Continuing professional development

External investment and philanthropy have always been crucial for arts and culture organisations. As the sector recovers from the pandemic, fundraising is more important than ever.

This online course, led by experts in the area of arts fundraising, will let you pick up practical skills to help you fundraise from a variety of sources and build resilience, even in times of crisis.

This course will be useful to anyone working in the arts and culture industry who wants to take their first steps in fundraising or requires a refresher. 

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Ten hours to complete (two weeks, five hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Essentials in Arts Fundraising on FutureLearn.

Effective leadership is vital for successful fundraising in the arts and culture; a sector that heavily relies on external funding as part of its income mix.

This three-week course delivered by industry experts is designed to help you understand your role as a leader in developing and embedding fundraising with your arts organisation. 

You’ll learn how to evaluate the effect of your organisational culture and stakeholders' roles on the effectiveness of your current fundraising and explore techniques that help you develop organisational resilience and economic growth at all times. 

This online course will be of interest to anyone working or aspiring to work as a senior decision-maker in the arts and cultural sector.  

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Six hours to complete (three weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Leadership in Arts Fundraising on FutureLearn.

Enhance your problem-solving abilities with this three-week course offered by the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

Learn how to identify and prioritize the right problems to solve in both personal and professional contexts. 

• Platform: FutureLearn.  
• Course duration: Nine hours (three weeks, three hours of study per week).  

Sign up for Decision Making: How to Choose the Right Problem to Solve on FutureLearn.

Enhance your decision-making and problem-solving abilities with this insightful two-week course offered by the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

Learn how to use data to make informed business decisions and solve real-world problems. 

• Platform: FutureLearn.  
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week).  

Sign up for Evidence and Data Collection for Problem Solving on FutureLearn.

Designed to enhance your design thinking and human-centered design approach, this course is perfect for those looking to solve problems by understanding and addressing the needs of people. 

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Nine hours (three weeks, three hours of study per week).  

Sign up for Get Creative with People to Solve Problems on FutureLearn.

Discover the art of computer programming and learn what code can do. In this course, you’ll find out how and why people programme computers. Using an introductory block-language for coding, you’ll discover the kinds of problems that computers can help you solve. You’ll explore different types of coding languages and discover a variety of useful applications of code. 

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Four hours to complete (two weeks, two hours of study per week).

Sign up for Computer Programming for Everyone on FutureLearn.

Elevate your digital marketing expertise with our focused course on user experience for mobile apps.

Designed for those interested in app design and UX, this two-week course from the University of Leeds covers the essentials of smartphone interaction, app design, and prototype testing.  

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week).   

Sign up for Digital Marketing: Creating a Great User Experience for Mobile Apps on FutureLearn.

Unlock the potential of social media with this two-week course from the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

Perfect for marketers looking to enhance their digital strategy, this course will guide you through the essential steps to planning and launching a successful social media campaign.  

• Platform: FutureLearn.   
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week).   

 Sign up for Create a Social Media Marketing Campaign on FutureLearn.

Enhance your digital marketing skills by mastering online content creation. This two-week course from the University of Leeds will guide you in crafting engaging content that aligns with your business goals.

Explore the essentials of effective messaging, tone, and media formats to enhance your online presence.  

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week).   

Sign up for How to Create Great Online Content on FutureLearn.

Learn the basics of web development with this essential coding course. Over two weeks, you'll gain practical skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, crucial for building and styling web pages.   

• Platform: FutureLearn.   
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week).   

Sign up for Learn to code for the web  on FutureLearn.

This course is designed to help scientists, researchers, as well as ecology enthusiasts, develop skills in using radar to explore biodiversity.  

You will explore the origins and evolution of radar from a military technology to a powerful tool with multiple scientific applications, including aeroecology. You will then be introduced to studying global biodiversity trends and learn how to evaluate traditional methods and emerging technologies used by scientists to monitor the natural world.

• Platform: Coursera.
• Course duration: Nine hours to complete (three weeks, three hours of study per week).

Sign up for Aeroecology: Exploring Biodiversity with Radar on Coursera.

Even small climate changes can have large-scale consequences in agriculture and food systems with devastating effects on the people and their economies.

In this course, you will learn strategies designed to mitigate the impact of climate change, develop resilient food systems and create sustainable development in local communities. 

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Six hours to complete (two weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems on FutureLearn.

This course will help you understand the principles of bioenergy, one of the most diverse and readily available sources of renewable energy.

You’ll learn how to harness this form of green energy to achieve sustainability. You will also explore the social, economic and environmental implications of bioenergy and get to know how it is used around the world.

This skills-based course will enable you to create real-life energy solutions and help you develop as a professional.

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Eight hours to complete (two weeks, four hours of study per week).

Sign up for Renewable Energy: Achieving Sustainability through Bioenergy on FutureLearn.

This course explores global approaches to electrification via a national grid, off-grid, micro and mini-grids and reflects on the barriers to affordable, clean and fair access to electricity.

You will then delve deeper and discover microgrids. You’ll learn how and when to use them, how to plan for one and consider the socio-economic and environmental implications of their usage. 

