Key facts
Qualification
Level 9 Graduate Certificate (30 ECTS)
Applications are now closed. Register your interest above to be notified when the course re-opens for applications this summer.
Course Dates
Module 1 Digital Resilience
Mondays: Sept 18th- 23rd, Nov 6th – Dec 11th. Live online classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon.
Module 2 Digital Technology
Thursdays: Sept 21st – Oct 26th, Nov 9th- Dec 14th. Live online classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon.
Module 3 Digital Transformation
Mondays: Jan 15th – 29th, Feb 19th- March 4th. Live online classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon.
Thursdays: Jan 18th – Feb 8th, Feb 22nd – 29th. Live online classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon.
As the programme involves continuous assessment, students must attend all class sessions.
How it's delivered
This course consists of three modules and is delivered part-time through live online classroom sessions from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm on Mondays and or Thursdays – see module dates above.
This fully immersive learning experience is delivered remotely through live online sessions and self-directed and reflective learning.
Students will need internet access, a laptop or desktop computer for this course. Tablets or mobile phones will not suffice as your man device to access the course, but you will need a Smartphone to be able to download and access some apps.
Fees and Funding
€3,750 (EU) or €3,750 (Non-EU)
This fee is 100% or 90% funded for eligible applicants through the HEA Springboard+ Initiative.
FREE for eligible jobseekers: those who are currently receiving eligible DEASP Payments.
FREE for returners to work and carers.
90% subsidised (student pays €375) eligible individuals in employment or self-employment, and the formerly self-employed.
For full or part-funded places, we will need to see proof of your relevant employment status as outlined in Springboard+ Eligibility Guidelines.
Course Objectives
Graduates of the programme will be able to:
Describe and understand the landscape of digital technologies transforming our work and lives;
Navigate the digital professional world and contribute meaningfully to it;
Embrace a digital growth mindset necessary to foster lifelong learning, including learning strategies for new digital tools and technologies without fear;
Understand the significance of Web 3.0 – the current generation of web technologies shaping our online world;
Explain the ways these technologies are transforming the world of work – our behaviours, our roles and our interaction with each other;
Critically evaluate the process of digital transformation on human behaviour and discuss its impact in a professional context;
Develop a critical awareness of the challenges and opportunities arising from the adoption of evolving digital technologies in all facets of contemporary society;
Apply the tools and techniques to foster professional resilience and deal with a constantly changing professional landscape.
Deadline
This course is now closed for applications. Register your interest to be notified when the course re-opens for applications this summer.
Places are offered on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early to secure a place on the programme.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION
Missed our recent online information session? You can watch a recording of this session via the link below (Password ?uU3#BLY).
Overview
This course provides learners with the digital skills, literacy and mindset necessary to thrive in hybrid working models and a digitally transformed workplace. Participants will leave with hard and soft digital skills and the confidence, mindset and adaptability to embrace future digital innovations and succeed in a fast changing digital landscape.
Through engagement with a range of digital tools, platforms and action learning projects, participants gain skills in data literacy; digital collaboration and communication; digital content creation; digital safety; and problem solving. Participants will gain these skills through learning from doing, applying knowledge and transversal skills to real world problems through a Design Thinking methodology.
Digital competency requires continuous learning and participants will gain both the mindset and a specific plan to enable lifelong learning in this area.
Our funders
Who is it for?
Perfect for those in the workplace or returning to the workplace seeking to digitally upskill in a wide range of areas.
You might be;
- unemployed or formerly self-employed,
- a carer or returner to work, a career changer,
- an aspiring entrepreneur or intrapreneur or,
- someone keen to take a more innovative approach to the workplace.
The pace of digital change has been rapid. Big Data, algorithmic decision making, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, the metaverse, cyber security, coding, blockchain, NFTs, Robotic Process Automation – these terms are all now common place in professional contexts however for some in the workplace, or seeking to re-enter the workplace, they are a source of fear or confusion. If you are encountering these concepts in your work and life, and seek a better understanding of their meaning, significance and application – this programme is for you.
This programme will equip you with an introduction to and a working understanding and language in support of these concepts, technologies and tools so that you have the confidence and knowledge to engage in an informed way in discussions and decision making.
