With summer coming to an end and students heading back to school, now is a great time to start thinking about furthering your own education. This time of year might have once meant heading over to the University Co-op basement to hunt for textbooks. Today it means looking for gaps in your resume and LinkedIn profile. The Center for Professional Education has built its fall catalog around that exact idea: What skills are modern professionals missing? And how can they quickly close those gaps? Whatever your interest or need, there’s probably a course for it. So don’t worry about missing out. While undergrads are braving the Texas heat between classes on campus, you’ll be learning about AI, leadership and other important skills from the comfort of home
To help you find the right fit, we’ve pulled together nine standout options from this fall’s course lineup. Give the list a look, pick out two or three that catch your eye, and go sign up (courses start as early as mid-August but often repeat).
Now through September 30, you can use code #BackToSchool26 at checkout for 20% off select program and course fees.
Learn AI Without Learning to Code
If you’ve been meaning to find out what AI literacy actually entails, AI Skills for Modern Professionals with Gerardo Kerik is a great way to check that box in a single day. It’s a practical, zero-code introduction to the tools that are already reshaping how people work across every industry, and it’s geared toward professionals who want to use AI well rather than build it themselves.
Learn AI Like a Project Manager
For a more targeted look at the practical application of AI, try AI for Project Management with Alex Gabbi. Learn how to apply AI to the problems project managers actually face: scheduling, resource allocation and risk management. Gabbi’s class is known for skipping the theory-heavy stuff in favor of showing how AI can have an immediate impact on the work you’re already doing.
Write Like You, Not AI
Readers are already starting to pick out the telltale signs of AI-generated text, and even as those writing tools continue to evolve, the professionals who stand out are the ones whose writing still sounds like it was written by a real person. Human-Centered Writing in an AI- Driven World, led by Clay Spinuzzi, Ph.D., helps you use AI as a tool to enhance your writing rather than flatten it.
Sharpen Your Analysis Skills
Business analysis doesn’t get much time in the spotlight, but it’s a critical foundation for good decision-making. Agile Business Analysis with Colleen Cristarella teaches you how to translate business needs into actionable requirements, making you and everyone around you look more organized.
Build an Emotional Intelligence That Gets Noticed
While the technical skills on your resume may get you the interview, emotional intelligence is what makes people want to hire you. Developing Your Emotional Intelligence Leadership Competencies, taught by Rich Handley, D.B.A., focuses on the self- awareness and relationship management skills that elevate good managers to great ones.
Learn to Disagree Without Derailing
Even the best workplaces have conflict, but not every professional knows how to handle it well. Conflict Management, led by Davida Charney, Ph.D., provides a practical framework for navigating disagreement without letting it ruin working relationships.
Make the Numbers Make Sense
If the thought of a budget conversation with the finance team makes you cringe, be sure to check out Introduction to Financial Management with Andrew Wallin, which explores core financial concepts for professionals in any department.
Tell Effective Stories with Data
Data rarely tells a story on its own. Communicating and Persuading with Data, taught by Cameron Cler, helps you turn a spreadsheet into an argument people will act on, instead of a slide people nod and smile at.
Lead Through Change
Every organization deals with change, but successful leaders get through it without losing momentum or morale. Leading Strategy Through Complex Change, led by Jenny Tornow, gives you a practical framework for leading through uncertainty and keeping your team aligned, even as the plan keeps changing around you.
Still Not Sure Where to Start?
If you got to the end of this list and still aren’t sure which direction to go, there’s a course for you, too. Choosing where to upskill requires knowing where your career is headed, or more importantly, where you want it to go. Find Your Why: Navigating Your Career Journey, led by Jennifer Carter, is built for professionals looking at their next move and wanting a guided approach.
Back to You, Back to Your Career
Nine courses, nine opportunities to stride into your next meeting a little sharper than you were before. You can’t go wrong learning more about AI, and companies are always on the lookout for strong leaders. Wherever you decide to go next, make this the season you take that first step. Hitting up the Co-op for fresh notebooks and fancy new pens is optional, but we won’t stop you.
Explore the full fall catalog here.