Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Digital Business (Online)

Course Summary

This postgraduate course is the first of its kind in Ireland, offering students the opportunity to upskill their digital business skillset through flexible online delivery. Providing the learner with live virtual classes which can be revisited at their convenience should help those juggling the demands of part-time education and full-time employment. ATU Sligo has a rich history in online learning and are viewed as market leaders within this area in Ireland.
On these programmes you can expect to gain technical and management skills which are delivered through a mix of practical and theory-based modules. This will equip you with the knowledge, skills and tools to manage and implement innovative digital change. You will gain the knowledge and skills required to understand how digital technologies are developed and delivery in business.

Features and benefits of the course:

• A hands-on programme which equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to identify new digital opportunities and innovative digital solutions.
• Explore how digital technology innovations (e.g., Cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, Immersive Technology, Chatbots, and Artificial Intelligence) can be harnessed and developed within a digital environment.
• Develop an understanding of the latest and most appropriate theories and models that create new business value.
• Flexible part-time study – delivered online (evenings), this programme allows you to fit your studies around work life and other commitments, accessing materials 24/7, from wherever you are in the world.
• Tailored learning – study towards the qualification that meets your goals, be it the PG Cert in Applied Digital Business (8 months part-time), PG Dip in Digital Business (16 months) or the full MSc in Digital Business (24 months)
• Learners can progress from PG Cert to PG Diploma and onto the Masters or exit early with one of the PG awards.
• Real life projects – where possible, modules incorporate real situations which require the learner to research and apply their knowledge to provide solutions. 
• As an online student on the PG Certificate, you will have a maximum of 5 hours of contact per week plus additional time to dedicate to your own reading and projects when needed. 

Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Digital Business modules and layout:

There are a small number of subsidies available for the programme for those who are successful in the application process.

Key Course Information

Study hours: this programme is delivered online (evenings) on a part-time basis. It is designed to work around the learner who may be in part or full-time employment and operating a busy schedule. The modules are, in some cases, a mix of live and pre-recorded material. All the material on the programme is recorded and will be available afterwards on our learning platform for you to review in your own time. 

Assessments: Each module has a maximum of two assessments over the semester, spaced to avoid overlap. Many of the projects are designed to allow the learner to examine scenarios that may be beneficial in their own work situation.

There are no exams for this programme; all assessments are designed as project work throughout the term.

Contact Details
Programme Co-ordinator
Alan Kelly
alan.kelly@atu.ie
Admissions Office
T: 353 (0) 71 931 8511
E: admissions.sligo@atu.ie

Application Closing Date : 15th August 2025

Entry Requirements

To apply for this course, you will have:
Second Class Honours (NFQ, Level 8) in any business discipline or

Second Class Honours (NFQ, Level 8) in any discipline plus 3 years experience in a management/supervisor role which will be subject to consideration under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Where English is not their first language, students are required to have an appropriate score in an approved examination in English language, such as IELTS. More information can be found here - International Entry Requirements - Atlantic Technological University Sligo.

Applicants with other qualifications and with relevant work experience may also be considered through ATU Sligo’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. RPL is a process that may allow you to gain admission to a programme or to receive exemptions / credit from some parts of a programme based on demonstrated learning that you may have achieved through another programme of study or through your work and career. Further information is available through www.atu.ie/recognition-of-prior-learning which our dedicated RPL portal or by contacting our admissions team at admissions.sligo@atu.ie.

Career Opportunities

While the programme will be of interest to a wide and varied audience in business/digital fields, the specific career and career advancement opportunities that the award supports include: 
•    Digital Business Analyst 
•    Digital Project Manager
•    ICT Project Manager
•    Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
•    Information Resource Manager
•    Analyst (Data/ICT/Business/Systems), 
•    Project Manager
 

Further Study

The flexibility of the programme allows people to complete the PG Cert in Applied Digital Business and then apply for the PG Diploma and afterwards progress to the Masters. Alternatively, you can apply for the Masters and decide to exit early with the PG cert or Diploma. 

Did you know?

Digital Business contributes 4.4% to Ireland's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The digital part of the economy in Ireland is growing at 16% per year – that is more than ten times the economy's growth rate. The digital economy already supports almost 95,000 jobs directly and indirectly, and this figure continues to grow. A lack of skills to capitalise on this opportunity is an issue of concern not only for employers but also for governments (Digital Business Ireland - Towards a Digital Future, 2020).

The Minister for Education and Skills and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation articulated this governmental and societal need when he announced targets to deliver more than 47,000 graduates with high-level ICT skills by 2022, acknowledging that the supply of high-level ICT skills is no longer just a sectoral issue, but a national economic priority (Ireland’s Third ICT Skills Action Plan, Technology Skills, 2022)

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in their Critical Skills Occupations List, was updated in June 2022, and there is a noted skills gap in ICT professionals, professional engineers, and technologists. This has resulted in international recruitment drives to seek workers and graduates from outside of Ireland to fill the many vacancies that exist. Graduates of this programme would align to many of these roles:

Table 1: The Critical Skills Occupations List June 2022

Programme Fees

Academic Course Fees 2024/2025

Total Programme Fee: €2,400

Funded Places Available
Successful applicants to this course may receive funding for their fees on this course through the HCI Pillar 3 Micro-Credentials Learner Fee Subsidy initiative. The number of funded places is limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 
*Micro-credentials Subsidised Fee: €480
Please see here the eligibility criteria - HCI-Micro-credentials-Fee-Subsidy-Eligibility-Criteria.pdf (hea.ie)

Applicants should note that they can only be registered on one programme at a time (including a micro-credential), at ATU during the academic year (September to May).

To help make the payment of fees more manageable for students who are self-funding their studies, tuition fees can be paid through payment instalment plans at ATU Sligo. For further information on instalment plans, please visit our Fees and Funding webpage. 

If you apply and are approved for an online course at ATU Sligo, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of €250 to secure your place. Your deposit will then be credited against the course fees once you are registered as a student. Students at ATU Sligo are also eligible to claim tax relief at the standard rate for tuition fees.

For further information and guidance about Fees and Funding for online and part-time courses at ATU Sligo, click here.

If you are seeking to take your exams online and you meet the eligibility criteria (overseas students and those with extenuating circumstances), an additional examination fee will apply. For further information, please visit our Examinations webpage. 

There are a small number of subsidies available for the programme for those who are successful in the application process. 

Course Format

Semester 1

Semester 2