What you'll learn
An 8-week, 8-module, online accreditation course relevant for established service designers looking to widen their horizons, advance their careers and increase their impact
Gain industry-recognized accreditation
Participants who successfully complete the course are eligible to receive a 2-year SDN Professional Accreditation, a value of €1,800.
Professional Accreditation is part of the SDN's Accreditation program, which recognizes the achievements of service designers and is the only accreditation program of its type.
Practitioner accreditation is our entry level of accreditation, and suits those starting their service design career. Interested in securing this accreditation? Visit our Courses page to find the next time our 'Service Design Practitioner Curriculum' is held.
of learning, plus a kick-off session and graduation ceremony
of lectures from experts in the world of service design
of self-study, comprised of curated supplemental materials
of work on assignments, for which you'll receive personal feedback
Meet the trainers
Course dates
Second edition (Feb 2025)
Course begins: Friday 31 January
Module 1: 3 Feb - 7 Feb
Module 2: 10 Feb - 14 Feb
Module 3: 17 Feb - 20 Feb
Module 4: 24 Feb - 28 Feb
Module 5: 3 Mar - 7 Mar
Module 6: 10 Mar - 14 Mar
Module 7: 17 Mar - 21 Mar
Module 8: 24 Mar - 28 Mar
Closing and graduation ceremony: Tuesday 1 April
Next edition (mid 2025)
Course begins: Friday 5 May 2025
Closing and graduation ceremony: Tuesday 1 July, 2025
(dates are provisional)
Click here to join our mailing list and be notified when the third edition of the course opens for registration
Why join this course?
A series of Masterclasses designed around you
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A modular approach
Each module provides an in-depth introduction to a theme that should be a core component of a professional service designer's skill-set. Interactive, live online lectures are supplemented by self-study material (e.g. articles, case studies and presentations). You'll also apply your learning hands-on with an assignment, and receive trainer feedback.
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Taught by experts
The Masterclasses series brings together experienced subject matter experts, with a consistent lead trainer who is present throughout the course. Most have achieved Master Accreditation from the SDN and bring a wealth of training and career experience. Short lectures by guest experts further enhance the course content.
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Value for money
The course format exposes you to lectures, self-study and assignment work, yet can still fit in alongside your day-to-day work. Professional Accreditation (a value of €1,800) and a two-year SDN membership (a value of €360) are included in the course fee. All of this from the SDN, a non-profit established in 2004 which supports the global service design community.
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Individual learning, supported by a community
Course participants follow live online lectures, and then engage with supporting content and assignments at their pace within each module. Additionally, a Slack workspace supports communications between trainers and participants, and amongst participants themselves.
Course fees and registration
Includes:
SDN Professional Accreditation (A value of up to €1,800!)
Two-year Professional SDN membership (A value of up to €360!)
Participation in all lectures and collaboration sessions
Interaction with course participants, trainers and guest experts
All course content, supplemental learning material and assignments
Course completion certificate
SDN Members
€2,990 Early Bird (until 18 December)
€3,340 Normal price
Non-SDN Members
€3,190 Early Bird (until 18 December)
€3,490 Normal price
Early Bird
sale ends in
Country income-indexed pricing applies to this and all SDN Academy courses. Eligible participants (based on their country of residence) qualify for discounts. A limited number of seats are available per cohort. To determine if you qualify to apply, read our FAQ at the bottom of this page.
World-class learning resources
Each module contains engaging, in-depth content from the trainer's experience and subject matter expertise, backed up with the resources of the Service Design Network:
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Articles from Touchpoint
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Presentations from the SDN Global Conference
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Selected case studies from the Case Study Library
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Content created by the SDN community
Still deciding if this course is right for you?
Who this course is for
The Professional Masterclasses series is created to advance the skills and careers of established service designers. Course participants are expected to have existing experience practicing service design (whether in an agency, freelancer or in-house setting) for at least 2 years.
