Click Start courses

Maximise your employability, by learning the basics of coding in Python.

What you'll learn:

• To describe what computer programming is and its purpose.
• How it enables the creation and execution of computer programs. 
• What algorithms are and their significance in programming.
• How to create programs that accept user input, display output, and utilise essential programming constructs such as if statements, loops, and functions. 

University of Leeds
8 hours to complete.
Week 1: Programming Fundamentals in Python
Week 2: More advanced concepts/functions e.g., conditional loops (if statements)
Assessments: 9 quizzes, 1 assignment

Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are vital in increasing developer productivity and learning to work with them will help you create impressive software projects.

What you'll learn:

• Describe the purpose and benefits of using IDEs in software development and recognise how they improve productivity and streamline coding processes.
• Summarise the capabilities of IDEs, including managing projects, and utilising features (the terminal, debugger) and extensions in tools like VSCode.
• Compare and contrast different IDEs, distinguishing between language-ambiguous IDEs and language-specific IDEs.

University of Leeds
7 hours to complete.
Week 1: What is an integrated development environment?
Week 2: Using IDEs
Assessments: 6 quizzes, 1 assignment

Explore the basics of version control and learn how to use it in software development projects.

What you'll learn:

• Describe the meaning and purpose of version control, understanding its role in managing and tracking changes in software development projects.
• Identify the benefits for developers when using version control. 
• Learn to generate/ utilise SSH keys, use basic Git commands, access public repositories, set up project boards, and use issue trackers.
• Leverage GitHub markdown language for formatting text and bios. 

University of Leeds
8 hours to complete.
Week 1: Introduction to version control
Week 2: Documenting with Markdown
Week 3: Using GitHub Projects and Issue Tracker
Assessments: 6 quizzes, 1 assignment

Gain a comprehensive understanding of industry-standard software testing and validation techniques and learn how to design and implement effective test cases.

What you'll learn:

• Describe various types of software testing and identify their advantages and disadvantages.
• Explain the significance of software testing in the software development process, recognising when and why testing should be employed.
• Apply knowledge of testing techniques to design effective test cases, evaluate their effectiveness, and generate comprehensive testing plans.

University of Leeds
5 hours to complete.
Week 1: Foundations of software testing and validation
Week 2: Test design techniques and validation
Assessments
6 quizzes, 1 assignment

This course is designed to equip you with a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of logic and their relevance in the field of computer science.

What you'll learn:

• Learn to articulate how logic plays an important role in computer science.  
• Apply techniques to derive solutions for modelled problems.

University of Leeds
7 hours to complete.
Week 1: Propositional logic
Week 2: Modelling with logic
Assessments: 7 quizzes, 1 assignment

Understand the key principles and techniques of engineering design that will help you develop your skills in this field.

What you'll learn

• Describe the engineering design process and apply techniques used in the design process.
• Demonstrate an informed decision-making process.

University of Leeds
6 hours to complete.
Week 1: Understanding engineering design.
Week 2: Engineering design in practice
Assessments: 3 quizzes, 1 assignment

Cryptography is an essential part of secure and accessible communication that is critical in everyday life. Join this course to gain a solid understanding of the principles and applications of cryptography.

What you'll learn:

• Describe the fundamental concepts and principles of cryptography.
• Explore historical cyphers and their significance in the evolution of cryptography.
• Investigate modern cryptographic algorithms and protocols.

University of Leeds
8 hours to complete.
Week 1: Introduction to cryptography, historical cryptography
Week 2: Modern cryptography
Assessments: 3 quizzes, 1 assignment

Learn how to navigate the dynamic field of artificial intelligence (AI), exploring its applications and the evolving landscape of AI-related careers.

What you'll learn:

• Demonstrate an understanding of current AI applications across various fields and articulate the key issues associated with these applications. 
• Engage in critical reflection on the social, legal, and ethical considerations surrounding AI. 
• Recognise diverse AI career paths and the essential skills required for success in the field. 

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week
Week 1: What is artificial intelligence and how can it be used responsibly?
Week 2: Understanding artificial intelligence in the workplace
Assessments: 3 quizzes, 1 assignment

Discover the diverse career opportunities, from blockchain developer to legal expert, and gain insights into the skills you need for a successful journey in this dynamic field.

