UNU-IAS offers short courses which lead to a UNU certificate upon completion. These courses maintain a problem-oriented focus with the aim of providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to lead the way in addressing globally pressing problems. The problem-oriented nature and global setting of UNU-IAS certificate programmes allows for a classroom experience that is unique to a university within the United Nations framework.

Locations, curriculums and application procedures differ by course, as detailed below.