Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice
Online United Kingdom
Postgraduate Diploma
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,040 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* total cost: £5,800–£10,040
Key Summary
This Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice develops your ability to approach and tackle complex, messy problem situations. It provides practical tools that bring new perspectives and approaches to problem-solving; it may change your thinking about a task or wider situation of interest. You’ll consider other people’s roles, reflect on your own and others’ practice and assess how the different components are related.
The course develops holistic thinking and collaborative working skills, helping you move towards effective solutions and avoid systemic failures.
Key features
- Encourages fresh ways of thinking about and approaching complex tasks and situations
- Develop the tools and skills needed to tackle problem situations holistically, effectively and ethically
- The opportunity to top up our MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice in just one more year
How long it takes
Minimum – 2 years
The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this diploma, you’ll be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following:
- Key systems concepts and multiple traditions of systems thinking in practice
- The concept of practice and its ethical and systemic dimensions
- Systemic approaches to improving situations in your chosen domain of interest
- The strengths and weaknesses of tools and framework devices used extensively in your domain of interest
- The transformative potential of systems thinking in practice
Cognitive skills
On completion of this diploma, you’ll be able to:
- Make effective methodological use of key systems concepts
- Integrate key systems methods and concepts from systems thinking and other approaches in the context of your domain of interest
- Engage in reflective practice, including an awareness of the links between your own tradition and those of others
- Develop awareness of ethical behaviour in a given situation.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this diploma, you’ll be able to:
- Design systemic inquiries, using and building upon concepts from the systems thinking approach
- Appreciate the perspectives of stakeholders, taking an ethical and critical approach to issues of politics and power in the situation and with your own practice
- Apply systems thinking in practice to real-world situations in the context of your domain of interest
- Manage relationships with stakeholders, taking into account the variety of perspectives and role-specific concerns.
Key skills
On completion of this diploma you will be able to:
- Learn in familiar and unfamiliar situations and use that learning in other contexts
- Communicate effectively using written and diagrammatic presentations
- Seek relevant information from appropriate sources
- Develop ways of improving complex and problematic situations.
To gain this qualification, you need 120 credits as follows:
60 credits from:
- Making strategy with systems thinking in practice (TB871)
- Managing change with systems thinking in practice (TB872)
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules TU811 and TU812.
60 credits from:
- Manufacture Materials Design (T805)
- Strategic Capabilities for Technological Innovation (T849)
- Technology Innovation Management (TB801)
- Making Environmental Decisions (T891)
- Sustainable Organisations: Theory and Practice (T892)
- Information Security (M811)
- Digital Forensics (M812)
- Software Development (M813)
- Software Engineering (M814)
- Project Management (M815)
- Data Management (M816)
- Network Security (T828)
- Advanced Networking (CCNP Enterprise) (T829)
- Global Development in Practice (D890)
- Principles of Social and Psychological Inquiry (DD801)
- Understanding Global Development (DD870)
- Financial Markets and the Financing of Organisations (B815)
- Sustainable Creative Management (BB842)
- Entrepreneurship in Context (BB851)
- Leadership and Management of Public Services (BB852)
- Contemporary Issues in Organisations (BB853)
- Managing in a Changing World (B870)
- Creating and Sustaining Value (B872)
- Advance Your Independent Learning (YXM830)
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B716, B820, B821, B822, B823, B825, B856, B857, B858, BB844, BB845, BB846, BB847, BB848, H807, H808, K827, S808, T824, T826, T827, T835, T837, T839, T840, T846, T848, T850, T851, T852, T853, T860, T861, T862, T863, T867, T877, T878, T879, T882, T883, T889, T890, T894, TD866, TM893, TU870, TU871, TU872, TU875 and U810.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.