Studying at Essex

CPD, short courses and training

Health and Human Sciences student training with plastic skeleton

Get the skills you need

Our high quality short courses, summer schools and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities are designed to develop the key skills you'll need in your professional or academic career.

We have courses in health, business, social research and English language. Some of our courses are routes into degree study, others are unique training programmes and regular one-day events.

Prepare for Higher Education

Designed to prepare you for the next stage of your education, whether that’s sixth form or college, or university. You‘ll learn new ways to tackle your studies, navigate your future choices and master useful life skills like money management, making friends and getting a job. What’s more, our courses are packed full of tips you can start using right away and take with you for life!

Human Rights short courses

Led by experts in the field of Human Rights, our practical professional development courses offer specialist training across a range of areas. Develop your skills, tools and expertise to take your career to the next level.

Human Rights Leadership Lab

The Human Rights Leadership Lab is a supportive and reflective learning space to develop your leadership presence, skills and impact. It is the first ever leadership development training specifically designed to meet the needs of activists and leaders and managers working for human rights organisations.

Learn how to better motivate, empower and lead our people and build healthier and more sustainable working environments using a human rights values-based leadership approach. Together we will reflect upon some of the practical challenges and dilemmas faced in a human rights space, including how to deal with traumatic content and the stressful nature of the work.

  • Study mode: Online, 6 x 4 hour sessions held over 3 weeks
  • Suitable for: Human Rights Professionals

Applications for this short course are now open.

Conflict and International Law: A Field-Based Training Course

The Essex Human Rights Centre presents a week-long practical development course, covering a range of topics related to the field of humanitarian aid, UN and diplomatic work.

Taught by leading practitioner in the field, Dr Conor Foley, the course runs over five days at our Colchester campus and consists of a mixture of lectures, interactive exercises, skills and scenario-based activities, equipping participants with a realistic introduction to the challenges they are likely to face in the field.

Study mode: In person, 5 days 

Suitable for: Post-graduate students, professionals who may be interested in a career secondment to the field

Applications for this short course are now open.

Continuing Professional Development 

Credit bearing modules

Health and social care

The School of Health and Social Care delivers CPD programmes for qualified professionals in health and social care. Our staff are both academically and clinically qualified and many are practising clinicians.

We provide you with training that is not just clinically relevant but based on current research and our years of experience.  


Health and Social Care modules

Programming and data science

The Faculty of Science and Health have worked in collaboration with partners including Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) to develop short courses that support digital skills that focus on digital transformation through the use of data.


Programming and Data Science modules

Sport, rehabilitation and exercise science

Our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences runs CPD courses in musculoskeletal assessment, practice and sonography, which can be taken as a PG certificate, PG diploma, or an MSc.


Sport Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences modules

Non-credit bearing modules

Psychosocial and Psychoanalytics

You can take a selection of modules at our Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies on a CPD basis and we also offer a number of other courses and sessions.

Summer schools

We offer a growing number of academic and professional Summer Schools. Each summer school brings experts together from around the world to share their experiences; provide insight into current trends and developments and explore research methods in a variety of contexts. 


Explore our Summer Schools

Workshops, webinars and training

Data analytics workshops and webinars

Our Business and Local Government Data Research Centre offers data analytics workshops and webinars that bring together the latest academic thought applied to real business or public sector issues. Using the latest powerful programming languages and software we share new big data skills and knowledge that can enhance your organisation to make stronger, evidence-based business decisions.

UK Data Service training

The UK Data Service is a comprehensive resource funded by the ESRC to support researchers, teachers and policymakers who depend on social and economic data. We provide a single point of access to a wide range of data and support users in accessing, depositing and sharing data. The UK Data Service runs both face-to-face and online training events on the data we hold, data use and data management.

Doctoral training

Our Proficio programme provides doctoral training for postgraduate research students, researchers and other professionals from organisations both in the UK and around the world.

Business consultancy

Backed by our world-leading research we provide professional consultancy and hands-on operational support to businesses, from start-ups to multinationals.

Data analytics workshops and webinars

Our Business and Local Government Data Research Centre offers data analytics workshops and webinars that bring together the latest academic thought applied to real business or public sector issues. Using the latest powerful programming languages and software we share new big data skills and knowledge that can enhance your organisation to make stronger, evidence-based business decisions.

UK Data Service training

The UK Data Service is a comprehensive resource funded by the ESRC to support researchers, teachers and policymakers who depend on social and economic data. We provide a single point of access to a wide range of data and support users in accessing, depositing and sharing data. The UK Data Service runs both face-to-face and online training events on the data we hold, data use and data management.

Doctoral training

Our Proficio programme provides doctoral training for postgraduate research students, researchers and other professionals from organisations both in the UK and around the world.

Business consultancy

Backed by our world-leading research we provide professional consultancy and hands-on operational support to businesses, from start-ups to multinationals.

English language courses

Pre-sessional English 

The University of Essex International College offers pre-sessional English language pathways, ideal if you need to improve your English before starting one of our courses.

Skills for Success

We offer a programme of free Academic English language classes at our Colchester and Southend Campuses for international students studying at Essex who would like help to improve their English proficiency as they study.