Graduate Certificate of Social Impact
Blended learning – on-campus and digital learning
The Graduate Certificate of Social Impact is for high-performing professionals who want to upskill or learn the foundations for leading change and innovation to address complex social, economic and cultural issues. It can be a stand-alone course or your stepping-stone towards the Master of Social Impact.
A Firm Foundation:
The six-month certificate teaches you how the ecosystem of social change works and ways to intervene to create positive social impact. It covers four units: Opportunity Discovery, Creativity and Design; Corporate Responsibility and Accountability; Leadership for Social Impact; Entrepreneurs and Social Innovation.
Professionals Sharing Knowledge and Experience:
All students have at least three years of full-time relevant experience, which makes for robust discussions and interactive learning as students share their experiences with industry and academic experts, researchers and each other.
Broad Reach across Sectors:
The course will enhance your work in philanthropy, the not-for-profit sector, social enterprise, entrepreneurship and social innovation jobs in business and government.
The Graduate Certificate of Social Impact is taught by the Centre for Social Impact in partnership with three founding partner business schools across Australia, including Swinburne University of Technology.
You may not need an undergraduate degree to enter this course if you have a minimum of five years equivalent full-time relevant professional experience.
Duration
1 year part-time
Intakes
Hawthorn (HE Block 1, Semester 1, Semester 2, Term 4) - View application and start dates
Study mode
- Part-time
2023 Start Dates
Semester 2 -
31 July 2023
Term 4 -
18 September 2023
2024 Start Dates
HE Block 1 -
05 February 2024
Semester 2 -
29 July 2024
Term 4 -
16 September 2024
Semester 1 -
26 February 2024
Professionally accredited by
Course industry partners include
Be an innovator
Undertake this course and you’ll be joining other change-makers at Swinburne’s Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship – the first dedicated entrepreneurship school in the nation. One of our unique AGSE offerings, this course will give you the mindset of edge.
“Entrepreneurship,” says AGSE Director, Alex Kaiser (pictured), “is about questioning the status-quo, identifying opportunities, making decisions and implementing ideas. Concisely, it’s about having impact.”
Course information in detail
- Course detail, course structure and units of study.
Course description
The Graduate Certificate of Social Impact is designed for high-performing students who are looking to build skills and advance careers in the philanthropy and not-for-profit sectors, social enterprise and entrepreneurship, and social innovation facing positions in the commercial and public sectors. The four foundation units address social investment and philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and innovation, creativity and design, and corporate responsibility and accountability. The course provides core capabilities required to lead people effectively in a changing social economy and business environment and to develop innovative responses to complex social and business problems. The course allows articulation into the Master of Social Impact.
The Graduate Certificate of Social Impact forms the first stage in a three-stage nested suite of programs consisting of:
- Graduate Certificate of Social Impact (GC-SI)
- Graduate Diploma of Social Impact (GD-SI) ^
- Master of Social Impact (MA-SI)
^ Students are unable to enrol directly into the Graduate Diploma of Social Impact but it is available as an exit award.
This course is for working professionals. That’s why we offer it in Intensive Mode. It’s an efficient and faster way to complete a postgraduate qualification with minimal impact on your professional and personal life. Units (subjects) are either delivered after work hours or on Fridays or Saturdays, and run throughout the year in six week teaching periods instead of the usual 12 week semesters. This means you can complete more units and graduate faster, or take breaks when you need to.
Course structure
To qualify for the award of Graduate Certificate of Social Impact, students must complete 50 credit points comprising 4 x core units (12.5 credits points each).
The Graduate Certificate of Social Impact is offered part-time only. Units of study are taught in blended learning mode and/or 'block mode' (usually 2 to 3 x 1.5 day blocks – all day Friday and a half day on Saturday). Students are expected to spend a minimum of the equivalent class contact hours per week in private study and/or team project work.
This course is not offered to International Students.
Units of study
Want to know more about the units that make up your course, how many units you need to complete, our recommended study sequence, and what your timetable looks like this year? Check out our Course Planner and get enrolled.
