Online short courses and microcredentials have become an important addition to many executive education providers’ programme portfolios. These courses often offer both flexibility and specialisations.

Executive training has been available online for decades, but providers moved quickly to expand these options five years ago amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Business schools and other organisations continue to recognise the flexibility afforded by online learning, which allows executive participants greater freedom to learn at times and in locations that are compatible with their busy schedules.  

Microcredentials are perhaps the epitome of this approach to learning. In contrast to the expansive content in an EMBA, microcredentials offer a targeted certification in a specific field or topic. They are designed to be shorter, more focused and flexible, equipping executives with skills that are immediately relevant to their careers. 

“While an EMBA is excellent for broader leadership development and networking, microcredentials uniquely address today’s urgent need for fast, targeted skill-building, making professionals more competitive exactly when they need it most,” says Tom Lindholm, Managing Director of Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development (Aalto EE). 

Noticing an increase in demand for online executive short courses since the pandemic, Aalto EE has developed a catalogue of “snackable and stackable” self-paced courses that are available online any hour of the week. 

This flexible concept allows executives to select courses that answer their specific needs, building a tailored selection of learning experiences—for instance, combining certifications in “A Human-Centred Approach in AI Deployment”, “Innovation Management and Controlling”, and “Future of Work” to support their efforts in creating an AI implementation strategy.  

“Busy professionals can study at their own pace and schedule, without stepping away from their work or personal life. Short online courses allow participants to focus on specific skills or areas of knowledge and then apply what they learn immediately in their daily work. This makes it possible to see quick results and clear benefits in just a few weeks, rather than committing several years to a bigger programme,” says Lindholm. 

Nottingham Business School (NBS) developed a similar suite of “stackable” short courses, offered through the online skills development platform FutureLearn. This allows participants to compile any number of courses in any order, and even bring in some credits from other providers, to build towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership and Management Practice. The School’s ambition is to expand this provision in future to include a Postgraduate Diploma and full Master’s degree.  

“There has been a lot of discussion of the ‘Netflix’ model of microcredentials—although providers who can offer this are rare—which effectively means having two key principles in design: stackability of different combinations of microcredentials and on-demand provision in terms of start dates, with candidates then choosing an assessment date,” says Alex Hiller, Head of Postgraduate and Executive Education at NBS. 

While the pandemic energised the online learning space, Hiller says it also highlighted the importance of networking opportunities, which are much easier to facilitate through traditional in-person programmes. 

In this context, offering flexibility in course start times and assessments is an important factor in creating high-quality online learning options with distinct benefits from programmes like the EMBA. 

“I’m not sure that the microcredential market is still really fully developed or understood in terms of offering flexibility and stackability as a true alternative to traditional degree programmes, but we are trying to challenge that,” says Hiller. 

Imperial Business School distinguishes the broader strategic perspective, in-depth leadership development, and extensive peer networking on traditional EMBA programmes from the immediate, focused learning on offer through online short courses. 

“What matters is learners choosing the right approach for their career stage and goals,” says David Brown, Director of Executive Education at Imperial. 

This balance between innovative online courses and comprehensive face-to-face degrees comes under the remit of the School’s Institute of Extended Learning, which oversees flexible, lifelong learning opportunities for learners no matter which stage of their careers they are in. 

“As careers become more fluid and professionals seek opportunities at various organisations, our online programmes have continued to grow in popularity. More participants than ever are opting to reinvigorate their career with a short programme that complements their existing commitments,” says Brown. 

 The School noted an exponential increase in the number of participants signing up for its online programmes, from 2,500 in 2021 to approximately 14,000 in 2025. This signifies a sixfold increase in the number of people enrolling, with an increase of 50 per cent every year since 2021. In response, Imperial has almost tripled its online portfolio, from seven programmes to 20 in the last four years. 

The growing popularity of online learning options showcases their unique strengths—not as an evolution of traditional degree programmes, but as an opportunity for innovative, tailored learning experiences that provide skills and knowledge that participants can immediately transfer to their careers. 

Short courses and microcredentials enable executives to enhance their understanding of key challenges and develop new competencies without having to take a lengthy sabbatical or reduce their working hours. In an era of fast-paced change, smaller intensive courses help professionals adapt as they face new responsibilities, furthering the goal of business education to stimulate lifelong learning opportunities. 

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