Graduate Certificate in Social Impact
Course Overview
The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact is being offered for the first time in 2010. It is being offered through the Centre for Social Impact (CSI)'s three founding partner business schools:
- Faculty of Business and Enterprise at Swinburne University of Technology
- Australian School of Business at University of New South Wales
- Melbourne Business School at University of Melbourne
Students can apply to enrol at the school of their choice. Students receive the same program benefits and outcomes, regardless of which institution they enrol with.
Course Description and Structure
Program description
The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact focuses on building the professional capacity of social managers and entrepreneurs of the future, across the corporate, government and third (not-for-profit) sectors. This enhances their capacity to lead organisations creating social and environmental value and ability to operate in a changed cross-sector social landscape where the dynamism of the market is also directed at social innovation.
The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact is for:
- those who seek a leadership career in social enterprises, and those already in the sector who wish to enhance their professional capacity to create social and environmental value through leadership of third sector (not-for-profit) organisations
- those who aspire to hold executive positions in companies which are committed to maximising social benefit and meeting corporate responsibilities through their products and practices;
- those who wish to become senior public administrators working with community groups, or public service executives with a responsibility for developing the public policy framework; and
- those individuals and foundations that seek to ensure that their social investment is applied to greatest social impact
At the completion of the program students will be able to:
- Describe the trends and drivers re-shaping the dynamics of the social economy;
- Recognise that the drivers of social impact come from the interaction of business, social enterprises, government (and its public service agencies), philanthropic foundations and individuals, and community-based organisations;
- Select appropriate governance, management and value sets in each sector;
- Critically evaluate concepts such as social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social innovation, social investment and collaborative governance;
- Analyse global trends and organisations that effect social change and impact.
Program structure
The Graduate Certificate is designed to be completed in a minimum of one year. It will be delivered with a combination of class and block intensive modes. The program comprises four specialist units:
- Social Impact: Entrepreneurs and Social Innovation
- Corporate Responsibility and Accountability
- Social Investment and Philanthropy
- Leadership for Social Impact
