Key facts
Qualification
Level 9 (NFQ) Professional Diploma (20 ECTS) jointly accredited by Technological University of Dublin and University College Dublin.
Students must successfully complete all modules to be awarded the qualification.
How it's delivered
100% online learning. Combination of live online workshops and independent online learning through our easy-to-use virtual education and collaboration platforms.
As the programme involves continuous assessment, students must attend all class sessions. See Course Structure below for more details.
Duration
The programme is staggered from October to April, with a mix of block weeks, mornings and evenings. Full details on course timings below.
Transversal Skills and Sustainable Economies
- Creative Thinking
- Global Citizenship in the Workplace
- Sustainable Economies
- Leadership Development
Fees and Funding
100% or 90% funding available for eligible applicants through Springboard Funding. See https://springboardcourses.ie/eligibility for eligibility criteria.
Course dates
There are currently no scheduled dates for this programme. The October intake has been cancelled.
To see our other courses please visit our Learn with us page.
How to Apply
Applications can be made directly through Springboard+.
Overview
UCD and TU Dublin’s Joint Professional Diploma in Transversal Skills provides participants with the cross-sectoral skills to thrive in today’s workplace, co-delivered by the two largest universities in Ireland and drawing on both institutions’ complementary expertise and industry reach. Transversal skills consistently top future skills analysis globally and their importance, at all levels in the workplace, has been accelerated by the double disruption of the pandemic and fourth industrial revolution.
The programme, which is based on the National Skills Strategy and UNESCO’s categorisation of transversal skills, is a 20-ECTS professional diploma (Level 9). All modules have been selected and designed to meet the needs of those in work or with substantial professional experience seeking to upskill.
The programme benefits from UCD Innovation Academy’s ten years’ experience supporting the reskilling revolution and TU Dublin’s unparalleled enterprise reach. Our approach includes: Interdisciplinary teams, expert facilitators with enterprise experience; classes capped at 36; and assessment relevant to the world of work.
Participants take two modules per trimester (each worth 5 ECTS), one from each institution, and four modules overall. Together, these include ways of thinking, advanced transversal skills and practical applications in priority areas for the Irish economy and labour market.
Graduates with these skills are in high demand from employers across sectors and industries around the world.
Following this course you will be in a better position to make a career change, gain a promotion, or to help your organisation identify innovative ways to thrive. You will leave with a toolkit and action plan for your career, now and in the future.
Our funders
Who is it for?
This course has been designed for those with substantial professional experience seeking to upskill in in-demand areas identified by national and international experts.
You might be:
- A professional looking to upskill
- Unemployed or formerly self-employed
- A carer or returner to work
- A career changer
- An aspiring entrepreneur
You’ll need a minimum honours degree (Level 8) qualification.
OR applicants with 5+ years of relevant employment history can apply under UCD’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy.
If English is not your first language we require either an English language qualification OR that you completed your primary degree or third level qualification entirely in English, in an English-speaking country.
UCD English language requirements.
TU Dublin English language requirements.
Keen to start seeing the world differently?
Course structure and modules
Transversal Skills and Sustainable Economies
There are currently no scheduled dates for this programme. The October intake has been cancelled.
To see our other courses please visit our Learn with us page.
- Creative Thinking – 1 block week: 9:30am – 1:30 pm each day
- Global Citizenship in the Workplace – 8 weeks: 9:30am to 12:30pm each Tuesday morning
- Sustainable Economies – 8 weeks: 9:30am to 12:30pm each Tuesday morning
- Leadership Development – 1 block week: 9:30am – 1:30pm each day
- Why choose us?
- Learning outcomes
- How to apply
- Assessment
- Who leads this course?
- Career opportunities
This professional diploma is jointly awarded by the two largest Universities in Ireland, Technological University of Dublin (TU Dublin) and University College Dublin (UCD).
This is a truly unique qualification that will set you apart from the competition.
TU Dublin
Ireland’s first technological university, TU Dublin is where the arts, sciences, business, engineering and technology converge. With a history stretching back over 130 years, TU Dublin is a pioneer of technological higher education. Their alumni play important roles in innovation, economic and social development, and culture and education – in Ireland and internationally.
Students learn in an inspiring, practice-based environment, and innovation and enterprise are at the heart of everything they do. TU Dublin has deep connections with enterprise, enabling meaningful engagement with a broad spectrum of sector-leading organisations.
TU Dublin prepares its graduates to be well rounded, independent thinkers and lifelong learners, with the skills to adapt to this changing world.
UCD
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.
Since then our courses have been shaped and refined with input from some of the world’s best. Thousands of students have passed through the Academy and accelerated their careers.
