The Cambridge Better Futures Programme convenes the power of Cambridge and equips accomplished individuals to create transformative change in the world. Whether your ambition is to improve your local community or deliver something truly global, the Cambridge Better Futures Programme will help you define your vision and prepare to put it into action.
The programme offers:
- a bespoke core programme alongside learning opportunities across the University
- a Cambridge College experience offering intergenerational learning opportunities with dining and use of College facilities
- community-building and networking opportunities, including your cohort of fellow Better Future Leaders and meetings with world-leading academics, all supported by an academic host with an interest in your impact question
12-month pathway
The Cambridge Better Futures Programme is available in both 12-month and 6-month pathways. This 12-Month pathway includes Michaelmas, Lent and Easter terms as well as the summer period.
Participants from both the 12- and 6-month pathways will be invited to return for the Better Futures Annual Conference in September 2027, to present the outcome of their study to an audience of academics, peers, and fellow alumni.
Alternative 6-month pathway
The 6-month pathway follows the same core structure as the 12-month pathway, but runs from Michaelmas to Lent term, and features an accelerated Wayfinding workshop. It's ideal for those with visa or personal considerations who want a structured Cambridge experience with added flexibility. To learn more, go to Better Futures Programme: 6-Month Pathway.
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Your Better Futures journey
As a Better Futures Leader, your journey will be unique, based around your specific interests, and arena of exploration. Alongside a core programme, we’ll help you construct a truly personalised programme of study with guidance from your academic departmental host and the Better Futures team. You’ll be part of a select cohort of about 40 members. This ensures a highly personalised experience, meaningful interaction with mentors and peers, and a collaborative learning environment.
From the moment you’re accepted, you’ll join the esteemed Cambridge Better Futures Leaders, gaining lifelong connections and access to a network of inspiring leaders dedicated to creating a meaningful societal impact.
You will be allocated a place within a College for the duration of the programme, meaning you will join an intergenerational community of learners, with use of common spaces in the College. You will have a liaison contact within the College as well as within the programme team. Please note, however, that placement within a College does not include housing.
You will be assigned an academic host who has an interest relevant to your proposed topic of study during your time in the programme. Your academic host, in conjunction with the programme team, will help you advance your individual area of study during the programme term by connecting you with relevant researchers, courses, institutes, and other Cambridge stakeholders who have knowledge and expertise to help you build your impact plan.
To find out more, and request a copy of the programme brochure, click the 'Connect with Better Futures' button on this page, which will take you to the enquiry form located on the website of our programme partner, the Centre for Better Futures.
Key programme information
Who is the programme designed for?
The programme is designed for experienced professionals from diverse industry backgrounds, including those with no prior academic research experience. Interested applicants should be prepared to pose a topic of study grounded in their previous professional experience with the potential for lasting global impact within one of our 3 programme themes:
- health and wellbeing
- sustainability
- fair and prosperous society
Aims of the programme
The programme aims to enable participants to:
- experience and embed practices that enhance wellbeing, capacity for life-craft, and life-long reflective practice
- acquire understanding of cutting-edge knowledge in core areas of interest (such as climate change or health inequalities) and the ability to frame critical questions based on this understanding
- design and enact a change pathway aligned with their experience, values and knowledge
- be prepared to initiate a change pathway in ways that engage with global challenges, that are aligned to participant’s values and skills, and help shift societal norms
- potentially make a credible transition to a new career stage, connecting existing competencies and leadership with sufficient new knowledge, networks and practices
- develop a strong community amongst and beyond the cohort to support longer-term system change
The programme is designed to be close to full-time. Core sessions take place twice weekly during University term on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you’ll also need to allocate time for preparation and self-study. Elements of your personalised programme of study will fill out much of the rest of the week, and College and thematic dinners are also key intellectual and social elements of your experience.
To fully engage with the programme and its community, we strongly encourage participants to either relocate to Cambridge or live within easy travelling distance. While we aim to strike a balance between flexibility and your personal commitments, much of the programme’s value comes from the time spent in person with your cohort, fostering connections and enhancing your learning experience.
Teaching will take place in Cambridge at locations across the collegiate university. Our online course pages will contain all course materials, recommended reading and further assistance.
Programme dates
The 12-Month Pathway begins on 28 September 2026 with an Onboarding Week and runs for 24 weeks across the academic year. Leaders are also invited to return as alumni to the Better Futures Annual Conference in September 2027, where you’ll have the opportunity to present your work to advisors, mentors, and peers.
Programme learning
The programme is structured around 3 learning strands:
Foundations
Re-assess your skills, capabilities, motivation and personal health and refine how you relate to society and the world around you.
Frontiers
Explore major societal issues and opportunities with Cambridge academics and develop a personalised learning plan.
Wayfinding
Craft future impact pathways to follow in the coming years.
These strands weave together across a weekly core programme of seminars, your personalised learning and research, and the broader intellectual and cultural communities of Cambridge. You're invited to connect the foundational awareness of your world view and experiences to cutting-edge knowledge and use that combination to craft paths for change that are meaningful, impactful and sustainable. The programme team and academic host will work with you to curate a set of lectures, workshops and other learning opportunities to delve deeper into subjects connected to your interests, and to draw on Cambridge networks to help activate your plans.
