Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice

Course Code: C72 Course Level: Postgraduate Subject Area: Engineering, Technology and Design Course Qualification: Certificate This course is available for study in: Globally

What you will learn

The postgraduate certificate course will help you to develop your understanding of the nature of complex problem situations, and give you new ways of thinking about and approaching a task or situation. During the course you will examine key systems thinkers, which will enable you to relate their ideas to your own practice.

The discipline of systems thinking gives you:

• the tools to challenge your approach to complex situations
• to consider the roles other people play
• to assess how all the different components within that situation are related
• to give you the skills to think more holistically and work more collaboratively to avoid systemic failures.

Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.

Time required and cost

To achieve the Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice you must gain 60 credits. The qualification typically takes one year to complete based on 12-16 hours of study each week.

The cost depends on the number of credits you study in a year, which depends on the modules you choose. Please see the costs detailed in the table below.

Career impact

The knowledge and skills developed through this postgraduate certificate course will benefit both yourself and your employer and can be applicable to a wide variety of business sectors.

Managers at all levels will find the ability to approach complex problems from a systems perspective a useful business skill to have. This is also true for self-employed people - as this knowledge enables a more objective and innovative view of the systems they have already created.

Key dates

Please refer to the module table shown below for this information.

Entry requirements

To study for this postgraduate certificate you must hold a bachelors degree from a UK university or other recognised degree-awarding body, or a qualification at equivalent level.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

You will also need to be proficient in English, to an IELTS standard of 6.0. If you are unsure you will be able to take a free English test as part of the registration process.

Classification of course

On successful completion of the required modules you will be awarded a Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice entitling you to use the letters PG Cert SysPract (Open) after your name.

You may continue your studies and add a further 60 credits to your postgraduate certificate to gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice and a further 60 credits to gain an MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice.

Credits

For information on Credits, click here.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the following regulations:

• Student Regulations
• Module Regulations
• General Qualification Regulations
• Postgraduate certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice.