Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

Perfect for lifelong learners if you are keen to change direction and reinvent yourself and your career.

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.

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

UCD Innovation Academy provides transformational educational experiences for the betterment of society and the economy. We prepare learners from all walks of life to succeed in an uncertain world. We work with higher education, enterprise and the public sector, national and international, to equip learners with the mindset, tools and skills to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. We act as a catalyst for positive change, within individuals, institutions and societies.

Our approach to teaching and learning - the “IA way" is underpinned by innovation, creativity, leadership, entrepreneurial thinking and design thinking. Our unique 21st century learning pedagogy centres on experiential, challenge based learning in interdisciplinary groups. By providing learners with the tools, the skills and the mindset to enable innovation, we help people and organisations unlock their true potential.

The Programme Lead for the Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship is Dr. Lollie Mancey, a successful entrepreneur and innovator herself.

By the end of the Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, you will:

• Acquire a toolkit that helps you to validate and execute new ideas using key frameworks and methodologies.

• Cultivate a personal brand identity and build your creative confidence. 

• Develop and understand the entrepreneurial mindset that enables you to realise your career aspirations.

• Use prototyping and pitching skills to solve real-world problems.

• Apply learning to be able to develop business models for new ventures.

• Build a peer network of contacts and collaborators who have the skills to lead change in organisations and start new ones.

• Develop a skill set that entrepreneurs need and employers value including creative thinking, collaborative problem solving, communication & presentation skills, team working & networking skills.

• Collaborate effectively and gain exposure to new perspectives and alternative skill sets.

• Gain knowledge through informative online fireside chats with external speakers.

• Leave with a clear action plan to reimagine and relaunch your career.

• Gain a joint Level 9 qualification awarded by University College Dublin.

People with power skills in creative problem solving, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking are in high demand right now. 

Whether you see yourself as an entrepreneur at the head of a new venture, or bringing more creative ways of working to an existing employer, you’ll develop serious skills in a creative way. 

You’ll leave the course feeling inspired and perfectly positioned to grab emerging opportunities, or create your own.

Graduates of this course have gone on to establish exciting new business ventures like Fiid and Peachy Lean. Others have launched award-winning social enterprises like Buddy Bench, Streetsmart Ireland, and The Upcycle Movement. 

As one of our exclusive club of graduates you’ll have the qualities employers are looking for. Our graduates have applied what they’ve learned to change careers, working with organisations from Accenture to The Department of An Taoiseach, and even here at the Innovation Academy.

View All Modules Here

This course consists of three modules and is delivered part-time through in-person classroom sessions from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm on Thursdays and Fridays. An average of 20 additional hours per week is required for self-directed learning, reflective learning, and group or individual work. 

As the programme involves continuous assessment, students must attend all class sessions.

Modules:

IA40110: Module 1: Creative Thinking & Innovation (10 ECTS)

Thursday & Fridays 23rd Nov – 19th Jan 2023. In-person classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon. No classes 16th December – 10th January.

– Idea Generation

– Creative Communication

– Teamwork and Collaboration

– User-Centred Design

– Opportunity Recognition

– Pitching and Presenting

IA40260: Module 2: Entrepreneurial Thinking and Innovation (15 ECTS)

Thursday & Fridays 25th Jan – 22nd Mar 2024. In-person classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon. No classes on March 14th and 15th 2024.

– What is the entrepreneurial mindset?

– Who and what is an entrepreneur?

– Digital up-skilling and learning how to navigate multiple platforms

– Design Thinking from foundations to fruition

– Business Model Canvas

– Pitching and Presentation coaching

– Navigating Customer Discovery

– Lean Marketing and Bootstrapping a Business

– Innovating through Social Media

– Learning about Franchises

– Social Entrepreneurship

– Mentoring

IA40500: Module 3: Entrepreneurial Career Plan (10 ECTS)

Thursday & Fridays 11th Apr – 10th May 2024. In-person classes from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day with self directed learning in the afternoon.

– Networking 

– Finding your community

– Resilience and Vulnerability as key entrepreneurial factors

– Reimagining your CV

– Financial Planning for startups & Alternative Revenue Streams

– Voice & Performance coaching for interviews

– How to use LinkedIn so it works for you

– Mind your own business – how to survive in the current climate

– How to pivot within your sector

– The Realistic optimist

– Creating an action plan and accountability

€4,000 (EU) or €4,000 (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 €400) eligible individuals in employment or self-employment, and the formerly self-employed.

See ‘How to Apply’ section on our website for eligibility criteria.

The deadline for applications is 12pm 20th November 2023. 

This course is open for applications through the HEA Springboard+ website. Visit the How To Apply section below to begin your application. If you require more information, please register your interest on our website 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 for this course. These are subject to change. 

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:

1. Current CV and Letter of Motivation. 

2. A copy of your academic transcript to show that you have a minimum of an Undergraduate Honours Bachelor's Degree (NFQ Level 8). If you previously studied at UCD, please provide your UCD student number on a Word document/PDF.

3. 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 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-

a. Any experience of leadership and self-direction

b. Any experience of management or entrepreneurship

c. 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.

1. 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. 

Visit our FAQs here. 

"It's a dynamic hub for knowledge-sharing, building new connections, and fostering positive energy. I found it to be one of the most engaging and enjoyable courses I've ever taken, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking inspiration, new insights, valuable connections, and motivation in these critical areas." - Andriy Khodzinskyy, Student 2022/23.

"The experiential nature of this class was something very foreign to me but I have come to value it as a great teaching method. This course teaches the value of collaboration and networking, and practical business skills. It awakens the creativeness inside of us and builds confidence in ourselves and our ideas. It is just amazing! Never mind Red Bull! This course gives you true wings!" - Diane Lewis, Student 2022/23.

“The Innovation Academy gave me the tools to unlock this idea and launch my social enterprise.” Shane Cogan, Founder of Rethinking Rural Ireland, Programme Alumni.

"This course has helped me enormously in terms of professional skills, career advice and entrepreneurial/business knowledge at a time in my life when I needed to reignite my passion for lifelong learning and engage in upskilling." - Fiona Donlon, Student 2022/23.

“The Innovation Academy provided me with the tools and techniques to pursue my business ideas, but also allowed me to learn about myself and what I am capable of.” Sharon Keegan, Founder and CEO of PeachyLean, Programme Alumni.

Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation & Leadership

Professional Diploma in Innovation for Sustainability 

Graduate Certificate in Digital Transformation, Technology & Resilience 

Graduate Diploma in Design Thinking for Sustainability 

MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability

This in-person programme will be delivered in the state of the art campus at  Digital Hub , Dublin 8, D08 TCV4. 

When you begin a course with the Academy it will feel like nothing you’ve experienced in education before. It’s not just our state-of-the-art facilities that make us different.

Our teaching and learning team facilitate learning in a high-energy environment and encourage you to harness your creativity and work as part of a team. Through this process you may learn as much from your fellow students as you do from your facilitator.

“I enjoy the adventure of a co-leadership approach. As colleagues, we build on each other’s strengths. When we facilitate together in a shared space of creative flow, it’s exciting for students and facilitators alike.” Eina McHugh, Entrepreneurial Specialist

The following entry routes are available:

Apply directly now through Springboard*

Deadline to apply: 12pm Thursday 20th November 2023

*Places are offered on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early to secure a place on the programme.