R&B bad boy Bobby Brown has been ordered to complete an alcohol awareness course after pleading no contest to a charge of driving under the influence (DUI).

Whitney Houston's ex-husband was arrested on March 26 after California police caught him talking on his cell phone behind the wheel.

He failed a field sobriety test and was hauled into custody, where he was booked for the phone violation, the DUI and the additional misdemeanor of driving on a suspended license.

Brown pleaded not guilty to the DUI count earlier this month and was due to attend a pre-trial hearing on May 16, but on Wednesday, he returned to court and altered his plea after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

He was placed on 36 months of summary probation, sentenced to one day in county jail - time he had already served following his arrest, and told to enrol in a 90-day alcohol education program, reports TMZ.com.