elements of a presentation. You'll learn how to assign slide transitions and set their options, including rehearsing timings. Then, you'll dive into animation effects for text, charts, and other content. The lesson explores creating animation sequences, adding sounds, designing motion paths, and triggering effects based on user interaction.

This lesson explores multimedia tools that enhance your message. You'll learn how to insert audio and video files from various sources, including screen recordings and cameo video. The lesson shows how to record narration and audio clips, attach sounds to objects, and play them across multiple slides. You'll also control playback settings, trim media, and apply formatting to videos.

This lesson helps you prepare for both live and recorded presentations. You'll learn how to navigate slides during a show using different tools and views, including Presenter View. The lesson explains how to configure custom shows, use pointers and subtitles, and hide slides for backup use. You'll also explore sharing methods, managing comments, and presenting to asynchronous audiences using videos or kiosk mode.

This lesson focuses on printing and presentation effectiveness. You'll learn when and how to create handouts, choose layout options, and export them to Word. The lesson also covers printing speaker notes and outlines and adjusting their layout. It ends with a discussion of presentation best practices, including knowing your audience, choosing the right delivery method, rehearsing effectively, and keeping people engaged throughout.

Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.


Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 10 or later
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Firefox, Chrome, or Safari browsers (although Firefox or Chrome is preferred)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 365 for Windows or Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac (Microsoft PowerPoint 365 Online can also be used for some activities)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Self-Guided Course Code: T14894
Instructor-Moderated Course Code: ip5