IT courses

With technology constantly changing, it's important to hold the latest certifications - discover the IT courses that can take your career from beginner to professional level

A degree or apprenticeship will get your foot in the door as you begin your information technology (IT) career. However, gaining additional knowledge through postgraduate study, a short course or online learning is a great way to keep up with the most recent technological developments.

This is especially important as employers in the IT industry expect candidates to have professional certifications to show their expertise in particular programming languages, software packages or methodologies.

After graduating, consider gaining some highly regarded industry certifications, such as those from non-profit industry bodies like CompTIA and (ISC)2, which demonstrate your technical skills to potential employers.

Agile for IT project management

To find a job in IT project management, you don't need a Masters degree, but it's a good idea to gain professional qualifications in the best practice methodologies used in the industry. The most popular of these is Agile.

Agile courses are available throughout the UK, such as through BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

The BCS Foundation Certificate in Agile is suitable for:

business and IT professionals
leaders and managers looking to understand Agile practices
product owners, software testers and developers working in an Agile environment.

Upon completion, you can carry out various tasks, use your initiative, and schedule work for yourself and others.

BCS-accredited providers offer training for the one-hour multiple-choice exam, which costs 拢186 (2024). The course usually takes three days of classroom-based learning, and fees are set at around 拢1,000. There are no entry requirements for this certification.

After completing this foundation course, you can look to achieve practitioner status. BCS offers Agile Scrum courses for project managers and others interested in implementing Agile practices across their organisations.

Other project management certifications available from online training providers include PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) Agile courses for those using the PRINCE2 methodology for managing their projects.

Learn more about the role of a project manager and discover how to become a project manager.

Cisco certifications

Providing the most popular certifications for network engineers, market-leading technology firm Cisco offers four technology pathways depending on where you're up to in your career.

These are the four main levels of Cisco certification (although there's also a Specialist training programme):

Entry - Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST).
Associate - Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), CyberOps Associate, DevNet Associate.
Professional - Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise, CCNP Collaboration, CCNP Data Center, CCNP Security, CCNP Service Provider, CyberOps Professional, DevNet Professional.
Expert - Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Enterprise Infrastructure, CCIE Enterprise Wireless, CCIE Collaboration, CCIE Data Center, CCIE Security, CCIE Service Provider, Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE), DevNet Expert.

The CCST certification allows you to demonstrate that you have the skills and qualifications to take on an entry-level IT role. The short modules prepare you for higher-level qualifications, for which you'll need more experience. The exams are taken online.

Find out more about Cisco certifications at The Cisco Learning Network.

Meanwhile, if you're a network engineer looking for a globally recognised certification not provided by a particular IT firm for its own products, consider the CompTIA Network+ qualification.

Cloud computing courses

If you're interested in becoming an expert in cloud computing, one option is to take a postgraduate course. You'll first need to have studied computer science or a related subject at undergraduate level, although applicants with relevant professional experience may also be considered.

Masters programmes typically take one year to complete when studied full time, and course fees are around 拢10,000 for UK students.

For example, fees for the one-year, full-time MSc Cloud Computing from the University of Lincoln are set at 拢10,500 in 2025/26. The same course at the University of East London (UEL), which involves one year of study followed by a one-year industrial placement, costs 拢11,340, plus a placement fee of 拢3,500.

Search for postgraduate courses in cloud computing.

While this will give you a strong grounding in the topic, recruiters look for candidates who understand the cloud platform their company uses. Therefore, working towards professional qualifications may be the best way to develop your skills, especially if you aren't interested in the research element or are put off by the cost.

Online or short courses lasting one to three days usually cost hundreds (rather than thousands) of pounds. To see what's available, visit the training websites of major cloud providers, including:

Cyber security courses

For those who want to work in a cyber security analyst role, further study and professional qualifications in cyber security are available.

In most cases, postgraduate courses at UK universities take one year to complete if studied full time. Entry requirements tend to include a degree in a computing-related subject, but your application may be considered if you can demonstrate your interest in cyber security through work experience. Masters-level study will prepare you for a career in the industry or further study in the form of a PhD.

Search for postgraduate courses in cyber security.

The UK intelligence agency GCHQ, through its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), certifies a number of Masters and Bachelors courses. Successfully completing an accredited programme will help you to stand out when applying for jobs.

Once you begin your career, gaining professional qualifications will enable you to progress. The UK Cyber Security Council announced that the profession has been awarded Royal Chartered status. This means that those working in cyber security will be able to attain professional titles, including associate, chartered and principal.

The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) provides assessment in the following specialisms:

In addition, the Cyber Scheme (TCS) and CREST have both been awarded licensing body status in Security Testing.

Cyber security certifications are also available from ISC2, an international membership association for industry professionals.

