Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there funding available for Innovation Academy programmes?

Yes, we are delighted to receive funding for a number of our courses.

Springboard funds 90% or 100% of the fees for the following programmes; the Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability, the Grad Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Grad Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership. You may find details on the Springboard+ website about eligibility for funding.

Please note, preference will be given to unemployed persons and returners. 

Q: When and what do I need to upload to the Springboard website for the Proof of Eligibility for Springboard funding?

In summary, we need proof of:

• A valid PPSN 
• Nationality (Not required if unemployed)
• Current Residency in Ireland (Not required if unemployed or a returner)
• 3 of 5 Years EU/EEA residency (Not required if unemployed or a returner)

There are specific dates within which the employment status documents need to be dated. These are the additional documents you need to submit after you have accepted the provisional offer. If you are unemployed, the documentation must be dated no earlier than 2 weeks prior to the course start date. If you are employed, self employed, formerly self employed or a returner, the documentation must be dated no earlier than 6 weeks prior to the course start date.

The specific dates relating to each course will be communicated to you by the Innovation Academy.

Q: How many Springboard courses can I take? 

Applicants may only enrol on one Springboard funded course in a single academic year and can take a maximum of three courses in any five-year period

Q: I failed to complete a Springboard course in the past due to extenuating circumstances. Can this be taken into consideration?

 If you failed to successfully complete a course in the past due to extenuating circumstances, UCD can choose to waive the above restrictions and offer you a place on a course. This would be at UCDs discretion and you may be asked for documentary evidence as proof of your extenuating circumstances.

Q: Can I take a second Springboard course in UCD in the same academic year?

No, you cannot take a second Springboard course in the same academic year, which is from September to August. 

Q: I am living outside of the Republic of Ireland, am I eligible?

No. You need to be living in the Republic of Ireland at the time of course commencement, as well as meet the nationality and residency requirements.

Q: I am a returning Irish emigrant, do I need to meet the residency requirements?

Yes, you will need to have lived in the EU/EEA/UK/Switzerland for at least 3 out of the last 5 years. If you are a returning Irish emigrant who does not meet this requirement, you are ineligible for Springboard+ funding.

Q:If I accept an offer of a place on a course in UCD, can I still be offered places on other Springboard+ courses I have applied to?

No. Once you accept an offer of a place in UCD, your other applications will be automatically cancelled, so you should consider your course choices carefully before making a final decision

Q: If I meet the eligibility requirements, am I guaranteed a place on a course?

 No, places are limited and many of our courses here in UCD receive more applications than there are places to offer. All places are offered on a rolling basis as applications are made. 

Q: I recently graduated (in the last 12 months) from a full-time, Level 8, Honours Degree Course. Am I eligible to do a Level 9 Springboard+ course?

No, for UCD Springboard courses you need to wait for one year from your graduation date before you are eligible to do a Level 9 Springboard course.

Q: What happens if I am not eligible for funding?

If you do not meet eligibility requirements for funding, you can fund the course yourself or your employer may contribute to funding.

Q: How do I start my application for a Springboard Course in UCD?’

You start your application on the www.springboardcourses.ie website and choose one of the course in the Innovation Academy that interests you.

Q: What happens after my initial Springboard application?

After you have created your Springboard account and logged on, you can submit your application to whichever course you choose. At this first stage of the process, you will be asked to upload:

• An up-to-date CV that includes dates and countries of employment. 
• Letter of Motivation. Take note you have to upload both your CV and Letter of Motivation under one section. 
• A copy of your academic transcript to show you have a level 8 qualification. Applicants who do not have a level 8 qualification can apply through Recognition of Prior Learning. Please take a look at the ‘Entry Requirements’ section of the course information on Springboard+ for complete details.
• If English is not your first language, an English language qualification is required for admission to our courses. Click here for English Language Requirements for UCD.

Q: What happens next?

Your application will be reviewed by our recruitment team. They may reach out to you for additional information if required. If your application is successful, you will be issued a provisional offer from Springboard. You need to accept this offer within four days from when the offer has been made. 

Once this has been accepted you will need to make an application to UCD, details of how to do this will be sent to you by the Innovation Academy.

Q: What if I can’t accept my Provisional Offer from UCD on Springboard?
Please check your application to ensure it is within the given time frame of 4 days from when the Provisional offer was made. Please note that Springboard only allows changes on its website from within Ireland.
If there are any other issues, please contact support @springboardcourses.ie

Q: How do I apply for a course that is not funded by Springboard?

To apply for courses that are not funded by Springboard, applications can be submitted to the UCD website and will follow the same review process. For example, this applies to students who are applying for the MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability.

Q: What are the main documents that I need?

• An up-to-date CV that includes dates and countries of employment. 
• Letter of Motivation. Take note you have to upload both your CV and Letter of Motivation under one section. 
• A copy of your academic transcript to show you have a level 8 qualification. Applicants who do not have a level 8 qualification can apply through Recognition of Prior Learning. Please take a look at the ‘Entry Requirements’ section of the course information on Springboard+ for complete details.
• If English is not your first language, an English language qualification is required for admission to our courses. Click here for English Language Requirements for UCD.

Q: Do I need to get my transcripts and /or references translated?

Yes, if you have completed a level 8 qualification in another country where English is not the primary language, you must have your university transcript translated into English. This must be completed and stamped by a registered translating agency.

Q: Is the Letter of Motivation Important to my application?

