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UCD Postgraduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
UCD Postgraduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
Register your interest for our 2018/19 Course
“Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.”
Why is this course for me?
This Postgraduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise is awarded by University College Dublin and will enable you to explore and develop your career in new directions, potentially as an entrepreneur at the head of a new venture, or someone who is self-employed, or perhaps you simply want to develop the creative and entrepreneurial mindset that is increasingly sought by employers across all industries and sectors.
The unique design of our course combines creativity and design-based problem solving, participation in real-life team-based project challenges with industry partners and learn by doing from our highly experienced team and guest speakers from industry.
This part-time course runs from 25th March 2019 to 3rd July 2019, three mornings a week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 9.30am – 1.30pm) with a break for Easter.
It is free for eligible job-seekers, homemakers and carers and offered at a significantly subsidised rate for those in employment via the Higher Education Authority Springboard+ initiative. Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.
(Note: Enrolment on an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes. Please note that auditing Innovation Academy modules is not be possible.)
Springboard+ is open to eligible job-seekers, home-makers, carers and individuals in employment.
“Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.”
Why is this course for me?
This Postgraduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise is awarded by University College Dublin and will enable you to explore and develop your career in new directions, potentially as an entrepreneur at the head of a new venture, or someone who is self-employed, or perhaps you simply want to develop the creative and entrepreneurial mindset that is increasingly sought by employers across all industries and sectors.
The unique design of our course combines creativity and design-based problem solving, participation in real-life team-based project challenges with industry partners and learn by doing from our highly experienced team and guest speakers from industry.
This part-time course runs from 25th March 2019 to 3rd July 2019, three mornings a week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 9.30am – 1.30pm) with a break for Easter.
It is free for eligible job-seekers, homemakers and carers and offered at a significantly subsidised rate for those in employment via the Higher Education Authority Springboard+ initiative. Springboard+ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.
(Note: Enrolment on an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes. Please note that auditing Innovation Academy modules is not be possible.)
What will I learn?
What will I learn?
This course builds on international best practice and combines it with real-world insights from a highly experienced team of practitioner educators. It is designed to equip participants with the opportunity to develop new skills or enhance existing skills that are in high demand by employers across all industries and sectors. These skills include
Creativity and design-based problem solving.
Effective teamwork, networking, pitching and leadership skills.
To innovate, validate and execute new ideas.
This course builds on international best practice and combines it with real-world insights from a highly experienced team of practitioner educators. It is designed to equip participants with the opportunity to develop new skills or enhance existing skills that are in high demand by employers across all industries and sectors. These skills include
Creativity and design-based problem solving.
Effective teamwork, networking, pitching and leadership shills.
To innovate, validate and execute new ideas.
Graduate Experiences
Our graduates include home-makers, like Sylvie who want to return to work, mid-career professionals like Sean who want to chart a new course and late-stage professionals like Brendan who want to use their experience to start a new venture.
Graduate Experiences
Our graduates include home-makers, like Sylvie who want to return to work, mid-career professionals like Sean who want to chart a new course and late-stage professionals like Brendan who want to use their experience to start a new venture.
Our outcomes
Participants who find or create employment
Graduation rate
Our Success Stories
Our Success Stories
Curriculum
This programme offers an intense learning experience that prepares adult students for their next major career leap.
You will join a class of 30 or so students of all ages and backgrounds in a cross-disciplinary, multi-national and vibrant community. Teaching staff at the Innovation Academy are practitioners and thinkers, including leading entrepreneurs from business and social sectors as well as academics. Read about our team.
Throughout the course you will work on a series of challenges and projects – large and small, addressing real-world problems and opportunities, while learning to apply creative and entrepreneurial tools including Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas and Customer Discovery. You will design and test new ideas and meet experienced entrepreneurs and leaders from all sectors to hear their advice and insights.
Have any questions you would like to ask before applying? See FAQ.>
Curriculum
This programme offers an intense learning experience that prepares adult students for their next major career leap. You will join a class of 30 or so students of all ages and backgrounds in a cross-disciplinary, multi-national and vibrant community. Teaching staff at the Innovation Academy are practitioners and thinkers, including leading entrepreneurs from business and social sectors as well as academics. Read about our team.
Throughout the course you will work on a series of challenges and projects – large and small, addressing real-world problems and opportunities, while learning to apply creative and entrepreneurial tools including Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas and Customer Discovery. You will design and test new ideas and meet experienced entrepreneurs and leaders from all sectors to hear their advice and insights.
Have any questions you would like to ask before applying? See FAQ.>
Course Details
Module 1: Creative Thinking & Innovation
- Idea generation;
- Creative thinking;
- Design Thinking;
- Team dynamics;
- Innovation sprint with a client.
Module 2: Entrepreneurial Thinking & Innovation
- Planning for execution;
- Strategy for early stage growth;
- Validation and customer discovery;
- Pitching to win customers/funding.
Module 3: Entrepreneurial Career Plan
- Career goals – plan for the next year;
- CV, Interview and Pitching Skills;
- Mapping the way forward for your idea / product/ venture.
