Graduate Certificate of Social Impact

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 course addresses social investment and philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and innovation, creativity and design, and corporate responsibility and accountability.

You will learn the 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 is taught by the Centre for Social Impact in partnership with three founding partner business schools from the University of New South Wales, University of Western Australia and Swinburne University of Technology's Faculty of Business and Law.

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. Graduate Certificate of Social Impact

• Graduate Certificate of Social Impact (GC-SI)
• Graduate Diploma of Social Impact (GD-SI) ^
• Master of Social Impact (MA-SI) or Master of Social Impact (Advanced) (MA-SIADV)

Students are unable to enrol directly into the Graduate Diploma of Social Impact but it is available as an exit award. This means you can complete more units and graduate faster, or take breaks when you need to. .

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.

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 * ENT60009 Opportunity Discovery, Creativity and Design

* Outcome units - matched exemptions are generally not granted for higher education outcome units.

a minimum of five years equivalent full-time relevant professional experience*

reference to Faculty determined guiding principles. Applicants will be required to submit a curriculum vitae (CV) with their application. learning. Where relevant experience is used for the basis of admission, no further recognition for prior learning/credit can be granted on that

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.

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.