Cromus Academy

Learn the practical controls for governed AI workflows: deterministic scoring, Graph IR, path budgets, Reality Check calibration, and graph-aware CI/MCP checks. Self-paced, with no signup required to start.

How It Works

1

Start Track 1 free

No account needed. Every lesson in AI Engineering Basics and the first four Foundations lessons are open to anyone. Learn deterministic workflow analysis before you sign up.

2

Build your AI Department

Builder includes your Specialist, Ops adds the Manager, and Agency adds the CWO. New accounts start with a 14-day Ops trial — no credit card required.

3

Earn completion certificates

Complete every lesson in a track — including its server-verified checkpoint — for a shareable Certificate of Completion. Exam-based Cromus credentials are separate.

Track 1
Open · No signup
AI Engineering Basics
The vocabulary of AI engineering: models, tokens, agents, context, skill usage, evals, and MCP. Start here if you are new to the field.
6 lessons · ~60 min
Models and Tokens
Cost per Run and the AI Cost Stack
Agents, Harnesses, and Loops
Context Engineering and Skills
Evals and Measurement
MCP and Interoperability
Track 2
Starts open
Foundations: What Are Skills
Why SOPs fail as prompts, governance in one file, reading a Croms score, and your first governed skill.
5 lessons · ~50 min
Why SOPs Fail as Prompts
Governance in One File
Reading a Croms Score
Graph IR: One Workflow, Nine Imports
Your First Skill in Your WorkspaceAccount required
Track 3
Account required
Governance in Depth
ETHOS baselines, behavioral profiles, escalation design, and the governance layer of your AI Department.
5 lessons · ~50 min
Anatomy of an ETHOS BaselineAccount required
Behavioral ProfilesAccount required
Escalation Design & Model FloorsAccount required
Provider Scope and Node-Pin PrecedenceAccount required
Capstone: Harden a BaselineAccount required
Track 4
Account required
Cost Engineering
Routing, caching, token budgets, and the Reality Check Loop for measurable AI operations.
7 lessons · ~70 min
Routing: The Two-Axis Model ChoiceAccount required
Caching & Token BudgetsAccount required
The Reality Check LoopAccount required
Path Costs, Branch Evidence, and Bounded LoopsAccount required
Reality Check: Identity, Paths, and CalibrationAccount required
Champion/Challenger Cost per PathAccount required
Capstone: The Cost Engineer's ChecklistAccount required
Track 5
Includes Ops+
Operating at Scale
AI Department roles, shared libraries, canonical Git, Sync Center distribution, and workflow portfolios.
6 lessons · ~60 min
Workspace ScopeAccount required
Shared Skill LibrariesAccount required
Workflow Portfolios & TCWOAccount required
Canonical Git & Sync CenterOps+
Graph-Aware CI and the MCP Governance SurfaceAccount required
Capstone: Stand Up a Library SkillAccount required

From Completion to Certification

Academy Certificates of Completion verify coursework and checkpoints. Cromus credentials are separate: pass a proctored 25-question exam to earn one.

AI Engineering Basics

Builder+

Vocabulary, models, tokens, agents, and MCP.

Foundations: What Are Skills

Builder+

SOPs, Graph IR imports, governance files, and Croms scoring.

Governance in Depth

Ops+

ETHOS baselines, Provider Scope, node pins, and escalation design.

Cost Engineering

Ops+

Routing, path budgets, bounded loops, calibration, and experiments.

Cromus Certified Admin

Agency only

Delivered through Cromus Agency engagements. No self-serve exam.

Common Questions

Do I need a paid account?

Is an Academy completion certificate the same as a Cromus credential?

Can I do tracks out of order?

The AI Department You Don't Have to Hire.

The Academy teaches a measurable operating model for AI workflows: skills and Graph IR, ETHOS baselines, deterministic Croms scoring, per-path budgets, canonical Git, Reality Check, and graph-aware CI/MCP governance.

Do I need a paid account?

You can start AI Engineering Basics and the open Foundations lessons without an account. Most later lessons need an account. The Canonical Git & Sync Center lesson uses the Ops+ distribution model, so it requires Ops or an active trial.

Is an Academy completion certificate the same as a Cromus credential?

No. Academy Certificates of Completion confirm that you finished a track and passed its server-verified checkpoints. Cromus credentials are separate, exam-based certifications earned through proctored 25-question exams.

Can I do tracks out of order?

Track 1 (AI Engineering Basics) is the recommended starting point. Foundations then introduces portable skills and Graph IR. Governance, Cost Engineering, and Operating at Scale build on those concepts.