Get the essential skills and knowledge you need and earn a recognizable credential from the leading association for online and professional continuing education - UPCEA! Bringing you the leading experts with real-world experience in the field, these programs offer high-value, relevant content and actionable takeaways for practitioners at all levels. Engage with peers from across the field in a virtual classroom to strengthen understanding, breadth of knowledge, and skills. A badge will be awarded upon successful completion of each course. See below for courses and events that are now open for registration.
Closed, Custom Cohorts: Your institution is unique—your professional development should be too. UPCEA delivers tailored learning experiences designed to align with your goals and produce meaningful results. Through closed cohort programs, your team engages in a private, focused learning environment where training connects directly to your strategic priorities, strengthens cross-team collaboration, and empowers participants to apply insights to real-world challenges. With no outside participants, your team builds shared momentum while advancing together. Contact us to learn more: pd@upcea.edu
SAVE with UPCEA Institutional Impact Bundle: UPCEA members get 10 course enrollments for $3,500—saving over $1,000. Flexible access - courses may be taken within one full year from purchase date. Courses can be applied toward the PCO Pro Certificate. Learn more.
UPCEA PCO Professional Certificate
Build your expertise and advance your career in Online and Professional Continuing Education with the UPCEA PCO Professional Certificate. Great price!
UPCEA PCO Leader Certificate
Elevate your leadership in higher ed with this transformative program designed to empower you to manage people, data, and ideas with purpose and precision.
UPCEA Course Catalog
Earn essential skills and a recognized credential through UPCEA’s expert-led programs, featuring actionable insights, peer engagement, and high-value content for all levels.
Upcoming Professional Development Courses
UPCEA's online professional development courses can be taken individually and in any order. Courses are primarily asynchronous and online, and include a weekly live virtual classroom meeting hosted in Zoom. Courses count towards the UPCEA Professional, Continuing, and Online Education Professional (PCO Pro) Certificate. Complete five UPCEA courses within two years and earn your UPCEA PCO Professional Certificate! Learn more.
Understanding Adult Learners and Other Constituencies in Online and Professional Education
Faculty Member: Dr. Jennifer Kelly, Faculty Specialist at University of Hawaii at Manoa
Who are the constituents and stakeholders that compose the ecosystem of online and professional continuing education? What are the unique characteristics and educational needs of adult learners? How do the characteristics of the student market determine how programs are designed and delivered?This course examines prospective student markets and how to address their educational needs. This course also examines the roles of employers, communities, and government agencies in creating educational opportunities.
Next Offering: 07/06/2026
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Overview of Online and Professional Continuing Education
Faculty Member: Ryan Torma, Associate Dean of Professional Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Minnesota
What are the various ways universities organize and empower their units for online and professional continuing education? What are some unique features and approaches within these entities, particularly in how they address the educational needs of adult learners? This course provides a broad understanding of the variety of roles and models for online and professional continuing education across the academic landscape -- and the issues and opportunities they face. This course also looks at internal organizational structures, skill sets, and staffing, and discusses professionalism and the role that UPCEA plays in networking and educating those in this domain.
Next Offering: 07/06/2026
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Program Planning and Oversight in Online and Professional Continuing Education
Faculty Member: Melissa Mahan, University of Texas San Antonio
A solid understanding of the program planning process is essential for PCO professionals, especially those involved in developing, designing, and delivering opportunities for diverse learners. This course investigates the consistent attributes required for all programs: the existence of learning outcomes/impact on learners and the ability to assess and evaluate the programs provided by a PCO unit. Because program planning involves developing ideas, navigating the logistics of a program, and systematically determining its initial viability, this course can offer insights across all areas of a PCO enterprise.
Next Offering: 08/17/2026
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Markets, Marketing, and Market Research in Professional Continuing and Online Education
Faculty Member: Joshua McCarthy, Johnson and Wales University
How are new and changing markets identified? How are programs - in both content and format - developed to meet the needs of learners? How can data analysis help shape ongoing understanding of markets? This course will explore the processes and operations that convert markets into enrollments.
Next Offering: 08/17/2026
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