What you'll learn:

• Describe blockchain concepts and principles, articulating their key functionalities.
• Explain current applications of blockchain, relating its practical usage in different domains.
• Evaluate diverse blockchain technologies, considering advantages, disadvantages, and associated social, legal, and ethical considerations.
• Identify essential skills and differentiate career trajectories in Blockchain, constructing a career development plan.

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week 
Week 1: Blockchain technology and applications
Week 2: Blockchain in society and career trajectories
Assessments: 4 quizzes, 1 assignment, 2 peer assignments

Gain insights into the skills required for a career in web technology and how to take your first steps into this exciting career path. 

What you'll learn:

• Identify key web development technologies and understand challenges, including social, legal, and ethical concerns.
• Recognise diverse web tech careers and their required skills.
• Differentiate roles in website creation, and discuss differences in back- and front-end development.
• Explain common web languages and their applications.

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week 
Week 1: Roles and technologies in web development
Week 2: Creating commercial websites, protecting data and intellectual property
Assessments: 3 quizzes, 1 assignment

Learn the fundamental concepts of cloud technologies, explore career opportunities like cloud developer, architect, security engineer, consultant, and administrator, and gain insights into the core skills needed to succeed in the field.

What you'll learn:

• Explain current applications of cloud computing, articulate associated challenges, and recognise the distinctions between cloud computing roles.
• Identify various roles in cloud computing and list essential skills for success in those roles.
• Describe the technical, social, legal, and ethical challenges in cloud computing.
• Highlight specialist skills and provide real-world examples of cloud implementation.

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week
Week 1: Introduction to cloud computing and the roles available
Week 2: Real-world examples of the cloud and the skills required to be part of it
Assessments: 6 quizzes, 1 assignment

Discover the array of exciting careers in robotics, from engineering and software development to research and project management, gaining insights into the skills required for success in this rapidly advancing field.

What you'll learn:

• Explain the foundational aspects of robotics, covering intelligent robot components.
• Learn about the challenges in specific areas such as industrial robotics and autonomous vehicles. 
• Name current areas of robotics application, highlighting challenges in social, legal, and ethical aspects.
• Identify diverse robotics careers and understand essential skills for success.

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week
Week 1: Introduction to Robotics
Week 2: Challenges, opportunities and skills required to succeed in Robotics
Assessments: 5 quizzes, 1 assignment

Learn about the dynamic field of software development and uncover the crucial roles, from requirements engineers to backend developers, and the skills essential for success.

What you'll learn:

• Explain the software development process, identify key team roles and discuss ethical issues. 
• Explain the broad applications of software development and the associated challenges, including social, legal, and ethical concerns.
• Demonstrate awareness of diverse roles and skill profiles in software development.
• Detail the steps in the job application process, providing examples for interview preparation.

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week 
Week 1: The software development team
Week 2: Starting your career
Assessments: 2 quizzes, 1 assignment, 1 peer assignment

This online course will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of technology-assisted decision-making, its diverse applications and the skills you need to embark on future studies or careers in data-driven decision-making.

What you'll learn:

• Describe the concept of technology-assisted decision-making and the associated terminology within the field. 
• Demonstrate the ability to formulate optimisation problems as mathematical models and apply diverse techniques for their resolution.
• Understand the applications of optimisation including resource allocation, production planning, transportation, scheduling, and network optimisation.

University of Leeds
Two weeks of study, 6-8 hours per week 
Week 1: Decision-making with graph theory
Week 2: Decision-making with linear programming
Assessments: 1 quiz, 1 assignment

Learn how to create a professional online presence that enhances your employability and puts you in the spotlight for all the right reasons.

What you'll learn:

• Explain the direct and indirect activities that contribute to online presence and evaluate your online presence.
• Improve your professional presence and compare different platforms to analyse their suitability for your needs.
• Classify communications strategies and develop a plan for an effective online presence.

University of Leeds
7 hours to complete.
Week 1: What makes up your professional online presence?
Week 2: How do you build your professional network?
Assessments: 2 quizzes, 1 assignment

Explore professional career development methods to get your career on track and succeed.

What you'll learn:

• Identify different approaches to growing your career by exploring a roadmap and vision board and be able to explain your career vision clearly.
• Identify key individuals, organisations, and platforms for your network, and develop communications to engage key leads.
• Evaluate the impact of your strategy and iterate accordingly.

