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Course Overview
The Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership is a multi-disciplinary course focused on equipping students with a strong foundational knowledge about social innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills. The course covers a range of topics and areas, including design thinking, disruptive innovation, group dynamics, innovation and entrepreneurship for 21st Century leaders.
Social innovation focuses on meeting social challenges through the creative and sustainable development of new ideas, products, models, or systems. This can be done through new business enterprises or other more socially focused interventions; however, it is always focused on people and having an impact.
The Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership is for ambitious individuals working in any field or discipline who want to develop their capacity to lead and encourage social entrepreneurship, social intrapreneurial impact, and positive social change. This course recognises that to create an environment in which innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish, leaders need to understand the drivers and behaviours of people, underlying group dynamics, and organisational and leadership processes. This course is aligned with the University's commitment to social innovation and sustainability.
Career Information
The Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership (GCSIL) focuses on building the professional capacity of managers and social entrepreneurs of the future, across corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors. Students will learn to lead organisations creating social and environmental value, developing their ability to operate in a changed cross-sector social landscape, where the dynamism of the market is also directed at social innovation. Specifically, students may seek employment in consulting and advising on business performance and improvements including:
• Social project design and management
• New social ventures developments, international venture assessment and capital raising in a social context
• Corporate social innovation and social entrepreneurship
• Social incubator and technological innovation, support services to new ventures, in not-for-profit and small to medium enterprise (SME) sectors
• Design and development of teams and team dynamics working in social innovation Launchpad environments.
| Duration | 0.5 years full-time or 1 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Credit Points that Must be Earned | 24 |
| Number of Units Required | CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in postgraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24). |
| Expected Hours of Study | One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term. |
| Course Type | Postgraduate Award |
| Qualification (post nominal) | GradCertSocInnovLeadership |
| AQF Level | Level 8: Graduate Certificate |
| Course Fees |
Indicative Year - 2026
Indicative Year - 2025
Indicative Year - 2024
Indicative Year - 2023
|
Admission Codes
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
|---|---|
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
Not Applicable |
Domestic Availability
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2027
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2024
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2025
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2026
Overseas Availabilities
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2027
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2024
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2025
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Hyperflexible Annual Term - 2026
- A completed Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) equivalent Bachelor degree, or higher equivalent qualification; or
- A completed AQF Diploma with two years relevant business experience*; or
- A minimum of five years relevant business experience*.
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent), or
- An Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) diploma level qualification, or
- Bachelor level qualification study for a period of at least 2 years fulltime with a minimum overall GPA 4.0
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic) overall band score of at least 6.0 overall with a minimum 5.5 in each subset; or
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Requires 550 or better overall & minimum TWE score of 4.5 (Paper Based Test), or 75 or better overall and no score less than 17 (Internet Based Test); or
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - Requires an overall score of 54 with no sub-score less than 46; or
- An Occupational English Test with Grades A or B only in each of the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between final examination date and the date of commencement of study, and must appear on a single result certificate.
No recommended study.
Be Different
- Indicative Year - 2026
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $8,400
- Indicative Year - 2025
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $8,004
- International Indicative First Term Fee - $8,580
- International Indicative First Year Fee - $8,580
- Indicative Year - 2024
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $7,270.5
- International Indicative First Year Fee - $17,040.5
- Indicative Year - 2023
- Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $7,086
Higher Education
Awards and Accreditation
| Interim Awards | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Exit Awards | Not applicable |
| Accreditation |
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Residential School Requirements
No Residential School for this course.
Practicum/Work Placement
| BUSN28001 - Students are given the option to focus on challenges within a workplace or a challenge they face in their professional life. This means students may choose to apply their learning in a project that is linked to a particular workplace. |
Previous and Current Enrolments
| Year | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
Please note that in some instances there may be similarities between course, entry and inherent requirements.
If you experience difficulties meeting these requirements, reasonable adjustments may be made upon contacting accessibility@cqu.edu.au. Adjustment must not compromise the academic integrity of the degree or course chosen at CQUniversity or the legal requirements of field education.
- Complying with academic and non-academic misconduct policies and procedures such as CQUniversity’s Student Charter, Student Misconduct Policy and Student Behavioural Misconduct Procedures, and Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
- Demonstrating honesty and integrity in academic and professional practice.
- Engaging with colleagues and academic and professional staff in a manner that demonstrates respect and integrity.
- Being reflective with personal behaviours appropriate to professional performance and being positive and receptive to processing constructive supervisor/marker/peer feedback or criticism.
- Using a computer with sufficient computer skills to engage in online learning, reading, initiating and responding to emails and other forms of electronic communication, and completing relevant assessments for the course. This includes being able to access the Internet for coursework and research regularly.