Yes this is an important part of your application as it lets The Innovation Academy assess your suitability to the course based on this letter. Please ensure the Letter of Motivation is no longer than one page and contains the following:

– Why do you want to do this course
– What do you hope to achieve by doing this course
– What do you feel you can contribute to this course

Q: What additional documents do I need to upload to Springboard?

Only upload documents requested by the Springboard website or The Innovation Academy.

Q: Can I upload multiple documents to Springboard?

Yes you can upload multiple documents to Springboard in each section. Please read the requirements carefully to ensure you have uploaded the correct documents in the correct sections on the Springboard website. 

Q: Can I send my documents to you by email?

No, all documentation needs to be uploaded to the Springboard website. We cannot upload documents on your behalf.

Q: I am having technical issues uploading documents to the Springboard site.

You need to contact Springboard technical support at support@vidatum.com OR support@springboardcourses.ie.

Q: I am having technical issues uploading documents to the UCD site.

You will need to contact the UCD Student Desk.

Q: If I don’t have a NFQ level 8 qualification can I still apply?

Yes. You can apply under UCD’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy (RPL) Under UCD’s RPL policy, consideration will be given on a case by case basis to applicants who do not hold a primary degree but who can demonstrate extensive professional experience. Typically, such applicants would have five years or more experience where their role includes managing teams, leading projects, programmes or business units.

If you are applying under RPL, please review your CV to ensure that it clearly demonstrates the following:

• Any experience of leadership and self-direction
  Any experience of management or entrepreneurship
  A description of employee, budget and client responsibilities

RPL applicants should also upload two recently dated professional/employment references. These should be on headed paper or from an official email address and including the referees name, role and email address.

Q: I don’t have my degree transcript, can I upload my parchment?
No, UCD requires a full transcript for a Level 8 Hons Bachelors degree. Unfortunately a parchment will not be accepted. If you don’t have your transcript then you can request it from your university or college as most are available electronically.

Q: Will the final year of my transcript be sufficient to upload?
No, UCD requires the full transcript of your 3 to 4-year degree. 

Q: How much do Springboard courses cost if you are in employment?

For those in employment or self-employment the course fee is 10%. Springboard will fund the other 90% if eligibility criteria is met.

Q: How much do Springboard courses cost for returners or those who are unemployed?

Springboard will fund 100% of fees for those that meet eligibility requirements for these categories.

Q: How do I pay my fees?

Students fees will be displayed in UCD SISweb student account in full and Springboard/HCI funding will be allocated during the trimester.

When you are a fully registered student with UCD you will see the full course fees as outstanding on your account. Please do not be concerned, UCD Innovation Academy will apply the Springboard funding as soon as it is received from them. If you are required to pay a portion of your fee you can do it by following this link.

The Student Centre Levy (currently €254) can be ignored as it will be removed from your account.

Q: I am unemployed, do I have to pay 10% fees if I get a job during this Springboard course?

No, If you gain employment during your course then you are not liable for 10% fees. Springboard decides on your funding eligibility on the first day of your course.

Q: I was employed when I started this Springboard course but now I am unemployed. Do I still have to pay 10%?

Yes you still have to pay 10% as Springboard decides on your funding eligibility on the first day of your course. 

Q: What are the 10% fees for 2026 Springboard courses?

Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation & Leadership

• Fees €3000
• Springboard funding if Employed: 90% €2700
• Student to pay: €300
• Springboard funding if Unemployed: 100% Student pays €0

Professional Diploma Innovation for Sustainability

• Fees €3750
• Springboard funding if Employed: 90% €3375
• Student to pay: €375
• Springboard funding if Unemployed: 100% Student pays €0

Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Fees €4600
• Springboard funding if Employed: 90% €4140
• Student to pay: €460
• Springboard funding if Unemployed: 100% Student pays €0

Q: What happens if I can’t attend all of the sessions (is there a minimum level of participation)?

As the programme involves continuous assessment, participants must attend all class sessions, and it is not possible to catch up in your own time.

Q: When will I receive my parchment?

This is dependent on when you finish your programme and when the exam board meets to give final sign-off on grades. After this, it will take approximately 3 months for parchments to be printed by the Conferring Unit. Secondly, receiving your parchment is dependent on successful completion of all coursework and payment of fees.

Q: Can I apply to another Springboard+ course once I have finished this one?

You can, however you will need to have fully completed any Springboard+ course you enrolled on in the past – i.e. have completed all assignments, paid any outstanding fees, received a final grade, and had your status updated to “Complete” by the course provider. Until then you will not be able to apply for another Springboard+ course.

From the Springboard site:

You can take a maximum of three Springboard+ courses in any five-year period. After that, you will need to wait 2 years before enrolling on another Springboard+ course.
If you have failed to successfully complete two Springboard+ courses in the past, you are ineligible to apply again for a period of 2 years.
If you have taken two courses in the past but were unsuccessful in the second, you are ineligible to apply again for a period of 2 years.

Q: Can I watch recorded classes in the evening if I miss some days?

No we do not record our lectures as they are either in person or LIVE online.

Q: I will be on holiday/away for work during the course, can I do this course?

Please check the course timetable to see how many lectures you are missing. Please contact one of our recruitment advisors at innovation.academy@ucd.ie so we can discuss your particular case in more detail.

Q: Can I do other programmes with you?

Under Springboards requirements, students can only receive funding for one Springboard course per 12 months. However, you can apply directly to UCD if you wish to take part in another programme within this time and self-fund the course.

If you are interested in any of the courses of Innovation Academy, please register your interest by filling out the form in the respective page. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us at innovation.academy@ucd.ie