Overview
Invest in yourself this summer at UCD and begin a Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership in the beautiful surroundings of UCD’s Belfield campus.
UCD Innovation Academy is offering an accredited learning opportunity complemented by a range of activities designed to help you grow your network, deepen your innovation skills and of course, be inspired.
This learner experience, beginning in summer, will reignite your professional passion, help you upskill in an innovative setting, find inspiration for a new career direction, and expand your network in a fun and supportive context.
In addition to the popular Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership, students who sign up to this programme beginning in the summer will also enjoy a suite of optional curated activities to complement your learning experience.
These include:
- An interactive session at UCD Greenacre, our first of its kind Sustainability Living Lab at Belfield campus. Learn about sustainability in a fun and collaborative way.
- A MakerSpace Innovation Session – participate in hands-on activities in our MakerSpace, create, make, design, experiment using our technology, all facilitated by a MakerSpace expert
- Guest Lectures – hear directly from friends of the Innovation Academy (entrepreneurs, innovators and more) and get the chance to ask questions
- LinkedIn Clinic – participate in a session with some of our LinkedIn champions to boost your LinkedIn profile and optimise this essential networking tool.
- And more to come.
This exceptional learning experience will open your mind to more creative and innovative thinking.
Other benefits of attending the summer programme:
- As a UCD student, you will have full use of UCD facilities such as gym with an olympic-sized pool, library, etc. during the course of the programme
- Child care options are available inside the UCD campus during the Summer including UCD’s popular Summer Camps (dates may vary)
- Faster commute times to UCD in peak summer days
- Free parking during summer
Key facts
Qualification
Level 9 UCD accredited programme (20 ECTS)
Delivery
In-person UCD, starting July 2026
- Module 1: 6th to 10th July
- Module 2: 10th to 14th August
- Module 3: 8th September, 29th September, 20th October, 10th November, 1st and 2nd December
Duration
6 months, part-time
Fees
€3,000 (EU and Non-EU)
Funding
Funding opportunities are available for this programme. Register your interest to hear more and to see if you’re qualified.
Why study?
“Creativity is now one of the top three skills in the future of work.“
– World Economic Forum
Who is it for?
You might be:
– A career changer
– An aspiring returner hoping to enrich your professional life while balancing other responsibilities
– Looking to network and find a community of likeminded people
– Working in a large corporate or an SME
– Making the leap into leadership, especially in creative industries
– Starting your own initiative
– Unemployed or looking for work
– Self-employed
“You learn things about yourself that you never knew and you learn how to be yourself.” – Liz, 2025 programme graduate
“It gave me an increase in confidence in trying new things and just don’t have a fear of failure.” – Fiona, 2025 programme graduate
“It was the best educational experience I ever had.” – Marc, 2025 programme graduate
Listen to more stories of our former students who took the leap and made the life-changing decision to join this programme:
Timetable
The UCD Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership is split into three core modules, totalling 20 ECTS. The first two modules are delivered over five days each and will take place during July and August. The final module is delivered over three months across five days combining external project work, milestone classes, meetings and mentoring sessions, and finally, the module culminates in the Action Learning Project pitches.
As the programme involves continuous assessment, participants must attend all class sessions.
Please see below the dates for our July intakes.
Class time is 09:30am to 13:30. Full participation is strictly required during these periods and it is not possible to miss any classes except in exceptional circumstances where evidence is provided.
Afternoons during teaching weeks offer a mix of UCD Innovation Academy summer activities and opportunities for self-led independent work stemming from your morning classes.
Learn more about the modules below:
Summer School activities are optional for students and will be scheduled for afternoons with light coursework requirements.
Self led independent or team assignments are a mandatory requirement of the programme and need to be completed as instructed by course facilitators.
We recognise that many learners have personal or professional demands on their time that require their attention in the afternoon. This programme affords flexibility for people in this situation however, we strongly encourage you, if possible, to secure sufficient time off to immerse yourself in the programme during teaching weeks to allow for a fully transformative experience.
- Why choose us?
- Learning outcomes
- How to apply
- Assessment
- Who leads this course?