You’ll be able to draw upon:
- taught courses (with lecturer permission), and open lectures/seminars
- departments, institutes, research centres, networks
- past and ongoing research programmes
- academic experts and researchers to serve as advisors and resources
- partnership of external expert practitioners in the Cambridge Better Futures mentor network
- the wider Cambridge ecosystem and network of alumni
- termly symposia/dinners that bring together thought leaders and prominent actors in discussion around key issues by programme theme
Assessment
As a non-award-bearing programme there is no formal assessment.
Certificate of participation
To qualify, participants need to attend 90% of the core programme sessions.
Certificate of completion
To qualify, participants need to have created a ‘next phase plan’ bringing together what they have learned throughout the programme. You will be invited to present your plan at the Better Futures Annual Conference.
We welcome applications from senior leaders with a variety of backgrounds and professional experiences. As part of our admissions process, you’ll need to meet certain requirements.
Applicants will be screened on the basis that they have:
- demonstrable professional and personal experience suitable for a programme aimed at senior leaders
- evidence of enthusiasm and aptitude for system transformation coupled with self-development
- an interest in enhancing current skills and/or pivoting to a new focus for social impact in professional and beyond professional spheres
- access to appropriate computer technology and internet software
- the ability to pay the course fees or to identify a sponsoring institution
English language requirements
Our courses are taught in English and require a good level of fluency. If English is not your first language, you'll need to prove you have sufficient fluency before admission. If we offer you a place, it will be subject to you meeting this requirement.
Language requirements for this course are:
- IELTS Academic: Overall band score of 7.0 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each individual component)
- TOEFL Internet: Overall score of 100 (a minimum of 25 in each individual component)
- C1 Advanced: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element), plus a Language Centre assessment.
- C2 Proficiency: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200, with no element lower than 185)
For more information, visit the University’s English language requirements page.
Visa information
Applicants should ensure they have the right to study and live in the UK for the full period of their chosen pathway. We’re happy to discuss what might work best for your situation, but we cannot help with obtaining visas. We recommend you read the information on UK visitor visa requirements.
Fees
The total fees for this course are shown above in 'Course details'.
The first 20 successful applications received before 3 Nov 2025 will be eligible for 2025-2026 pricing before the 2026-2027 academic year tuition increases go into effect.
| Deadline | Fee | |
| Concession | 3 Nov 2025 | £60,000 |
| Standard | 11 May 2026 | £64,500 |
Spouses and partners
We welcome spouses and partners to participate in the programme alongside Better Futures Leaders. If you and a partner are both considering applying, the partner programme offers a 25% reduction in course fees per person if both of you are accepted. Each partner applies separately and goes through the same interview process as any other applicant.
Accommodation costs
Accommodation is not included as part of the programme. The programme team can provide a list of accommodation providers in Cambridge once you have accepted your place onto the programme..
Subsistence costs
Daily catering is not included, however, as part of the programme, you will enjoy thematic symposium dinners each term, alongside regular college dinners.
How to pay
Once your application is approved, we require an initial deposit of £10,000 within 10 days to secure your place in the course. The remaining tuition balance is to be paid in instalments, as follows:
- at least 60 days before the course commences, a second payment of half the remaining balance (£27,250)
- at least 30 days before the course commences, the final payment of the remaining balance (£27,250)
Payment must be made by BACS transfer. We cannot accept credit card payments for this course.
Considering applying? We look forward to receiving your application. Applications are reviewed on a monthly basis on the first Monday of each month. However, please note that the application portal may be closed early if sufficient successful applications are in hand. We encourage interested applicants to submit their materials as soon as possible.
Key timings for your application
- The final application deadline is Monday 11 May 2026, 23:59 GMT.
- Applications will be considered on a rolling basis each month.
- A member of our team will respond to you within 10 days of your application to explore it with you in more detail.
- We aim to have all offers finalised by the end of June 2026.
How to apply and what you’ll need
There are 4 stages to the application and admissions process.
Stage 1: connect
To learn more or speak to one of our team, click on the 'Connect with Better Futures' button on this page. Our team can help you explore if the programme meets your needs.
Stage 2: apply
Once you’re happy the programme meets your needs, click the 'apply now' button in the course dates section on this page.
Application
Please submit a written application with answers to the questions below:
- What issue or issues would you like to explore during your time on the programme and why are they meaningful to you?
- What life experiences have been most meaningful to you and what do you hope the next phase of life will consist of?
- Why do you think the Cambridge Better Futures Programme is a good fit for you and what other programmes have you considered?
CV
Submit an up-to-date resume.
References
Submit contact details for 2 business referees, who we will contact on your behalf. Please make them aware that they’ll receive an automated email from University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) requesting a reference.
Stage 3: interview
Shortlisted applicants will be asked to attend an online interview.
Stage 4: offer and acceptance
Depending on your application and interview, the programme team will decide on your suitability for the programme and, if you’re successful, make an offer.