What other SDN Academy course participants have said
Get notified about future editions
of this course
You want to hear about the next time the Masterclasses Series is offered? Add yourself to our mailing list and be notified before anyone else!
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Module structure
Each of the eight, week-long course modules follows the same structure
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Live lecture
(Monday at 18:00 CET)
Each module begins on a Monday, with a 75/90-minute Zoom call delivered by one of the Masterclass trainers. This lecture delivers the basis 'theory' content for the module, and includes opportunities for participant-trainer interaction as well as a short break. The module's assignment is also announced on this day.
Self-study and assignment
Throughout the module, participants have access to a range of curated supplemental content, such as case studies, Touchpoint articles and presentation videos. These can be followed at your own pace. Short, engaging quizzes reinforce what you've learned and keep you on track.
Collaboration call
(Thursday at 18:00 CET)
On Thursdays, a one-hour Zoom call allows collaboration between course participants, both on the module's assignment, and discussion of the module topic in general.
Assignment due
(Sunday at 23:59 CET)
Participants upload and share their assignment, and are encouraged to review the work of others.
Course timezone
The times above are CET (Central European Time, e.g. Berlin/Paris/Amsterdam). 18:00 CET is typically: 21:30 in New Delhi, 19:00 Helsinki/Istanbul/Tel Aviv/Nairobi, 18:00 Johannesburg, 13:00 São Paulo, 12:00 New York City, 11:00 Chicago/Dallas, 10:00 Mexico City, 9:00 San Francisco/Seattle. Click here to convert the time to your location. During the course, time changes due to daylight savings may alter the session times for participants outside the CET timezone.
Request course information
Want a preview of what one of the modules within the Masterclasses Series offers? Share your email address below and receive it instantly.
Frequently asked questions
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What is the Service Design Network Academy?The SDN Academy is an educational initiative introduced by the Service Design Network (SDN) in 2019. Offering a series of continuing education courses for seasoned practitioners and service design newbies alike, our academy is committed to advancing practitioner knowledge by sharing insights on the latest tools, methods and techniques shaping the future of our industry.
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What are the criteria for enrolling in a course?We do not have specified prerequisites attached to our courses. Nevertheless, our course descriptions provide a clear understanding of the content to be delivered. We, therefore, encourage interested participants to read them carefully and self-identify if the course is the right level based on their background and needs.
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Where are the courses offered and in which languages?Our academy is a global initiative with the objective of providing courses in a multitude of languages. New courses (and their respective language offering) are added to our website on a regular basis. We encourage interested participants to review the program page here to learn more.
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Do you offer discounts on your lectures & courses?We at SDN believe that everyone should get the possibility to join our lectures & courses. If you feel that the prices we offer are too high for your current living situation, please feel free to reach out to us at info@sdn-academy.org. Service Design Network Members receive a 15% Discount on SDN Academy Tickets. Learn more about the SDN and our Membership here. Service Design Network Student Members receive a 50% Discount Code on SDN Academy Tickets. Learn more about the SDN and our Membership here.
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Do you offer in-house training programs?The academy is pleased to offer customised, in-house training for companies, agencies and academic institutions alike. Inquiries can be directed here.
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Do I receive a certificate upon completion of a course?Yes! Successful completion of some of the courses offered entitles you to an official SDN Academy certificate. More information can be find on the course page.
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How do I become a trainer?SDN is always happy to welcome new members into our group of expert trainers. To ensure we work with the best, we have incorporated a rigorous application process which includes a self-assessment and interview with our accreditation board. To learn more, please see here.
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How much do academy courses cost?Our academy courses vary in price. We recommend that you review the program page here to get an understanding of associated costs.
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What forms of payment do you accept?We accept the following means of payment: Credit/debit cards, PayPal, SEPA Direct Debit or Invoice. The availability of means of payment may be affected by your location.
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What is the cancellation/refund policy?You may cancel a course up to 30 days prior to, in order to get a full refund. Please visit our Terms and Conditions page to learn more.