- Career opportunities
UCD Innovation Academy sits at the cutting-edge of education in Ireland, and the world.
We’ve been challenging students to see the world differently since 2010, when we became one of the first universities to offer experiential learning experiences.
Our team has been innovating ever since, shaping and refining our courses with input from some of the world’s best. Thousands of students have passed through the Academy, and each one has played their part in making our courses better and better. We have countless examples of our alumni accelerating their careers and changing the world from within organisations or as entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs.
UCD is ranked among the top 1% of higher education institutions in the world. We’re Ireland’s global university and ranked Ireland’s best for graduate employability. Here at the Innovation Academy we have everything you need for a learning experience you’ll never forget.
By the end of the Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership, you will:
- Be inspired
- Gain an innovator’s mindset
- Build creative confidence via practical challenges
- Build your CV with a substantial innovation project module
- Develop your leadership skills to engage others
- Build a peer network of friends, contacts and collaborators
- Leave ready to apply your new skills to progress your career
- Have a Level 9 qualification from UCD
Please register your interest above and we will contact you once applications open.
Applicants require a Level 8 qualification to apply.
Applicants who do not have a level 8 qualification can apply through Recognition of Prior Learning.
Under UCD’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy, consideration will be given on a case by case basis to applicants who do not hold a Level 8 primary degree (Honours Bachelor’s Degree) but who fulfil either of the following criteria:
Holding a Level 7 primary degree (Pass/Ordinary Bachelor’s Degree): upload your academic transcript of your Level 7 and demonstrate min. 2 years work experience on your CV. Professional references may be required.
No Level 7/8 degree: min. 5 years work experience and 2 recently dated professional/employment references required. These should be on headed paper or from an official email address and including the referees name, role and email address.
Please review your CV to ensure that it clearly demonstrates the following:
a. Any experience of leadership and self-direction;
b. Any experience of management or entrepreneurship;
c. A description of any responsibilities that demonstrate accountability, resource management, or client engagement (if applicable).
E) If English is not your first language, an English language qualification is required. Click HERE for full English Language Requirements for UCD.
UCD Innovation Academy’s programmes operate a Pass/Fail grading system rather than a traditional grading system.
We do this for a number of reasons:
Focus on mastery rather than competition: Pass/fail systems encourage students to master the content rather than compete with peers for ranking positions or worry about minor grade differences.
Promotes exploration and risk-taking: Students often feel more comfortable taking trying new approaches, an essential component of innovation, when they are not worried about specific grades.
Reduced stress and anxiety: When students don’t have to worry about achieving specific grade thresholds, they can focus more on learning the material thoroughly rather than strategizing to maximize points or grades.
The programme operates a robust continuous assessment process.
Full participation and engagement throughout the programme is essential.
IA40110:
- 30% Participation in challenges and exercises
- 40% Active participation and engagement
- 30% End of module reflection report
IA40260:
- 20% Presentation pitching your action learning project
- 40% Active participation and engagement
- 40% End of module reflection report
IA40500:
- 70% Project report and presentation
- 30% End of module reflection report
All courses at the Innovation Academy are developed and facilitated by our exceptional team of educators.
The team boasts a wealth of experience from a wide variety of backgrounds. They are international entrepreneurs, academics, robotics experts, storytellers, conservationists, campaigners, and creatives.
What they all have in common is their love of the innovative, learning-by-doing approach to learning and their devotion to delivering a world-class student experience.
Read more about the people behind this course.
In an IBM study of 1,500 CEOs, creativity came out as the most important leadership quality and as a valuable skill in almost every industry, at every stage in the career.
This course will teach you the skills you need to become your organisation’s champion for creativity and innovation or jumpstart your own creative endeavour.
You’ll explore how innovation can solve some of the most challenging issues facing Irish businesses – AI, automation, disruption – and equip you to face whatever’s next.
Employers are looking for people who can think their way around these problems. If you’re looking for your next job, having this Diploma on your CV will be sure to make you stand out from the crowd.
If you’re already in work, you’ll be primed to take on new responsibilities and step into more senior roles. Expect your employer to get you working more closely with senior management, running business-critical projects, and to put you top of the list for promotion.
