Advance Your Career with Expert-Led Professional Courses in Ireland

The main benefits of studying for a Professional Academy Diploma with UCD Professional Academy centre around your ability to rapidly upskill and obtain a certification in applicable professional skills, taught by industry practitioners, via a short and flexible learning schedule.

Short and intensive in nature, our Professional Academy Diplomas demonstrate your commitment and drive to advance in your career, either to validate and enhance your existing skills acquired through work experience; for an upcoming promotion or a potential career move;  or demonstrate interest and commitment to a new area for a side-ways move within a company.

Obtaining a UCD Professional Academy diploma allows professionals to formalise and affirm the knowledge and essential skills you might informally practice ‘on the job’. It helps maintain relevance as your career progresses and industries advance - building new skills as you segue from one role to the next. Precise, industry relevant upskilling helps you keep up, or, stay ahead in a rapidly shifting professional landscape.

Learn more about making the most out of your Professional Academy diploma as you gain more industry experience in your filed of expertise.

As well as your Professional Academy Diploma certification and new skill set, you will have accessed a network of like-minded professionals as you study alongside each other. Peer to peer learning will bring theory to life through active learning, as you problem solve and explore practical applications of relevant topics in breakout rooms, facilitated conversations, and workshops, supplemented by a rich bank of online resources to give you the best possible chances of professional growth and development.

Professional Academy diplomas tend to be short, averaging 36 hours in length; designed and delivered by industry practitioners to impart directly applicable knowledge to professionals. Our wide range of courses are not part of nor do they lead to a traditional university award such as a degree or a masters or any other award on the NFQ. 

Professional upskilling credentials, such as our Professional Academy Diplomas, offer a flexible, targeted way to help people develop the knowledge, skills and competences they need for their professional development and are widely accepted by employers.

Professional Academy Diplomas are generally taken by people who are wishing to advance in their own field or to pivot into another. The knowledge that is built into these courses is current and up-to-date and can be used straight away either in the workplace or in an interview setting.

Take for example a marketing professional who is very creative but lacks insight in technical areas such as analytics. A Professional Academy Diploma in Digital Marketing will rubber stamp their knowledge of current data trends and approaches while also advancing their knowledge and expertise on a practical level.

Beyond successfully completing your course from UCD Professional Academy, your career and learning options really open up.  A Professional Academy Diploma from UCD Professional Academy shows a willingness to learn and an openness to new concepts, adding credibility to skills claims on your CV. You might choose to develop your current role using your newly acquired learning, or segue into a new field.

Staying ahead in the world of work and continually improving your skills is key. But that’s not always easy, time is precious and life has a habit of getting in the way. 

Short, focused study courses like our Professional Academy Diplomas are built with that exact problem in mind. You need to feel confident that when you take on a professional development commitment, you’ll swim not sink. Flexibility is built into our courses, so they’re easy to access on your terms. You could choose to study any of our courses live online, with some also available on-demand (entirely at your own pace) or in the classroom on UCD Campus.  

You should find the learning environment supportive, helpful and encouraging, and dare we say even fun! If you are already in work while you take this course, you will be in a position to put the skills you have learned into practice as quickly as possible. Check out our top tips for online learning to help you get the most out of your Professional Academy course.

If you’re reaching a roadblock in your career and aren’t sure of the next step you need to pursue to help push you forward, then a Professional Academy Diploma from UCD Professional Academy could give the practical skills and confidence to broaden your career prospects on the Irish and international stage.

Ensuring you are always on top of the latest developments in your professional field, keeping your career advancing in the right direction and grasping every opportunity that comes your way... Find your course today and thrive.