Description
This certificate changes how you think about situations, introducing you to appreciating multiple perspectives and working collaboratively on problem situations. It teaches you to think holistically and understand stakeholders’ roles while considering the interconnectedness of the situational components. You’ll discover how to relate the ideas of systems thinkers to your practice and learn to recognise that each person brings a perspective.
Key features of the course
- Deepen your understanding of the nature of complex and messy problem situations and how to tackle them
- Develop new ways of thinking about and approaching situations that cross multiple discipline and skill boundaries
- Gain skills to think more holistically and work more collaboratively to avoid systemic failures
This postgraduate certificate (Route 1) is the same as the first half of our Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice (E28) and the first third of our MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice (F47).
Planning your studies
There are no entry requirements for this qualification.
Although this qualification has no entry requirements, we recommend you have:
Our free course, Succeeding in postgraduate study, helps you develop the skills and confidence to manage the requirements and demands of postgraduate study.
How long it takes
Most students study the Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice part-time, completing 60 credits over one year. Typically, this means 13 study hours each week.
You must complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice within eight years.
Career relevance and employability
The knowledge and skills developed through this postgraduate certificate course will provide benefits in a wide variety of economic sectors to you as well as to your employers or other organisations. Applications exist in any organisation where complex processes exist and where a change is required, including, for example, health services, environmental and development management, manufacturing and IT. Managers at all levels will find the ability to approach complex problems from a systems perspective to be a useful addition to their management and leadership skills portfolio. If you are self-employed you may also find the knowledge developed enables you to take a more objective and innovative view of systems you have already created and how to change these for the future.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
To gain this qualification, you need 60 credits as follows:
60 credits from:
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.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
On completion
On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice. You’ll be entitled to use the letters PG Cert Sys Prac (Open) after your name.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification