Heriot-Watt’s Professional Academy: A new way to stand out and start your postgraduate journey
Today’s professionals are expected to keep learning - whether they’re starting a career, making a change or preparing for the next step.
That’s why we’ve launched the Heriot-Watt Professional Academy - a new platform offering individual courses from our online degrees. Get career-relevant learning today, with the option to stack progress into a recognised qualification tomorrow.
A flexible first step into postgraduate education
Our Academy offers a growing portfolio of short, stackable online courses designed for busy professionals who need learning that fits around work and life. Whether you want to explore a subject or need targeted upskilling fast, this is learning built for real-world needs.
Courses are entirely online, self-paced and open for enrolment anytime. Most take 4-8 weeks to complete and can be paused or accelerated depending on your schedule.
Russell Brooks, CEO of Heriot-Watt Online, explains: “We know today’s professionals want to rapidly upskill in response to our fast-evolving world. That’s why the Professional Academy is built for flexibility - self-paced courses, open access enrolment and the freedom to study from anywhere. It’s learning that works around real lives.”
Professionals can build skills one course at a time, stacking their achievements into qualifications that reflect their real career journeys.
Career-relevant content with academic credibility
All courses in the Professional Academy are taught by the same expert faculty behind our postgraduate degrees. That means you’re not only gaining practical skills - you’re also earning academic credit that counts towards full qualifications.
Subjects include leadership, sustainability, data analytics, supply chain and organisational psychology - all aligned to emerging industry needs.
As Russell says: “These aren’t just short courses - they’re stepping stones. They’re designed to deliver immediate value at work while also unlocking long-term career pathways through recognised qualifications.”
If you’re not ready to apply for a full MSc or MBA, this is a low-risk way to get started. And if you are, it’s a great way to build confidence, skills and momentum ahead of formal study.
Learning that grows with your goals
The Academy offers a clear progression pathway:
- Start with a course to explore a subject
- Build a certificate by stacking multiple related courses
- Convert that credit into a full degree later
You can tailor your learning to your needs - and build at your pace.
Russell adds: “We’ve designed the Professional Academy for lifelong learning. Professionals can build skills one course at a time, stacking their achievements into qualifications that reflect their real career journeys.”
Supporting your development - and your organisation’s
The Academy is ideal for businesses seeking to upskill staff without removing them from the workforce.
We offer corporate options including bulk enrolment, live sessions with faculty, and tailored course bundles aligned to workforce goals.
As Russell puts it: “We’re helping organisations future-proof their workforces. By removing barriers to professional development, we’re supporting global businesses to grow from within - faster, smarter and more affordably than ever before.”
Explore what’s possible - then go further
The Professional Academy is a smart way to start learning, fast. But it’s also a springboard into deeper study. Many of our students begin with a short course before progressing into full online postgraduate degrees with Heriot-Watt.
Whether you’re exploring a career move, preparing for postgraduate study or building your skills step by step - this is your first step forward.
Explore the Professional Academy
Or learn more about our full MSc and MBA programmes at Heriot-Watt Online