Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Program description	Who is this program for?	Career prospects	Course Descriptions
Course timetable	Apply now for Graduate Certificate	Scholarships

The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact is offered through CSI's three founding partner business schools: the Australian School of Business at UNSW, Melbourne Business School and Swinburne University of Technology's Faculty of Business and Enterprise. 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.

Students will learn how to weigh the effects of their actions on society, not just investors. They will develop critical thinking on leadership and be equipped to re-imagine markets to generate additional social and environmental benefits. Students will emerge from the Graduate Certificate with enhanced networks a well-rounded understanding of the issues surrounding

social impact
an appreciation of the important role that each sector has to play in the delivery of social impact
an understanding of the social innovation that can occur at the intersection of the sectors

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 is designed to be completed in a minimum of one year. It will be delivered in both Melbourne and Sydney. To be awarded the Graduate Certificate students will need to successfully complete a core introductory course and three additional courses:

One core course
Two courses from the Graduate Certificate suite
The fourth course from the Graduate Certificate suite or an existing elective from the home university.

Courses may be available as electives for students in other degree programs such as the Master of Business Administration and Master of Commerce offered at the three founding partner business schools.

The Third Sector

The ‘third sector' embraces enterprises operating between profit-driven corporations at one end of the spectrum and charities at the other. They meet social needs and create social value, but use entrepreneurship and market tools to get them there. Many are ‘not-for-profits' but there are also plenty of businesses running projects generating social or environmental returns, and not only at the welfare end of the spectrum.

For a social entrepreneur the difference is in the bottom line.

Course Descriptions

The four specialist courses taught in the Certificate will equip students with the skills required to plan and drive social impact initiatives:

"We are living in an exciting new world which is changing around us. We need to understand how to operate in it."
Cheryl Kernot
Director of Social Enterprise, and Program Director

Watch video of Cheryl Kernot talking about the program

Watch video of a student's perspective of the program

Who is this program for?

The Graduate Certificate is designed for a new generation of leaders:

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.

Career prospects

Graduates will be equipped to operate in leadership positions in the changing social economy that arises from the interaction of business, social enterprises, government (and its public service agencies), philanthropic foundations and community-based organisations. The cross sector understanding and enhancement of leadership and management skills gained through the Graduate Certificate enables graduates working in any of these sectors to further their careers. Research shows that both recruiters and prospective employers increasingly value cross-sector experience.

Download course brochure.

Scholarships

Click here for more information on scholarships available.

Course Timetable

Click here to view the 2010 Graduate Certificate course schedule.

For further course information, including fees, intake dates, and how to apply:

The Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales

For program information contact: Phone: 02 9385 3507, email: businessinfo@unsw.edu.au

Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne

For program information contact Wendy Hill, Admissions Manager - Phone: 03 9349 8131, email: w.hill@mbs.edu

Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Swinburne University of Technology.

For program information contact Geraldine Doherty gdoherty@swin.edu.au