University of New South Wales
Graduate Certificate in Social Impact
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 8 months
- Course Type: Graduate Certificate
Develop social impact capability through on-campus study, building the knowledge to create social and environmental value across business, government and not-for-profit organisations.
Course overview
UNSW's Graduate Certificate in Social Impact is designed for professionals and emerging leaders working across business, government and the not-for-profit sector. The program develops knowledge and capability to understand social impact approaches and create social and environmental value in an evolving cross-sector environment.
Throughout the course, you'll explore how organisations address social challenges through approaches such as social innovation, social enterprise and impact measurement. You'll strengthen your understanding of how different sectors contribute to social impact and develop knowledge that can be applied across diverse organisational contexts.
Delivered on campus, the program provides opportunities for structured learning while exploring social impact concepts across business, government and the not-for-profit sector. A defining feature of the course is its cross-sector perspective and focus on creating social and environmental value.
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
8th February, 2027
24th May, 2027
6th September, 2027
What you will study
To earn the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact, you must successfully complete units totalling 24 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points.
Core units
- Social Impact
Elective units
Select 18 credit points from the following:
- Leading Change for Sustainability
- Social Impact Investment
- Demonstrating Social Impact
- Design for Social Innovation
- Social Impact Field Project
- Corporate Responsibility and Accountability
- Creating Shared Value
- Collaboration for Social Impact
- Leadership for Social Impact
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
Applicants must have one of the following:
- A recognised bachelor's degree (or equivalent qualification) with a credit average as determined by the UNSW Postgraduate Coursework Entry Calculator, and a minimum of two years of work experience.
- A minimum of five years of relevant work experience in government, corporate or not-for-profit sector.
Students must provide a detailed resume (outlining relevant competencies and achievements) and evidence of other academic and professional qualifications.
English language requirements
If English isn’t your first language, you may be required to provide evidence that your English language ability meets our requirements. Contact the university for further information. If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application.
You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
- English language tests and university English courses.
- Prior study in the medium of English.
- Other qualifications.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Knowledge: Graduates will have current social impact disciplinary or interdisciplinary knowledge applicable in local and global contexts.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving: Graduates will have critical thinking and problem-solving skills applicable to the field of social impact practice or complex social impact issues.
- Communication: Graduates will be highly effective communicators in complex social environments.
- Leadership: Graduates will have a sound understanding of effective social impact leadership across and within complex contexts.
- Teamwork: Graduates will be effective team participants working collaboratively across diverse social impact contexts.
- Ethical, social and environmental responsibility: Graduates will be aware of the ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications of social impact organisations, practices and issues.
Career outcomes
- Executive roles in not-for-profit and community organisations.
- Public sector managers and leaders.
- Social policy managers in the corporate sector.
- Social entrepreneurs.
- Foundation executives and managers.
- Business executives and administrators.
- Corporate community engagement executives and professionals.
- Social and ethical investment professionals.
Fees and CSP
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $9,000 (Commonwealth Supported Place).
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $21,000 (Full-fee paying place)
Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary by:
- The number of units studied.
- 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 the course you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
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.
Student Testimonials
Brent Hedley, Graduate Certificate in Social Impact Student
"The knowledge and skills gained in the course aren’t just academic accolades, but tools that empower me to develop impactful strategies in the real world."
Samantha Heron, Graduate Certificate in Social Impact Graduate, Founder Heart & Soul Story
"My course had a great mix of students that spanned the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, which made for insightful and healthy debates and conversations. The lecturers were top-notch, bringing a wealth of experience from the fields in which they worked. Guest speakers were also an absolute highlight of the course."