Professional and Executive Education | WatSPEED at University of Waterloo

Professional education

Designed for professionals looking to stay strong and competitive in their careers, WatSPEED professional education delivers training on leading edge business practices, disruptive technologies, and essential job skills.

Programs and Courses

Executive programs

WatSPEED executive programs equip leaders to transform, compete, and thrive, while driving real-world impact in a rapidly shifting technology landscape. Our applied learning and discovery process incorporates cutting-edge technology and creates direct personal and business value.

Executive Courses and Events

Custom training

WatSPEED custom training delivers the expertise and forward-thinking approach today’s organizations need to futureproof their workforce and keep pace with technology while driving innovation.

Bring Waterloo Expertise To Your Team

Tech Horizons Executive Forum

November 26, 2024 | CIBC Square, Toronto

Stay ahead in today's tech-driven business landscape with the University of Waterloo's Tech Horizons Executive Forum, presented by WatSPEED and hosted by CIBC. This exclusive one-day event for senior leaders will help you understand emerging technologies and gain strategic insights to keep your organization competitive.

Learn more and register

Featured programs and courses

Operationalizing Generative AI: Executive Insights and Applications

Learn everything you need to know about generative AI to position your organization strategically in this rapidly-evolving space.

$849.00

Next start date: December 4, 2024

Key Strategies for Business Sustainability

Learn to align sustainability with operations, understand risks, and leverage opportunities. Ideal for leaders aiming to implement or enhance sustainability and ESG in their organizations.

$699.00

Next start date: March 12, 2025

Career Accelerator Programs

Gain the knowledge and experience needed to achieve a new job or promotion in the advanced manufacturing or secure coding fields. Receive technical and professional skills training, career coaching and supports, and engage directly with industry clients and mentors.

$499.00

Next start date: November 18, 2024

ISC2 Official CISSP Certification Training

Self-paced training to prepare you for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam.

$1,249.00

Start anytime!

CompTIA Network+

This eight-week course will help you prepare for your CompTIA certification exam and gain core networking skills while building your ability to establish, maintain, troubleshoot, configure, manage, and secure networks in any environment.

$2,495.00

Next start date: January 27, 2025

Python for Machine Learning: The Essential Starter Kit

Perfect for beginners and professionals! This course is designed to introduce you to to machine learning tools in Python.

$499.00

Next start date: January 13, 2025

More than 25,000 professionals have completed a WatSPEED course or program

Canada's most innovative university

Maclean's 2023 University Rankings

Top 1%

among the world's universities

Center for World University Rankings 2023

Top 25

in the world for Computer Science and Information Systems

QS World University Rankings 2023

Hear from our learners

This course blended the theoretical and practical really well - everything from avoiding the "bright shiny objects" on the path to transformation, to how to raise the right discussions with leadership, and keys to success for engaging employees and technology. Not every transformation will succeed - but with this course and learnings in hand, our chances of success improve!

David H. | Director, Continuous Improvement and Strategy Deployment

Digital Transformation Certificate Course

The material is simple and accessible. The instructor was very good at explaining complex concepts. The pace and workload was excellent for someone who is also working. The assignment and project really help you put into practice and integrate what you have learned. I highly recommend this class!

Sarah Berube | Policy Analyst, Government of Canada

Python and Public Data Certificate Course

The data science program provided me with the foundation of data sciences and laid the groundwork to build on my acquired skills. As an oil and gas professional, I enrolled in this program to expand my hard skills and enable my pivot to the tech industry. I found the program to be very practical, with lots of content and teaching support. The final group projects in every course also led me to expand my network.

Yasser Khan | Data Lead, 303 Sparky

Data Science Certificate Program

This course is invaluable for new supervisors—it provides insight into what motivates, frustrates, and inspires the various personality types on your team. I loved it and plan to refer back to my notes often!

Pia Zeni

Essential Skills for New and Potential Supervisors Certificate Course

Super organized and engaging! I really enjoyed it. Best virtual course I have done yet and my entire masters was online. Very well done.

April Pollington | Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Managing the Opportunities Provided by Conflict Certificate Course

My DiSC report offered a complete analysis of my current leadership style and the areas where I need to improve. I have a clear understanding and roadmap of how to work on my weaknesses.

Rafal Rusiniak | Handtmann Canada Limited

Understanding Your Agile EQ Certificate Course

Honestly, I learned a lot through this course. I do not intend to become a project manager, but this course gave me some tools for managing projects (as a functional manager) and also gave me a great understanding of the purpose and needs of project managers. The highlight of the course was interacting with the instructor. Her energy was infectious.

Alisa Sivak | Unviersity of Waterloo

Project Management Applied Tools and Techniques Certificate Course

As an aging software developer, the Foundations of Large Language Models course was able to provide me with an understanding of how LLMs actually work and provide a new edge in the market. The elegance of applied mathematics truly continues to change mankind for the better, and I am thankful for the clarity into these amazing systems.

Samuel H. | MindModel AI Inc.

Foundations of Large Language Models Course

I am an experienced software developer (C#/Java) but using Python for the first time. I found the course challenging but I also learned a lot. I would recommend this course!

Deniz Berkin

Python for Machine Learning Certificate Course

WatSPEED news

October 2, 2024

Enhancing leadership skills at Delta Elevator with WatSPEED

WatSPEED has partnered with Delta Elevator to enhance the leadership and supervisory skills of Delta's teams through targeted upskilling programs. Read the full story.

September 10, 2024

Announcing the 2024 Tech Horizons Executive Forum

The Tech Horizons Executive Forum returns this year to equip executives with the insights and tools needed to thrive in a world increasingly driven by technology. Read the full story.

July 29, 2024

WatSPEED partners with ISC2 to help professionals enhance their cybersecurity skills

WatSPEED has partnered with ISC2 to help professionals learn essential cyber skills and gain highly sought-after cybersecurity certifications. Read the full story.

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