Microcredentials

Upskill with a microcredential. These professional development short courses are designed to help you quickly build in-demand career skills and knowledge and get ahead.

Find out more

Futureproof your career with a microcredential

Gain specialised skills in just 10–12 weeks with flexible online learning. Created by world-class OU academics and with many endorsed by leading industry partners, microcredentials offer a perfect balance of academic excellence and workplace relevance.

With 10–13 hours of study per week, you can gain:

cutting-edge knowledge in a specialised subject, informed by world-class academics
practical skills you can immediately apply to your work or boost your CV
undergraduate or postgraduate credit you could use in the future towards further study by counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications.

You can typically start your learning in March and October. Prices from £550. See our FAQs for more about microcredentials.

My line manager said that while these courses have greatly enabled my personal and professional development, they have also prepared me for taking on senior management responsibilities, and that the skills I have developed will be invaluable in driving our organisation through a process of digital transformation.
Tommy Breslin, Microcredential Learner

Find a microcredential

Choose from Leadership and Management | Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability | Teacher Development and Inclusive Learning

Leadership and Management

Business management: financial accounting for non-financial roles (BZVM306)

Develop your accounting skills and knowledge to interpret financial statements, measure business performance and assess financial health.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Person working at a desk using a calculator

Business management: fundamentals of management accounting (BZVM305)

Develop your accounting skills and knowledge to help you make better business decisions and achieve your professional goals.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Colleagues looking at laptop screens in a meeting

Business management: improving organisational practice (BZVM302)

Grow your management skills, adapt to change successfully, and have a positive impact on the performance of your organisation.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Man presenting to colleagues at a notice board

Business management: marketing principles and practice (BZVM301)

Learn how to apply key marketing techniques to enhance your performance and make better business decisions.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Business management: people management and leadership (BZVM303)

Gain critical people management and leadership skills to support your organisation and boost your career.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Workers discussing sticky notes on a kanban board

Business management: project management (BZVM304)

Develop the skills and knowledge you need to lead or contribute to successful projects, and take your career to the next level.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Management of change: organisation development and design (BZVM802)

Discover tools and concepts of human centred management and design, and develop skills to manage and lead in the 21st century.

Duration 12 weeks

Level Postgraduate

Women writing on post-it notes on a notice board

Management of uncertainty: leadership, decisions and action (BZVM801)

Develop greater leadership skills and learn to make effective decisions in conditions of radical uncertainty.

Duration 12 weeks

Level Postgraduate

Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability

Climate change: transforming your organisation for sustainability (TZVM320)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead change for sustainability in your organisation.

Duration 10 weeks

Level Undergraduate

Teacher Development and Inclusive Learning

Online teaching: accessibility and inclusive learning (HZVM884)

Enhance your online teaching by understanding and improving accessibility for students with disabilities or additional needs.

Duration 12 weeks

Level Postgraduate

Online teaching: embedding social, race and gender-related equity (HZVM885)

Discover how to embed equity in your online teaching and support equitable participation for all students.

Duration 12 weeks

Level Postgraduate

Two colleagues discussing work on a laptop screen

Online teaching: evaluating and improving courses (HZVM882)

Develop the skills you need to evaluate the success of your online teaching and enhance your students’ remote learning experience.

Duration 12 weeks

Level Postgraduate

Group of friends arm-in-arm looking out to sea

Teacher development: embedding mental health in the curriculum (HZFM883)

Develop inclusive learning that enhances student mental health and wellbeing using the application of Universal Design for Learning.

Duration 12 weeks

Level Postgraduate

Frequently Asked Questions

You may have some questions about Open University microcredentials. We’ve listed some common questions below, but if you can’t see what you were looking for, please get in touch.

Microcredentials are studied entirely online via the OU's learning platform. You’ll use a combination of learning materials, videos, and quizzes to develop skills that you can immediately apply. You’ll share ideas and experiences with other learners, building skills, confidence, and knowledge.

You’ll also be supported by a Mentor who has an excellent understanding of the course subject; their role is to guide discussions and answer questions.

Microcredentials are available on The Open University's platform.

To register for a course on the OU platform, select the course and go to the Register tab. Click on the register button and you will be guided through the enrolment process.

When registering for a microcredential on the OU website, online payments can be made using credit or debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express). Alternatively, if your company is sponsoring you, an invoicing option is also available.

After you have registered on the course, you will have 14 days from the day the course starts to request a refund.

Microcredentials are designed to fit around your life and time zone. You can study at your own pace, as long as you complete the final assessment by the specified date.

Microcredentials are designed to be studied from almost anywhere in the world.

Potentially, yes. Microcredentials are stand-alone courses designed to meet specific learner and employer needs. Those awarded by The Open University have academic credit value at either undergraduate or postgraduate level, and, if appropriate, this may be used towards selected OU qualifications. For more details, including eligible qualifications, visit Counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications.

The credit awarded may potentially be used at another university, subject to the agreement of the receiving institution.

Microcredentials

Futureproof your career with a microcredential

Find a microcredential

Leadership and Management

Business management: financial accounting for non-financial roles (BZVM306)

Business management: fundamentals of management accounting (BZVM305)

Business management: improving organisational practice (BZVM302)

Business management: marketing principles and practice (BZVM301)

Business management: people management and leadership (BZVM303)

Business management: project management (BZVM304)

Management of change: organisation development and design (BZVM802)

Management of uncertainty: leadership, decisions and action (BZVM801)

Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability

Climate change: transforming your organisation for sustainability (TZVM320)

Teacher Development and Inclusive Learning

Online teaching: accessibility and inclusive learning (HZVM884)

Online teaching: embedding social, race and gender-related equity (HZVM885)

Online teaching: evaluating and improving courses (HZVM882)

Teacher development: embedding mental health in the curriculum (HZFM883)

Frequently Asked Questions

The Open University

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Undergraduate

Postgraduate

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Micro​credentials

Futureproof your career with a microcredential

Find a microcredential

Leadership and Management

Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability

Teacher Development and Inclusive Learning

Frequently Asked Questions

Short courses may also interest you

Business Management: Marketing Principles and Practice

Business Management: Improving Organisational Practice

Business Management: People Management and Leadership

Business Management: Project Management

Business Management: Fundamentals of Management Accounting

Business Management: Financial Accounting for Non-Financial Roles

Management of change: organisation development and design

Management of uncertainty: leadership, decisions and action

Mentoring and coaching in professional learning

Developing educational leadership in practice

Online Teaching: creating courses for adult learners

Online teaching: evaluating and improving courses

Teacher development: embedding mental health in the curriculum

Online teaching: accessibility and inclusive learning

Online teaching: embedding social, race and gender-related equity

Mental health: working with children and young people

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