This skills-based course will enable you to conduct a feasibility study for creating your own microgrid in a small village and accessing its impact. 

The course was interesting and I learnt lots of new ideas. The technological aspects of planning microgrids and how to implement them was great. The case studies made the case very interesting.

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Eight hours to complete (two weeks, four hours of study per week).

Sign up for Renewable Energy: Sustainable Electricity Supply with Microgrids on FutureLearn.

Discover versatile special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) strategies to support diverse learners and foster inclusive classrooms in this four-week introductory course.

Learn how to approach supporting individuals with disabilities in education contexts, with practical case studies to deepen your understanding and help you to apply your knowledge in the real world. 

This course is accredited by the CPD Certification Service. 

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Four hours to complete (four weeks, one hour of study per week).

Sign up for Inclusive Education: Exploring SEND Practice and Strategies on FutureLearn.

Modern agriculture and global food systems have become very complex and do not always provide people with affordable and nutritious food.

This course presents current research, which aims to place nutrition at the heart of the food system and will help you to develop skills to implement and evaluate nutrition-sensitive interventions yourself. 

This course is based on research led by experts in agriculture, nutrition and environmental sciences from the University of Leeds, the University of Pretoria and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FARNPAN).

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Eight hours to complete (two weeks, four hours of study per week).

Sign up for A Nutritional Approach to Agriculture and Food Security on FutureLearn.

Explore the human abdomen and its many complex structures through stimulating discussions on surgical procedures.

This will help you to apply your understanding of basic anatomy to common clinical scenarios and introduce you to research being undertaken at the University.

• Platform: FutureLearn
• Course duration: 12 hours to complete (three weeks, four hours of study per week). 

Sign up for the Exploring Anatomy course on FutureLearn.

This three-week course explores some of the key challenges of ensuring food safety faced by researchers, policymakers and individuals worldwide.

You’ll investigate some well-documented food scandals and scares as well as hidden or chronic exposures to contaminated food before you learn about innovations designed to counter food safety risks.

This course draws from innovative research into food safety and nutrition conducted by the University of Leeds, Jiangsu University in China, and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania.

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Nine hours to complete (three weeks, three hours of study per week).

Sign up for Food Safety and Nutrition: A Global Approach to Public Health on FutureLearn.

Explore how medical treatments are discovered, tested and evaluated to improve healthcare for all. 

You will work through case studies and examine how research contributes to the treatment of major diseases, such as cancer and dementia, examining the process of conducting research and the ethical questions raised. 

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. By completing the course you will have achieved 16 hours of CPD time.

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: 16 hours to complete (four weeks, four hours of study per week).

Sign up for the Improving Healthcare Through Clinical Research course on FutureLearn.

Learn how to manage innovation in this course developed by world-renowned academics in strategy and innovation from the Leeds University Business School and IBM.

Understand why organisations need to establish an innovation process and manage innovation systematically.

• Platform: Coursera
• Course duration: Eight hours to complete (two weeks, four hours of study per week).

Sign up for the Innovation Management course on Coursera.

Master remote collaboration with this two-week course. Designed for the evolving digital workplace, this course will help you excel in remote working environments. 

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Collaborative Working in a Remote Team on FutureLearn.

Improve your communication skills at work and learn how to navigate positive collaboration in the modern workplace. In this course, you’ll learn the importance of matching your communication style with your work and project goals and learn how to manage and control challenging conversations.

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Four hours to complete (two weeks, two hours of study per week).

Sign up for Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work on FutureLearn.

Boost your employability with this two-week course from the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

Designed to help you refine your digital identity, this course ensures your online presence enhances rather than hinders your professional image. 

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Create a Professional Online Presence on FutureLearn.

Take charge of your career development and identify the skills you need to plan and achieve your career goals.

• Platform: FutureLearn.
• Course duration: Four hours to complete (two weeks, two hours of study per week).

Sign up for Essentials Skills for your Career Development on FutureLearn.

Study the evolving landscape of technology and its impact on the workplace with this two-week course from the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

Gain insights into how digital trends shape our professional lives and future-proof your career. 

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Learn about Current Digital Workplace Trends on FutureLearn.

Elevate your presentation skills with this two-week course. Ideal for anyone needing to communicate ideas clearly and effectively, this course will help you make an impactful impression in any setting. 

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Presenting Your Work with Impact: Presentation Skills Training on FutureLearn.

Training online or completing online courses as part of your work is very different to face-to-face learning as it often involves independent study and a different set of skills.

This online course has been developed to help you to develop effective online learning strategies that work for you.

Discover how to learn from different media, how to communicate online or contribute to online discussions and how to effectively collaborate with others. 

• Platform: Coursera.
• Course duration: Four hours to complete (three weeks, one hour of study per week).

Sign up for Training and Learning Online on Coursera.

Learn how to thrive in today’s dynamic work environment with this two-week course from the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding.

Develop the resilience and adaptability needed to excel in the digital workplace. 

• Platform: FutureLearn. 
• Course duration: Six hours (two weeks, three hours of study per week). 

Sign up for Wellbeing and Resilience at Work on FutureLearn.