UCD is among the top 1% of higher education institutions in the world, and ranked Ireland’s best for graduate employability.
Students take three core modules in this programme.
Creative Thinking and Innovation
By the end of this module, graduates will be able to:
- Describe the fundamentals of innovation and entrepreneurship and apply creative and entrepreneurial thinking in their own discipline
- Understand structures and theoretical tools that enable efficient team work, in order to convert ideas into value
Global Citizenship in the Workplace
By the end of this module, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate cultural self-awareness through critically reflecting on their perceptions of culture and identity, and their own cultural lenses
- Identify and demonstrate strategies to culturally communicate with those from diverse ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds
- Critically analyse and apply models, frameworks and theoretical perspectives related to global citizenship and cultural intelligence, at a personal and professional level
- Collaborate both professionally and socially across cultures and disciplines to maximise professionalism in the global sphere
Leadership Development
- Develop insight into ways of unlocking creative, innovative leadership in self, teams and workplaces
- Implement the conditions for creativity and innovation to flourish in organisations
- Define and use skills to lead collaboration and iterative learning in an ambiguous or unpredictable environment, based on design thinking principles
- Deploy skills for influencing, negotiating and creative problem solving
- Confidently build a creative, innovative leadership practice in the world.
Students can chose from two streams, allowing them to take either Sustainable Economies or Digital Entrepreneurship.
Sustainable Economies
By the end of this module, graduates will be able to:
- Describe the bioeconomy model, and discuss its principles and drivers
- Explain the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions and discuss national and European policy relating to the bioeconomy
- Identify the benefits, barriers and challenges that exist in relation to the implementation of new green technologies in the Food & Drink sector
- Discuss approaches and technologies that enable sustainable food production the potential of biomass as a novel source of energy and products
- Explain how local actions can positively impact the global environment and work collaboratively with others to develop multifaceted solutions to challenges
Digital Entrepreneurship
- Critically analyse methods, techniques and technologies in the digital landscape
- Make informed decisions for planning a viable e-business and grow an e-business digitally
- Design an appropriate e-business model for selected marketing offerings
- Implement a business concept, interrogate its business model and test its validity in the marketplace
This course is now open for applications. Please register your interest on this site for full details on how to apply.
Below is a summary of the application procedures and funding eligibility.
Supporting documents
You will need to upload some supporting documents as part of your application:
- Current CV and Letter of Motivation
- Your academic transcript or parchment to show you have a level 8 qualification. Alternatively, you can apply through Recognition of Prior Learning.
Funding
FREE for eligible jobseekers: those receiving an eligible DEASP Payments.
FREE for returners to work and carers.
90% subsidised (student pays €260) for eligible individuals in employment or self-employment, and the formerly self-employed.
To pass the course, you must participate and engage actively throughout. Attendance counts for a significant proportion of the total mark, with a minimum of 80% attendance required for a Pass.
The rest of the course is assessed through a combination of presentations, team projects and individual reflections.
Reflective practices including self-evaluation will be required along with seeking and providing peer feedback. Feedback will be provided so that students can improve.
Each module (and the course overall) is designed to be progressive in nature, to allow students to carry forward insights and lessons learned.
A pass/fail grade will be used for each of the modules and Professional Diploma overall.
Jointly accredited by Technological University of Dublin and University College Dublin.
Participation in this course will mean that you are registered as both a TU Dublin student and as a UCD Student for the duration of your studies.
This course is developed and led by a multidisciplinary team of Educator Practitioners with extensive real-world experience as academics, business and social entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, creative professionals and design thinking practitioners.
We take an action-oriented approach to learning, with a combination of individual, group and class tasks and activities, including discussions, presentations and reflection. All of our teaching is grounded in academic rigour, but our focus is on ‘learning by doing’ in a real-world context.
Read more about the people behind this course.
According to the National Skills Strategy 2025, core transversal skills are becoming increasingly important for a successful career. They also enable people to move between jobs and careers, and to participate in lifelong education and training.
The importance of transversal skills is well recognised by employers across sectors and employer representative bodies such as Ibec and ISME have highlighted the need for these skills.
These transversal skills include creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, critical and analytical thinking, teamwork, communication, and business acumen.
These are skills that employers need and need now. By harnessing these skills you will increase your flexibility and the speed at which you can adapt and / or accelerate your career trajectory. In a time of rapid change, this flexibility is fundamental.
Because of the modular structure of this course, you can gain immediate value. You will learn a specific new skill in a short period of time, which you can quickly apply to bring value to your workplace, startup, or as you seek new opportunities.
This course will equip candidates with the right mindset and skillset to thrive in global workplaces and address global challenges.
