Flinders University

Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

  • Delivery: Face to Face
  • Study Level: Postgraduate
  • Duration: 6 months
  • Course Type: Graduate Certificate

The course aims to provide current and future leaders and professionals with the fundamental understanding and skills they need to achieve positive social impact.

Course overview

The program is designed specifically to enhance the skills of people working or seeking to work in the social purpose or for-purpose landscape, including leaders and professionals within not-for-profits, for-purpose commercial organisations, the philanthropic sector, universities or governments.

The course is also available as an exit award from the Master of Business Administration (Social Impact), subject to meeting the requirements of the program.

CSP Subsidised Fees Available

This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.

Key facts

Delivery
Face to Face
Course Type
Graduate Certificate
Duration
More Information
Can be studied part time
6 months (Full time)
Price Per Unit
From $4,455
More Information
The estimated per-unit fee is calculated using the annual indicative fee. It is based on a full-time study load of 18 units.

From $2,124 (CSP)
More Information
You may be eligible for CSP where the government pays part of your fees. The estimated per unit fee is calculated using the annual CSP rate.
Intake
October, 2025
Units
4
Fees
More Information
FEE-HELP loans and HECS loans are available to assist domestic students.
FEE-HELP, HECS, CSP

What you will study

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact, you must complete four topics (18 units). Each topic is valued at four and a half units.

  • Social Impact in Context
  • Leadership for Social Impact
  • Innovation for Social Impact
  • Demonstrating Social Impact

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

Applicants must hold an approved degree or an equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution.

Admission may also be granted based on prior work experience. This will usually include one year of relevant work experience in a related field or two years of relevant work experience in a non-related field.

Admission will be based on the extent to which work experience has enabled the applicant to develop a foundation understanding of either one of the five areas – marketing, accounting, economics, finance or management.

Applicants who wish to be admitted on this basis need to provide:

  • A curriculum vitae
  • A description of job roles, skills and abilities that demonstrate the work experience requirement
  • Name(s) of two referee(s) who can verify work experience

English language requirements

For international students, contact the university to find further information about English language requirements.

Outcomes

Career outcomes

Possible occupations include:

  • Program director
  • General manager
  • Relationship manager
  • Social impact specialist
  • Business analyst
  • Social impact and stakeholder engagement specialist
  • Community development planner
  • Policy advisor

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course you will be able to:

  • Competently operate within the body of knowledge and terminology in the area of social impact, including social innovation, collaborative practice, outcomes-focussed systems, person-centredness and lived experience.
  • Demonstrate emerging leadership skills for positive social impact and social change, including the ability to engage effectively with different stakeholders, build partnerships, understand and influence policy, and develop ongoing self-reflection on own leadership.
  • Apply the principles of social economy and social investment to social innovation, service and system design, people-centred solutions, community place-based approaches, social entrepreneurship and governance.
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding and emerging skills in measuring, evaluating and demonstrating social impact, gathering and analysing evidence from different stakeholder groups, using methods of co-production and co-design in participatory action research.

Fees and CSP

Annual indicative fee in 2025: $17,820 (domestic full-fee paying place)

Annual indicative fee in 2025: $8,496 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Annual indicative fees are based on a full-time study load of 18 units.

A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:

  • The number of units studied per term.
  • The choice of major or specialisation.
  • Choice of units.
  • Credit from previous study or work experience.
  • Eligibility for government-funded loans.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

  • Calculated per unit you're enrolled in.
  • Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
  • Reviewed and adjusted each year.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.