Digital transformation is affecting all aspects of the workplace and all employees, regardless of role or level, need to have the language, the skills and the confidence to work in this world. This need will only grow in the years ahead.
Perhaps your workplace has sought to automate certain processes through Robotic Process Automation; or there is now a greater emphasis on data protection and cybersecurity that you need to understand; or you wonder what is Artificial Intelligence and how will it affect your job. If that’s the case, this programme is for you.
This live on-line programme is designed to engage learners in an accessible, stimulating and supportive way. It is an immersive, collaborative experience combining digital exploration and digital play. Each class includes approximately one hour only of taught content and the remainder involves interactive discussions with experts and hands-on activities so that students ‘learn from doing’ building their confidence and knowledge in a practical way.
You will build your ‘digital muscle’ and confidence throughout by engaging with your class through digital tools.
No prior knowledge of advanced digital technologies is required for this programme – just an ability to use Zoom and a willingness and enthusiasm to learn.
Course structure
This fully immersive learning experience is delivered remotely through a combination of live online sessions, self-directed and reflective learning. You’ll learn from Innovation Academy’s inspiring educators and leading industry guest speakers from the comfort of your home or office. Nevertheless, this is a very social course, and you’ll collaborate with your fellow innovators on practical team challenges and projects.
Course delivery and timings
The course is split into 3 core modules, totalling 30 ECTS.
Module 1 Digital Resilience
Mondays: Sept 18th- 23rd, Nov 6th – Dec 11th.
USER – we lead the learners to develop an understanding of the digital world.
We explore the evolution of the internet and evaluate the process of digital transformation from a human behavioural perspective, discussing its impact on the individual’s professional experience.
We will look at the digital world from all sides, looking at both its potential and problems arising. We explore reimagining systems as well as reinventing technology, and recalibrating expectations. Learners will be equipped with cutting edge digital tools to explore, experience, analyse and reflect. Through group activities, hands-on experience and individual reflections, learners will be familiarised with concepts such as big data to AR (artificial reality) and VR (virtual reality).
Module 2 Digital Technology
Thursdays: Sept 21st – Oct 26th, Nov 9th- Dec 14th
CREATOR – we lead the learners to use and develop their skills in a practical sense, to understand, evaluate and create the digital world. We explore existing technologies and concepts which are fundamental to online applications and websites.
Learners will be equipped with skills and tools to enable them to explore, experience, critically analyse and reflect. Through group activities, hands-on experience and individual reflections, learners will be familiarised with concepts such app creation, coding, and website building.
Learners will be immersed in technology by using tools (e.g. Slack, Kumospace) within the learning environment. In groups, students will conduct an Innovation Project and create a prototype while putting technologies and skills into practice. This course looks at the more traditional website technologies which form the basis of the web, which leads into the Digital Transformation module (Module 3), which looks into the emerging technologies including Web 3.0.
Module 3 Digital Transformation
Mondays: Jan 15th – 29th, Feb 19th- March 4th.
Thursdays: Jan 18th – Feb 8th, Feb 22nd – 29th.
FUTURE – we lead the learners to develop individual digital resilience, the ability to prevail through an uncertain future using emerging technologies. The goal of this module is for learners to cultivate a digital mindset and gain a sense of control in the rapidly changing world.
Joining this module is like participating in an expedition to an unfamiliar landscape. New fields, new concepts, new buzzwords are constantly emerging. They come with promising opportunities as well as controversies. Learners will be equipped with cutting edge digital tools to explore, experience, analyse and reflect. Through group activities, hands-on experience and individual reflections, learners will be familiarised with concepts such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, cryptography and metaverse.
This module is designed to introduce learners to the key concepts and technologies of the Web3 ecosystem, including blockchain, decentralised finance, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The module will cover the history and development of these technologies, their potential impact on various industries, and their implications for self resilience and career sustainability.
As the programme involves continuous assessment, students must attend all class sessions.
Watch our recent online information session for this course here. Password: U+T3^Rj&
- 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.
Students at the Academy also have access to the latest technology to support their creativity.
As if that wasn’t enough, we’re a part of UCD, 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. And we currently have Professor Sir Mark Welland, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge acting as our External Examiner.