- Performing a wide range of advanced written communication skills that address critical social and business problems and solutions. These include (but are not limited to) constructing logical and succinct reports and analyses that demonstrate substantive research while using correct CQU referencing.
- Performing a wide range of advanced verbal, non-verbal and ICT communication skills that address critical social and business problems and solutions. These include (but are not limited to) being able to deliver an enhanced message (in English) for maximum effectiveness, while utilising a variety of technologies or media; the ability to deliver succinct yet effective communication; the ability to deliver effective communication that results in impact and/or influence; the ability to design and deliver effective verbal presentations, in clear English, that utilises a variety of technologies or visual media that combines with appropriate business management concepts and language.
- Utilising a variety of technologies and/or visual media as well as speak in front of an audience with an appropriate middle or senior management/leadership voice, manner, style and presence that addresses the required outcomes as well as the needs of the audience.
- Developing the skills of reflective practice to increase self-awareness with personal delivery of advanced communication skills, including being able to determine personal developmental needs with advanced communication deficiencies.
- Using appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, body movements and gestures, being mindful of personal space time boundaries and cultural sensitivities.
- Conceptualising and applying to academic assessment items the knowledge, skills, processes, tools and techniques of the course to real-world examples and contexts of management or discipline-specific issues.
- Applying theoretical knowledge, research evidence, policies and procedures in management and or cognate discipline practice.
- Constructing written text proficiently, in English, using appropriate vocabulary, correct grammar and conventions of speech, including being able to paraphrase, summarise and reference in accordance with appropriate academic and professional conventions.
- Understanding, acquiring and demonstrating the components of emotional intelligence for effective working relationships and outcomes.
- Being able to interact and demonstrate tact when dealing with stakeholders, including (but not limited to) employees, leadership/social innovation peers, customers, and suppliers.
- Relating positively and effectively to a wide variety of business and community stakeholders.
- Relating positively and effectively to a wide variety of business and community stakeholders.
- Combining appropriate business deliberations with the inclusion of the relevant interpersonal factors of the people connected in those processes.
- Being consultative and collaborative in creating and maintaining effective working relationships and outcomes.
- Recognising others as sentient human beings with rights that must not be violated.
- Recognising others in the workplace as ends in themselves and never exclusively as means to an end.
- Creating cultural competence, sensitivity and willingness to work with a vast array of people both in Australia and abroad.
- Demonstrating the skills of collaborating with fellow students and colleagues, modifying and reflecting on practice during a project, or modifying and reflecting on work integrated learning in response to supervisor feedback.
- Engaging in personal reflection as a way of increasing self-awareness regarding how individuals interact and affect others.
- 1. Critique and evaluate trends and drivers that influence change in the social economy and apply this knowledge to analyse complex social problems;
- 2. Communicate ideas of social change, social innovation and social investment and apply to complex problems in a global social context;
- 3. Apply social innovation processes to collaborate with stakeholders in the social economy;
- 4. Apply knowledge of ethical conduct, cultural diversity and cultural norms required for social innovation in social change projects;
- 5. Design and implement social innovation projects to solve complex social problems; and
- 6. Measure impact of social change projects in diverse social contexts.
| Course Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1. KNOWLEDGE Have specialised knowledge within a systematic and coherent body of knowledge that may include the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills in a new or existing discipline or professional area | ||||||
| 2. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to review,analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge and identify and provide solutions to complex problems | ||||||
| 3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to think critically and to generate and evaluate complex ideas | ||||||
| 4. SKILLS Have specialised technical and creative skills in a field of highly skilled and/or professional practice | ||||||
| 5. SKILLS Have communication skills to demonstrate an understanding of theoretical concepts | ||||||
| 6. SKILLS Have communication skills to transfer complex knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences | ||||||
| 7. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to make high level, independent judgements in a range of technical or management functions in varied specialised contexts | ||||||
| 8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to initiate, plan, implement and evaluate broad functions within varied specialised technical and/or creative contexts | ||||||
| 9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILL Be responsible and accountable for personal outputs and all aspects of the work or function of others within broad parameters | ||||||
| 10. FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE sufficient to undertake qualifications | ||||||
| 11. ACQUISITION AND APPLICATION of knowledge in new or existing disciplines or professional areas drawn from higher education units | ||||||
| 12. FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS sufficient to undertake qualifications | ||||||
| 13. ACQUISITION AND APPLICATION of skills in new or existing disciplines or professional areas drawn from higher education units | ||||||
| 14. Course content drawn from higher education units | ||||||
- Complete the core structure
| Number of units: 4 | Total credit points: 24 |
|---|
| Available units | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
| BUSN20031 | Social Innovation | |
| BUSN20023 | People, Leadership and Culture | |
| BUSN20022 | Disruption, Innovation and Entrepreneurship | |
| BUSN28001 | Innovation Project | |