Core units
Students complete the following four units: (50 credit points)
SIP60003 Social Impact: Entrepreneurs and Social Innovation *
SIP60001 Corporate Responsibility and Accountability *
SIP60004 Social Investment and Philanthropy *
SIP60001 Corporate Responsibility and Accountability *
SIP60004 Social Investment and Philanthropy *
* Outcome units - matched exemptions are generally not granted for higher education outcome units.
Careers and graduate outcomes
- Career opportunities, course aims and objectives and graduate skills.
Career opportunities
Leadership positions in the developing fields of social impact, social innovation, social investment and social entrepreneurship.
Aims and objectives
There is an evident growth in community concern about the consequences for the community – positive and negative – of the interplay of business, private wealth and philanthropy, and government. Lately the term ‘social impact’, alongside such others as ‘the social economy’, social entrepreneurship, and social enterprises, has been employed to recognise these interactions.
The growing economic importance of the not-for-profit sector and rising levels, and new forms, of corporate community investment are not yet reflected adequately in the teaching and resourcing of management education in Australia. At the same time the dynamism of the market needs to be directed toward social innovation.
These forces, and the rethinking required by the global economic crisis, require that business leaders of today and tomorrow be equipped with academic support in integrating the goals of an inclusive and sustainable global economy into their corporate behaviours. New skills must be available to those who seek a leadership career in business, social enterprises, community agencies; for those, already in the sector, who wish to enhance their skills; to those who wish to contribute their commitment and experience in a voluntary capacity to the governance of not-for-profit institutions; and to donors, philanthropists and social investors. Themes covered include knowledge of the creation of social value, the dynamics of social enterprise, the foundations of social innovation and the measurement of social impact.
At completion of the Graduate Certificate of Social Impact, graduates will be able to:
- apply coherent and advanced knowledge of social impact in diverse contexts and applications using critical thinking
- apply problem solving, design and decision making to methodologies to identify and provide innovative solutions to complex problems with intellectual independence
- communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences, function as an effective member or leader of a diverse team and use basic tools and practices of social impact within project work
- demonstrate professionalism, integrity, ethical conduct, accountability, respect and an awareness of professional practices and cultural practices and cultural norms in a global and sustainable context.
Graduate skills
The Swinburne graduate attributes signify that Swinburne intends that its teaching programs assist all its graduates to be:
- capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
- entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
- effective and ethical in work and community situations
- adaptable and able to manage change
- aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing.
Pathways and scholarships
- Pathways, credit transfer, recognition of prior learning and scholarships.
Course fees and requirements
- Entry requirements and non-year 12 entry.
Course fees
Fees are estimates for students commencing in 2023 only: Tuition fees as published are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. These fees apply for units studied in 2023 only and may change for units studied in future years. If part-time study is permitted, annual fees will be proportionally lower based on the number of units taken per semester.
How do I pay my fees?
FEE-HELP is a loan given to eligible full-fee paying higher education students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees. The Commonwealth Government pays the amount of the loan directly to Swinburne.
Entry requirements
A recognised bachelor degree in any discipline PLUS a minimum of 3 years equivalent full-time relevant professional experience* or
*Relevant professional/managerial experience and evidence of academic capability will be determined by the Faculty PVC (or delegate) with reference to Faculty determined guiding principles. Applicants will be required to submit a curriculum vitae (CV) with their application. Documents substantiating relevant experience are required, clearly detailing roles and duration, as well as evidence of formal and non-formal learning. Where relevant experience is used for the basis of admission, no further recognition for prior learning/credit can be granted on that basis.
a minimum of five years equivalent full-time relevant professional experience*
How to apply
Find out more about how to apply.
Note: Students applying for this course for the HE Block 1 intake will commence studying with ENT60009 - Opportunity Discovery, Creativity and Design. All other units will be scheduled on or after the commencement of Semester 1.
Note: Students applying for this course for the HE Block 1 intake will commence studying with ENT60009 - Opportunity Discovery, Creativity and Design. All other units will be scheduled on or after the commencement of Semester 1.