University of Leeds
5 hours to complete.
Week 1: Defining your career.
Week 2: Growing your career.
Assessments: 1 quiz

Learn how to write your CV and prepare for a successful job interview.

What you’ll learn:

• Learn how to prepare for a job interview the right way!
• You'll learn what interview questions to expect and how to answer them.
• How to optimize your resume using the Big Interview resume builder
• How to use networking to uncover more job leads.

Big Interview
19 hours to complete.
Week 1: Interview fundamentals
Week 2: Acing common questions
Week 3: Acing advanced questions
Week 4: Optimizing your resume.
Week 5: Ramp up your job search

Learn how to think strategically about your career. Develop an objective, external view of your marketable skills as a solid foundation for building a strong career brand.

What you’ll learn

• New concepts from industry experts.
• Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool.
• Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects.

The State University of New York
12 hours to complete.
Week 1: Getting started.
Week 2: Navigating the new skills economy.
Week 3: Developing career-building skills.
Week 4: Managing skills to gain a competitive edge.
Week 5: Conclusion, your continuing career self-management 

Learn how to communicate your technical abilities during interviews and be successful.

What you’ll learn:

• Tips, examples, and practice opportunities
• Job search advice
• Tips for succeeding once you’re in the job.

UC San Diego
20 hours to complete.
Week 1: Welcome & what is a software engineering interview.
Week 2: Lesson choices
Week 3: Live coding: The Technical Phone Interview and beyond
Week 4: Explaining what you’ve already done.
Week 5: Algorithmic thinking on the fly

Learn how to bring your CV and job application to the top of the pile.

What you’ll learn:

• Identify the real purpose of a resume.
• Identify relevant competencies for a position.
• Adapt your resumes for screening software.
• Write powerful and convincing accomplishment statements. 
• Use the resume skills tier method to strengthen your resume.
• Produce strong cover letters that use A.I.D.A technique.
• Produce effective follow-up letters. 

University of Maryland, College Park
12 hours to complete.
Week 1: Preparing to write.
Week 2: Writing a winning resume.
Week 3: Choosing a resume format.
Week 4: Writing a winning cover letter.

Learn top tips to help you prepare for a job interview.

What you’ll learn:

• Do thorough research on a company of your choice.
• Prepare for those critical first 3-5 minutes of an interview.
• Prepare for the all-important "Tell Me About Yourself" question.
• Prepare for traditional interview questions.
• Use strategies for handling the salary question. 
• Prepare an elevator speech - all three variations.
• Use persuasive speech techniques to present professional accomplishments.
• Adapt your nonverbal communication.

University of Maryland, College Park
20 hours to complete.
Week 1: Researching the market.
Week 2: Making a positive first impression.
Week 3: Answering the traditional interview questions.
Week 4: Proving you’ve done your research. 
Week 5: Demonstrating you’ve got what it takes.

Through practical exercises, you will discover your power as a speaker and give excellent presentations.

What you’ll learn:

• Successful public speaking and presentations.
• Four themes for public speaking: Mastering fear, developing a creative formula, using verbal and body language, and anticipating the room.

University of Colorado 
20 hours to complete.
Week 1: Getting started with public speaking.
Week 2: Formula for successful presentation.
Week 3: Practising yourself.
Week 4: engaging with the world.

This course will equip you with these fundamental leadership skills and help you develop your ability to influence others (including your “boss”), measure your impact, and enhance your resilience.

What you’ll learn:

• How to increase your emotional intelligence as a leader
• How to manage conflict
• How to increase your influence and authority.

Queen Mary University of London
18 hours to complete.
Week 1: Understanding yourself as a leader.
Week 2: Stepping in, setting boundaries, and productive conflict. 
Week 3: Leading and influencing your boss.
Week 4: Managing energy and motivations

Understand the nature of digital transformation and what it takes to win in the digital age.

What you’ll learn:

• The underlying economics of innovation, technology, and market disruptions
• The pros and cons of current digital technologies driving advancement.
• How to utilize BCG's digital transformation framework as a "how-to" for digitizing your organization

University of Virginia 
14 hours to complete.
Week 1: How technology changes business
Week 2: The mechanics of disruption
Week 3: Digital trends past and future
Week 4: Your path to digital transformation

This course is designed to inspire and empower women and men to engage in purposeful career development,  lead change with more conviction and confidence, and improve our workplaces and communities for all.

What you’ll learn:

• Self-knowledge about your values and vision
• Your capabilities as a leader, manager, and contributor.
• What are the valued attributes and behaviours of women in the workplace?
• How does the gendered nature of organizations impact women?
• What can organizations do to provide women with opportunities to excel?
• What opportunities could our global economy harness by advancing women to leadership?

Case Western Reserve University 
13 hours to complete.
Week 1: Yourself as a leader – Developing your leadership identity. 
Week 2: The current state of women’s leadership at the top.
Week 3: Women’s leadership presence
Week 4: Leadership tools for women
Week 5: Purposeful career development for women

Learn powerful decision-making methods and how to cultivate problem-solving skills for issues we all face in the workplace and beyond.

What you'll learn

• Evaluate personal skills for problem-solving and describe how problems exist in wider contexts.
• Develop an idea to approach a real-life problem, explore methods to minimise risk and turn ideas into plans.
• Explain the importance of the wider impact when proposing solutions and produce a plan that persuades others your solution will work.

University of Leeds
10 hours to complete.
Week 1: Finding and defining problems.
Week 2: Assessing your solutions.
Week 3: Understanding and selling your solution.
Assessments: 2 quizzes

Explore a practical model to solve problems on your own and with others.

What you’ll learn:

• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Memorising a practical model to solve problems.

University of California Davis
7 hours to complete.
Week 1: Getting started; an introduction to problem-solving.
Week2: brainstorming and analysing options 
Week 3: Recommending and engaging feedback
Assessments: 4 quizzes

Professor Sydney Finkelstein walks you through the neuroscience behind decision-making and teaches you to make conscious decisions that are right for you at work and in life.

What you’ll learn:

• Neuroscience behind decision-making
• How to make conscious decisions that are right for you at work and in life.

Dartmouth College
19 hours to complete.
Week 1: The emotional brain, bias and decision making.
Week 2: Experience and expertise
Week 3: Emotional tags in action
Week 4: Putting it all together, how to be the great decision-maker you want to be.

Learn the art of negotiation and practice advanced techniques in a variety of settings including negotiating when you have no power or dealing with someone who has a very different perspective on the world.

What you’ll learn:

• How to make principled arguments that persuade others.
• Case studies are based on common situations in business and life.

Yale University
37 hours to complete.
Week 1: Introduction: what is the pie?
Week 2: Negotiation case
Week 3: Zincite case
Week 4: Outsider case
Week 5: Advanced topics
Week 6: Linda Bibcock
Week 7: Herb Cohen: Negotiate anything. 
Week 8: The consummate dealmaker
Week 9: Acknowledgements and further reading 
Assessments: 13 quizzes

This course will give you the tools you need to be emotionally and socially intelligent in your workplace.

What you’ll learn:

• The value of emotional and social intelligence for professional success. 
• Current emotional and social intelligence skills
• The 4 Quadrants of Emotional and Social Intelligence (ESI) 
• How stress can impact the application of emotional and social intelligence skills
• Actions to create connections and build relationships

University of California, Davis
12 hours to complete. 
Week 1: Introduction to emotional and social awareness -ESI
Week 2: Self-management
Week 3: Social awareness and empathy 
Week 4: Relationship management 
Assessments: 6 quizzes

Explore a practical model that brings together all the areas that are necessary to take your interpersonal skills to the next level.

What you’ll learn: 

• Important intra- and interpersonal skills are required for Emotional Intelligence.
• How to analyse your own and others’ behaviours.
• Skills based on published research in multiple fields.

University of Michigan 
20 hours to complete.
Week 1: Self-awareness
Week 2: Self-management 
Week 3: Social awareness
Week 4: Social acceleration 
Assessments: 3 quizzes

Learn how to develop an effective online presence, manage your privacy, create networking opportunities, and balance professional and personal identities.

What you’ll learn:

• Explore and reflect on your online tracks and traces, to understand why your digital footprint is important. 
• Be introduced to some of the tools and approaches to effectively manage your online presence (or digital footprint).

University of Edinburgh
8 hours to complete.
Week 1: What makes an online presence effective?
Week 2: Why does your digital footprint matter?
Week 3: What does it mean to be an effective online professional?
Assessments: 6 quizzes