- No exams. Learn by doing from a highly experienced team of practitioner educators who have developed and scaled new business or social ventures.
- The course content builds on international best practice from Stanford D: School, Kaos Pilots, Babson College, University of Oxford in addition to content developed at UCD Innovation Academy.
- Gain insights from guest speakers from industry.
- Apply your learning through real-life, team-based project challenges.
- Work on an Innovation Challenge with a host company where you will apply a design based problem solving process to a real challenge facing that organisation.
- Assessment is based on in-class participation and project work. Participants are also required to submit short personal learning reflections at the end of each module.
Course Entry Requirements
Educational Requirement
All applicants must hold a minimum of an honours degree (Level 8) in any discipline – OR – 5+ years relevant employment history, in the absence of a degree.
Springboard+ Requirement
- Be in receipt of a payment from the Department of Social Protection (see complete list here) – OR – Be signing for social insurance contribution credits – OR – Be previously self-employed;
- Be actively seeking employment;
- Provide proof of welfare payment status. Examples of what you can provide include: a payment receipt (with the payment amount redacted); a copy of the completed PTEO form or any in date correspondence from the DSP. You may also log into www.mywelfare.ie and download details of their claim for verification purposes.
- Be a Homemaker/Carer for a minimum period of 12 months prior to your application;
- Ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding your entry to the programme;
- You must swear a declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths attesting to your status. A form to complete this process is available here.
- Provide a letter/statement from Revenue stating that you are no longer trading or a similar letter from your (former) accountant should be sufficient – OR – Swear a declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths stating that you are no longer self-employed.
- Employed applicants must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme and will be required to demonstrate this;
- Employed applicants must be an EU/EEA/Swiss state National or have a Stamp 4 Visa and will be required to demonstrate this;
- Note: Employed applicants will be required to pay a fee which equates to 10% of the actual total fee cost of the course.
Please click here for full Springboard+ Courses Eligibility criteria.
Course Entry Requirements
Educational Requirement
All applicants must hold a minimum of an honours degree (Level 8) in any discipline – OR – 5+ years relevant employment history, in the absence of a degree.
Springboard+ Requirement
- Be in receipt of a payment from the Department of Social Protection (see complete list here) – OR – Be signing for social insurance contribution credits – OR – Be previously self-employed;
- Be actively seeking employment;
- Provide proof of welfare payment status. Examples of what you can provide include: a payment receipt (with the payment amount redacted); a copy of the completed PTEO form or any in date correspondence from the DSP. You may also log into www.mywelfare.ie and download details of their claim for verification purposes.
- Be a Homemaker/Carer for a minimum period of 12 months prior to your application;
- Ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding your entry to the programme;
- You must swear a declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths attesting to your status. A form to complete this process is available here.
- Provide a letter/statement from Revenue stating that you are no longer trading or a similar letter from your (former) accountant should be sufficient – OR – Swear a declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths stating that you are no longer self-employed.
- Employed applicants must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme and will be required to demonstrate this;
- Employed applicants must be an EU/EEA/Swiss state National or have a Stamp 4 Visa and will be required to demonstrate this;
- Note: Employed applicants will be required to pay a fee which equates to 10% of the actual total fee cost of the course.
Please click here for full Springboard+ Courses Eligibility criteria.
Transcripts
An up-to-date CV and Transcripts are required as part of the application process.
An Academic Transcript is a document(s) provided by the academic institution where you undertook your studies. This is an official document which states all of the subjects you have undertaken during your studies and what grade you have achieved in each of those subjects, including your overall final grade if you have completed your qualification. Official or original academic transcripts are documents printed on the official headed paper of the institution where you studied and should be stamped by that institution.
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language an English language qualification is required for admission to all of our courses. The exception to this rule is if you have completed your primary degree or an entire third level qualification through English, in an English speaking country. Click here for full English Language Requirements.
Meet the Innovation Academy Admission Team
You can contact the UCD Innovation Academy admissions team a number of different ways, if you’ve had problems applying for a Springboard place or if you have questions about the modules that are not in the FAQ.
Transcripts
An up-to-date CV and Transcripts are required as part of the application process.
An Academic Transcript is a document(s) provided by the academic institution where you undertook your studies. This is an official document which states all of the subjects you have undertaken during your studies and what grade you have achieved in each of those subjects, including your overall final grade if you have completed your qualification. Official or original academic transcripts are documents printed on the official headed paper of the institution where you studied and should be stamped by that institution.
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language an English language qualification is required for admission to all of our courses. The exception to this rule is if you have completed your primary degree or an entire third level qualification through English, in an English speaking country. Click here for full English Language Requirements.
Meet the Innovation Academy Admission Team
You can contact the UCD Innovation Academy admissions team a number of different ways, if you’ve had problems applying for a Springboard place or if you have questions about the modules that are not in the FAQ.
It opened my eyes to what being an entrepreneur really is.Dr Elaine Kenny
Graduate of this course, now CEO and founder of Elda Biotech
“It opened my eyes to what being an entrepreneur really is.”Dr Elaine Kenny
Graduate of this course, now CEO and founder of Elda Biotech