Welcome to UCD Innovation Academy. #UnlockingCreativity
The Innovation Academy’s mission is to provide a transformational education experience for the betterment of society and the economy. We shape creative minds capable of launching new ventures.
Transformational learning experiences.
At UCD Innovation Academy we offer you a transformative educational experience no matter what level, discipline or industry you work in.
UCD Accredited Courses
Transform your career with a postgraduate qualification from University College Dublin. Develop the mindset, skillset and toolkit to put your new skills to work quickly.
UCD Graduate Diploma in Design Thinking for Sustainability >
UCD Postgraduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship >
TU Dublin – UCD Professional Diploma in Transversal Skills >
UCD Professional Diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership >
UCD Professional Diploma in Creativity and Innovation for Education >
UCD Professional Diploma in Creativity and Innovation for HIGHER Education >
Elective Modules for UCD Students
UCD Undergraduate and Postgraduate students can elect to take one or more of our action-oriented modules at UCD Innovation Academy during their studies.
Bespoke Programmes and Projects
We collaborate with organisations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in Ireland and internationally. These initiatives aim to build the capacity of participants to innovate and lead change.
Designed and facilitated by a dynamic team of practitioner educators.
Meet the innovation specialists of UCD Innovation Academy, including leading academics, entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, agricultural innovators, and design thinking practitioners.
Supported and enabled by a world-class international advisory board and extern.
The members of our International Advisory Board combine leaders of industry and entrepreneurial education in Ireland and internationally. Chaired by Raomal Perera (Entrepreneur and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at INSEAD), the board includes Gay Haskin (Former Dean of Executive Education and CEO of the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford), Colm Lyon (Founder and CEO of Fire Financial Services Founder and former CEO of Realex Payments), Datin Dr. Syahira Hamidon (Head of the Entrepreneurship Unit, Ministry of Education, Malaysia) and Professor Richard Templer (Director of Innovation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London)
Our courses are validated by a leading Cambridge University Academic: Professor Sir Mark Welland, Deputy Vice Provost, University of Cambridge is the external examiner for UCD Innovation Academy.
Learn more about Prof. Sir Mark Welland here>
In a state of the art learning facility at the heart of Ireland's largest University .
UCD Innovation Academy is located in the UCD O’Brien Centre for Science at the centre of the University College Dublin campus in Belfield. Our facility includes flexible learning spaces, a prototyping lab, and collaborative workspaces. Students at the innovation academy have the ability to get ‘hands-on’ with emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality, 3-D Printing and Robotics to build and apply their digital skills.
We collaborate with and design for Industry and the Public Sector.
At UCD Innovation Academy we ground our learning in real-world applications. Students work on real-world challenges for organisations, prototyping and pitching real-world solutions.
We also design and facilitate bespoke workshops, hackathons and multi-day innovation development programmes for organisations across sectors and industries.
To make an impact in the careers and lives of our learners, for the economy and for our society.
UCD Innovation Academy is the focal point of an international learning community. We bring together key influencers and decision makers with educators and our students to reimagine education. We celebrate the many successes of our Alumni and share this impact through the media.
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Our Experiential Learning Approach
At UCD Innovation Academy we take a highly action-oriented approach to teaching and learning. All of our teaching is grounded in academic rigour but our focus is on the practical application of this in a real-world context. We work with over 1,000 learners each year from UCD Undergraduates to PhD students and professionals from Industry across all sectors.