Here at the Innovation Academy we have everything you need for a learning experience you’ll never forget.
By the end of the Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation, Technology & Resilience, you will:
- Describe and understand the landscape of digital technologies transforming our work and lives;
- Navigate the digital professional world and contribute meaningfully to it;
- Embrace a digital growth mindset necessary to foster lifelong learning, including learning strategies for new digital tools and technologies without fear;
- Understand the significance of Web 3.0 – the current generation of web technologies shaping our online world
- Explain the ways these technologies are transforming the world of work – our behaviours, our roles and our interaction with each other;
- Critically evaluate the process of digital transformation on human behaviour and discuss its impact in a professional context;
- Embrace a digital mindset, adapt to change and accept it as a constant and normal feature of working life
- Develop a critical awareness of the challenges and opportunities arising from the adoption of evolving digital technologies in all facets of contemporary society;
- Apply the tools and techniques to foster professional resilience and deal with a constantly changing professional landscape;
- Gain a joint Level 9 qualification awarded by University College Dublin.
The deadline for applications is 12pm 11th September 2023.
This course is open for applications through the HEA Springboard+ website and you can begin your application here. If you require more information, please register your interest and we will be in contact with you shortly.
Applications will be reviewed and places offered on a rolling basis until the course is full.
Below is a summary of the application procedures and funding eligibility.
The full document requirements are on Springboard+. Please read them carefully.
Initial supporting documents
You will need to upload some supporting documents as part of your application:
- Current CV and Letter of Motivation.
- A copy of your academic transcript to show that you have a level 8 qualification. (If you are a graduate of UCD, please include a Word document or PDF with your name and UCD student number). Alternatively, you can apply through Recognition of Prior Learning. Please note that a parchment will not meet the requirements
- If English is not your first language an English language qualification is required. Click HERE for full English Language Requirements for UCD.
Concluding steps
Following provisional offers, UCD Innovation Academy will request evidence of eligibility in respect of holding a valid PPSN; Nationality; Current Residency; 3 of 5 Years EU/EEA residency; and current Employment Status between six weeks and two weeks from the stated course start date.
It is only at this point that eligibility for funding through the HEA Springboard initiative can be ascertained.
Funding
FREE for eligible jobseekers: those who are currently receiving eligible DEASP Payments.
FREE for returners to work and carers.
90% subsidised (student pays €375) eligible individuals in employment or self-employment, and the formerly self-employed.
For full or part-funded places, we will need to see proof of your relevant employment status as outlined in Springboard+ Eligibility Guidelines.
In order to pass the course, you must participate and engage actively throughout. Attendance counts for 40% 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 individual and team assignments, project reports and presentations.
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, doctors (both medical and academic), 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.
Digital skills, competencies and confidence will continue to grow in importance in the workplace.
This programme will provide a vital boost to your CV regardless of your sector or role.
For those returning to the workplace, it will signal to employers that you have kept pace with digital transformation and will bring the necessary digital skills and confidence to your role.
For those pursuing a career pivot, this programme will provide you with in-demand technology skills and literacy.
UCD Innovation Academy is delighted to partner with Accredible in the provision of digital credentials across all of our programmes. We believe lifelong learning should be encouraged and celebrated, and digital credentials will allow you to share your accomplishments on LinkedIn and other online platforms to promote among your network.
Students who successfully complete and pass this programme will receive a digital certificate of completion. The certificate is issued online once the UCD Exam Board sits and approves your grade. UCD Exam Board sits three times a year (Autumn, Spring, Summer trimester) and approval times vary depending on the Exam Board calendar. The certificate of completion is separate to the official parchment, which arrives in hard copy at a later date.
If you are already in work, you will be primed to take on new responsibilities and play an active part in digital transformation projects.
This programme will benefit people across the labour market, from the self-employed to SMEs, public sector and multinationals.
Research by Google in 2021 shows that 80% of SMEs say the future success of Ireland’s economy will depend on investment in the right digital skills.
Harnessing Digital – the Digital Ireland Framework sets out an ambitious digital transformation agenda for Ireland’s public sector. This programme will be of benefit to those working in, or seeking to work in the public sector, who will require digital skills, competencies and mindset to thrive in a digitally transformed Irish public sector.