Another widely recognised qualification is the CompTIA Security+ certification. You can study this and other CompTIA courses through an accredited learning provider such as ITonlinelearning.

Read more about cyber security training.

ITIL 4 for IT service management

A career in IT service management (ITSM) involves ensuring that an organisation's IT services are delivered effectively, efficiently and reliably to customers.

In addition to a degree in an IT-related subject, employers expect you to have, or be willing to work towards, professional qualifications.

The most popular and globally recognised best practice certification in this area is ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) 4 from Axelos.

ITIL certifications are available at foundation, managing professional and strategic leader levels, with two extension modules available to prepare you for the future. The ITIL 4 exams can be taken in the UK through an approved training provider.

ITIL 4 may prove useful for IT technical support officers and information systems managers.

Learn to code

If you want to work as an applications developer, you'll need qualifications that demonstrate your ability to code.

Employers look for at least an HND (Higher National Diploma), foundation degree or a degree in IT, computer science or a related subject.

The key to becoming a software developer is to learn and practice one or more of the most in-demand programming languages, including:

C#
C++
iOS/Swift
Java
JavaScript
PHP
Python
Ruby
SQL.

You can get started with coding courses using a free learning platform such as Codecademy.

Once you've secured an entry-level job, you may want to work towards professional qualifications, such as Oracle's Java certifications.

Postgraduate courses are available, particularly in the rapidly growing field of mobile app development. With a Masters, you'll learn about programming for Android, iOS and HTML5 for the mobile web and get hands-on practice at developing your own apps.

You'll typically require a degree in computer science or a related subject to get a place on a course, and in some cases, you'll also need to demonstrate existing programming skills.

Alternatively, explore video game careers if you're considering becoming a game developer.

Microsoft courses

Products made by Microsoft are used by countless organisations around the globe, and official Microsoft certifications demonstrating expertise in one or more of these are looked on favourably by employers.

Microsoft certification categories are now role-based, with beginner, intermediate and advanced levels available according to the fundamental products required for each learning path. For instance, Azure certifications are linked to job roles such as administrator and developer.

Oracle certifications

Oracle offers globally recognised qualifications for its products through the Oracle University portal.

Oracle is best known for its database software and for owning the Java programming language. The Oracle certification programme includes options for the following exams:

Java
Oracle Database
Oracle Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Oracle Cloud Human Capital Management (HCM)
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

Well respected in the IT industry, Oracle certifications are available at a number of levels, including:

Associate - To achieve the foundation and intermediate level of an Oracle Certified Associate, a technical background and an understanding of Oracle technologies are required. The training will prepare you for roles such as administrator, developer, or data scientist.
Professional - Focusing on advanced skills and a strong foundation in Oracle, the Oracle Certified Professional certification requires you to be skilled in Oracle concepts and able to apply them to real-world scenarios. You could use the certification to become a consultant, architect, or administrator.
Master - Advanced problem-solving skills are expected of those looking to gain the Oracle Certified Master credential and become an administrator. You'll already need to hold multiple certifications as well as a high level of experience in Oracle.

Software testing courses

By finding bugs and other issues through manual and automated tests, software testers ensure that products created by developers are fit for purpose.

Postgraduate study isn't necessary, as launching your career in this area is usually possible with a diploma or degree in a computing-related subject. However, taking professional qualifications will allow you to progress further and demonstrate your skills to employers.

BCS offers a number of software testing certifications at foundation and higher levels. The foundation qualifications are aimed at anyone involved in software testing or entering this field. For the more advanced certifications, it's recommended that you first undertake the ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation and accredited training.

Web development courses

When looking to become a web developer, you'll need to decide on an area of specialisation and the programming language(s) you'll focus on.

Working on front-end code like HTML 5, JavaScript and CSS will give you the basic knowledge of website structures, but you'll likely want to move on to back-end languages such as Python and Ruby on Rails. To get started, you may wish to consider the Front-End Web Developer Professional Certificate from W3Cx.

If you're more concerned with the aesthetics and usability of a website, you could take a web design course. There are many online course providers offering introductions to this field. For example, Codecademy runs web design courses at beginner and intermediate levels.

There's some overlap with the marketing sector, so discover how to get into digital marketing.

Study an IT course online

Once you know which IT certification you want to work towards, you can take online (as well as classroom-based) courses to get up to speed with the theoretical knowledge you'll need to pass the exams. These typically take one to five days to complete. Exams are often multiple-choice and last one to two hours.

Your employer may be willing to fund these IT training courses. The fees may include the cost of taking the exam itself, or you may have to pay for the assessment separately through the official provider. Be sure to check this before committing.

Both free and paid-for online courses in IT are available throughout the UK with organisations such as:

Find out more

Explore what you can do with your computer science degree.
Discover the full range of IT graduate jobs.
Consider doing an IT apprenticeship.