At the heart of UCT’s Vision 2030 and its accompanying Strategy 2030 is a commitment to broaden access to education and to foster lifelong learning as a pillar of our institutional identity. Under these strategic frameworks, UCT has been expanding its portfolio of open vocational and executive education programmes that are accessible to working professionals, educators, recent graduates, and the public more broadly. These offerings are designed to bridge skills gaps, enhance leadership and technical competencies, and enable practical, career-relevant learning opportunities across diverse fields.

Designing with AI

Th six-week fully online Designing with AI short course by the Centre for Innovation in Learning & Teaching (CHED / CILT), was aimed at lecturers, teachers, corporate trainers, and learning designers. The course covered generative AI, ethical issues, application of AI tools in learning design. Cost ≈  5 000. The course ran in September and October 2024.

Construction Management (online short course)

The eight-week online Construction Management short course focusing on construction project management in the South African / Cape Town context, covering industry structure, client relationships, health and safety, sustainability, tendering. The UCT Construction Management online short course addresses the demand for professionals well-versed in navigating the complexities of construction work amid widespread infrastructure development in Southern Africa. Ideal for both experienced industry professionals and newcomers to the construction sector, this course aims to improve understanding of the essential daily practices in overseeing projects of all sizes. The course equips site managers, contractors, site supervisors, quantity surveyors, and junior architects to make well-informed, strategic decisions for the successful execution of construction projects.

WRSETA-ILDP Advanced Diploma in Management Development (ADMD) Programme (Graduate School of Business)

During the Advanced Diploma in Management Development Programme (ADMD) participants develop a strategic perspective and acumen to navigate diverse business challenges. Capped with the Strategy and Innovation Lab, participants foster innovation, devise transformative strategies, and lead their organisations towards sustainable growth in today's dynamic global landscape. Modules include Leadership, Economics of Emerging Markets, Finance and Accounting Management, Human Resources Management and Operations Management. Aimed at middle managers with 5 – 10 years’ experience, this qualification equips those who have been earmarked for senior management through the company’s talent pipeline, for their career growth.

WRSETA-ILDP International Executive Development Programme (IEDP) (Graduate School of Business)

The International Executive Development Programme (IEDP), a similar leadership / executive development lane under WRSETA / UCT GSB: geared towards senior leaders, with global / regional exposure, the course includes modules on systems thinking, managing complexity, digital transformation, ethical leadership, and immersive experiences. Delivered in 2024 with blended and face-to-face sessions.

Heritage Law and Its Administration (short course)

The Heritage Law and Its Administration course was offered through the Centre for Extra Mural Studies at UCT. Five-morning “remote” short course for professionals (lawyers, heritage practitioners, town planners, architects) to deepen understanding of heritage law, court interpretations, administrative practices in the Western Cape.

CAF Football Management Executive Programme

The CAF Football Management Executive Programme was launched on 2 September 2024 in partnership with the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) and UCT’s Graduate School of Business. The initiative, in its first year in 2024, is a management programme initiated by the CAF leadership for their member associations’ administrative staff and officials to enhance skills, build capacity and drive efficiency to ensure African football administration and competitions are world class. UCT, as the top university in Africa and a collaborative partner, emphasises its role in supporting the development of football leadership in Africa. Tailored towards administrative staff and officials in member associations to build capacity in football management, governance, efficiency.

Faculty of Health Sciences Continuing Education Unit

The Faculty of Health Sciences Continuing Education Unit facilitates short courses, seminars and workshops offered by the various departments in the Faculty primarily for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of healthcare professionals. Its aim is to continually introduce new courses that will cover relevant and topical issues in the medical and health sciences field.

In 2024, courses were offered in the following areas:

  • Introduction to Healthcare for Adolescents, 2024 Dept of Paediatrics
  • Basic Counselling Skills, 2024 Dept of Psychiatry and Mental Health
  • Argue Better! Ethical Reasoning for Health Practitioners, 2024, The Ethics Lab

UCT Law@Work Programme

UCT’s Department of Private Law houses the self-funded continuing education unit called Law@Work. It offfers a wide portfolio of short, professional courses open to lawyers, business professionals, compliance officers, and public sector employees, designed to strengthen professional legal, compliance, and governance expertise.

Courses offered in 2024 included:

  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Legislative Drafting
  • Corporate Governance and Shareholder Activism
  • Effective Legal Writing
  • Mediation Training (online and in-person)
  • Software Law
  • Aviation Law
  • Whistleblowing in the Workplace
  • Chinese Law and Investment in Africa
  • Alternatives to Traditional Legal Careers

Continuing Professional Development courses

A host of Continuing Professional Development courses are offered in the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment at UCT. Course offered in 2024 included:

  • Drawing for Design: 22 - 26 January 2024
  • LEAD Programme: 28 January – 9 February 2024
  • Introduction to Design Computing: 29 January - 2 February 2024
  • Transport Modelling: 5 - 9 February 2024
  • Intro to Radar Systems: 19 - 23 February 2024
  • Rock Mechanics: 26 February - 1 March 2024
  • Non-Sewered Sanitation: 4 - 8 March 2024
  • Digital Twin and Building Information Modelling in Civil Engineering: 18 - 22 March 2024
  • Integrated Energy Systems: 18 March - 12 May 2024
  • Overview of the Power Plant Industry: 25 - 29 March 2024
  • Advanced Engineering Mathematics: 25 - 29 March 2024
  • Transport Demand Analysis and Project Assessment: 8 - 12 April 2024
  • Housing Finance Course for Sub-Saharan Africa – Kenya: 14 - 20 April 2024
  • Urban Hydrology & Modelling Urban Drainage: 15 - 19 April 2024
  • Future Female Leaders in Energy: 15 April – 3 November 2024
  • Slope Stability and Lateral Earth Supports: 22 - 26 April 2024
  • Advanced Aquatic Chemistry for Water Engineers: 29 April - 3 May 2024
  • Deterioration and Condition Assessment of Concrete Structures: 6 - 10 May 2024
  • Integrated Land Use-Transport Planning: 20 - 24 May 2024
  • Non-Motorised Transportation: 3 - 7 June 2024
  • Microwave Components and Antennas: 17 - 21 June 2024
  • Life Cycle Assessment: 18 – 20 June 2024
  • Introduction to Finite Element Modelling in Structural Analysis: 24 - 28 June 2024
  • Future Female Leaders in Energy: 1 July 2024 – 2 Feb 2025
  • Guidelines for Improved Land Administration: 1 – 29 July 2024
  • Introduction to Spatial Design: 1 – 5 July 2024
  • Geosynthetics Engineering: 1 - 5 July 2024
  • Advanced Infrastructure Management: 8 - 12 July 2024
  • Introduction to SA Property Programme (IPP): 11 – 19 July 2024 (cancelled)
  • Integrated Energy Systems: 15 July - 8 September 2024
  • Intro to Electronic Defence: 15 - 19 July 2024
  • Urban Design Africa: 14 – 19 July and 24 July 2024
  • Urban Catchment Management: 16 – 18 July 2024
  • TUHF Programme for Property Entrepreneurship: 16 July – 12 September 2024
  • Structural Dynamics with Applications: 29 July - 2 August 2024
  • Advanced Introduction to Wastewater Treatment: 5 - 9 August 202
  • Radar Signal and Data Processing: 5 - 9 August 2024
  • Advanced Structural Concrete Engineering: 12 - 16 August 2024
  • Introduction to Property Investment and Finance (IPIF): 15 – 30 August 2024
  • Sedimentation in Water & Wastewater Treatment: 19 - 23 August 2024
  • Heritage Resources Management: 20 – 27 August 2024 (cancelled)
  • Advanced Soil Mechanics: 26 - 30 August 2024
  • Management of Transport Supply & Demand: 2 – 6 September 2024
  • Sewage Sludge Treatment and Biosolids Handling: 9 - 13 September 2024
  • FPGA Development for Radar, Radio-Astronomy and Communications: 9 - 13 September 2024
  • IoT and GIS for Civil Engineering: 16 – 20 September 2024
  • Public Sector Real Estate Programme (PSREP): 18 September - 4 October 2024 (cancelled)
  • Tailings Storage Facility Design, Construction and Management: 30 September - 4 October 2024
  • Future Female Leaders in Energy: 21 October 2024 – 30 April 2025
  • Public Transport System Design: 7 - 11 October 2024
  • Integrated Data Energy Analytics: 7 October – 1 December 2024
  • Steady State Design of Biological Nutrient Removal Systems: 14 - 18 October 2024
  • Big Data Analytics and Transport: 21 - 25 October 2024
  • Valuation for Land reform and Expropriation: 28 – 30 October 2024 (in JHB)
  • Strengthening and Retrofitting of Concrete Structures: 28 October - 1 November 2024
  • Water Treatment Process: 4 – 8 November 2024
  • Modelling & Simulation of Wastewater Treatment Systems: 11 - 15 November 2024
  • Integrated Energy Systems: 11 November 2024 – 26 January 2025
  • Public Transport Policy and Regulation: 18 – 22 November 2024
  • Condition Assessment and Remedial Action on Steel Structures: 9 – 13 December 2024

UCT/GetSmarter online courses

Property Development and Investment

  • 05-Feb-24 02-Apr-24
  • 4-Mar-2024 30-Apr-2024
  • 8-Apr-2024 4-Jun-2024
  • 6-May-2024 2-Jul-2024
  • 3-Jun-2024 30-Jul-2024
  • 1-Jul-2024 27-Aug-2024
  • 29-Jul-2024 24-Sep-2024
  • 2-Sep-2024 29-Oct-2024
  • 7-Oct-2024 3-Dec-2024
  • 4-Nov-2024 21-Jan-2025

Property Management: Marketing, Contracts and Administration

  • 11-Mar-2024 7-May-2024
  • 3-Jun-2024 30-Jul-2024
  • 29-Jul-2024 24-Sep-2024
  • 30-Sep-2024 26-Nov-2024

Construction Economics and Management

  • 29-Jan-2024 26-Mar-2024
  • 18-Mar-2024 14-May-2024
  • 20-May-2024 16-Jul-2024
  • 8-Jul-2024 3-Sep-2024
  • 26-Aug-2024 22-Oct-2024
  • 14-Oct-2024 10-Dec-2024

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

  • 12-Feb-2024 9-Apr-2024
  • 15-Apr-2024 11-Jun-2024
  • 17-Jun-2024 13-Aug-2024
  • 19-Aug-2024 15-Oct-2024
  • 14-Oct-2024 10-Dec-2024

EDX COURSES self-paced online courses

  • Commercial Property and Opportunity
  • Commercial Property Contracts and Financial Modelling
  • Commercial Property Valuation
  • Alternative Property Investment Opportunities