Postgraduate

Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Learn the critical knowledge, leadership and management skills to achieve meaningful change.

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Careers and further study

Explore the career opportunities available to you.

Career Pathways

The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact provides a wide range of rewarding career opportunities including community services manager, community development planner, not-for-profit leader/CEO, business analyst in for-purpose sector, ethical investment professional, social entrepreneur, charity executive, social policy manager, public sector manager, philanthropy professional and social Impact consultant.
The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact provides a wide range of rewarding career opportunities including community services manager, community development planner, not-for-profit leader/CEO, business analyst in for-purpose sector, ethical investment professional, social entrepreneur, charity executive, social policy manager, public sector manager, philanthropy professional and social Impact consultant.

Fees and scholarships

Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this course.

Domestic Student Fees

Indicative annual course fee
2025
Full-Fee Paying Place $40,900.00

Eligible Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students can use the HECS-HELP loan program to pay their tuition fees. For Full-Fee Paying (FFP) places, students are charged an annual course fee.

Find out more information about tuition fees, or visit the fee calculator for a more accurate cost.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.

Cost of living

There are a few things to consider before applying to study at university. One could be your cost of living. This can depend on factors such as lifestyle, accommodation, tuition fees, medical insurance, textbooks and more. For an indication of expenses and average costs, see our Cost of living page.

Admission requirements

If you’re interested in furthering your career by studying this postgraduate course, find out the admission details below

Admission Requirements

(1) To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent;
and
(c) at least two years professional experience in a relevant occupation; or
(2) significant work experience including at least 5 years with a material level of responsibility.

Ranking and Selection Process

Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on—
(a) a curriculum vitae and two satisfactory referees, as recognised by UWA.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENT

English competency

English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.

Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT
COURSE ENTRY

Application requirements

Applicants should submit their application online with the following documentation. High-quality colour scans of original documents are to be uploaded into the application portal prior to assessment.

  • Original proof of citizenship (one of the following):
    • passport (and visa if necessary)
    • birth certificate
    • Australian Citizenship certificate
    • Original academic transcripts (unless previously from UWA)
  • Proof of English language competency
  • A current curriculum vitae (CV) outlining your professional work experience
  • Two referee names and contact details (these can be included in your CV)

Note: Hard-copy original transcripts and degree certificates from previous studies may be requested at any time as part of the process of verifying the authenticity of any documents provided with an applicationRead more here about uploading scanned documents.

If you need assistance with the application process, please contact our Future Students Team.


COURSE ENTRY

How to apply

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Ready for the next step?

Find out how to apply through our simple online application process. 

We'll guide you through our entry requirements, admission pathways available to you and application deadlines for your chosen course. 

We can’t wait for you to join us!  

Apply now

Course details

Designed to build the managerial capacity of professionals across the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors, the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact (GCSI) provides you with evidence-based learning to manage organisations, businesses and social programs that effectively create positive social change.

This course will help you become a highly skilled and effective social change-maker in today's complex global landscape.

About the course

This course will help you achieve social impact and create meaningful social value. The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact provides an introduction to evaluation and social impact assessment across various areas including corporate social responsibility; social innovation and social enterprise; social finance and philanthropy; social design and co-design; systems approaches to social change and social leadership.
Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Quick details

Status
  • Available
Locations
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
Attendance
  • Part-time only
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Trimester 1, 2, 3
Weekly contact time
  • N/A. This course is offered in intensive study mode.
Level of study
  • Postgraduate
Course Code
  • 40260
  • This course is not available to international student visa holders
Graduate Certificate in Social Impact
Status
  • Available
Locations
  • Perth (Crawley campus)
Attendance
  • Part-time only
Delivery
  • On-campus
Starting dates
  • Trimester 1, 2, 3
Weekly contact time
  • N/A. This course is offered in intensive study mode.
Level of study
  • Postgraduate
Course Code
  • 40260
  • This course is not available to international student visa holders
Full time/part time duration
  • 1 year
Degrees course is available in
  • Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Centre for Social Impact

Centre for Social Impact Logo

This course is taught by the Centre for Social Impact at The University of Western Australia. CSI UWA delivers education that transforms, research that informs best practice, and public engagement that inspires and mobilises change makers.

The Centre develops solutions that are rigorous and purpose-driven and works with people, communities and organisations across Australia to grow their capabilities and drive positive change.

 
Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Important dates

Intake Periods
  • Trimester 1, 2025
  • Trimester 2, 2025
  • Trimester 3, 2025
Application Open
  • T1: Open now
  • T2: Open now
  • T3: Open now
Application Close
  • T1: 13 January 2025
  • T2: 21 April 2025
  • T3: 4 August 2025

Refer to Admissions Requirements for information on eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Accreditation

      

The UWA Business School is accredited by EQUIS and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and is a Communicating Signatory to Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). 

EQUIS and AACSB are the leading business school accreditations in Europe and North America respectively, meaning that your business degree will be recognised by employers around the world.

Course structure

Postgraduate coursework degrees and combined (coursework and research) degrees comprise a number of units. Refer to the course structure for more information.

You'll learn to

The Graduate Certificate in Social Impact provides the knowledge base and skills across a broad range of areas including social impact measurement, assessment and evaluation; social innovation; social finance and impact investment; social business and social enterprise; philanthropy; social design and co-design; systems approaches to social change; social investment programs; social procurement; social leadership; social partnerships, collaboration and collective impact.

Practical knowledge

Apply your new knowledge in real-world projects with industry partners. Gain insights from industry guest lecturers and learn best practices from real case studies.

The course is taught with a solid grounding in industry partnerships with major not-for-profit organisations, social finance and philanthropic representatives, specialist social impact measurement personnel, social design practitioners, corporate social responsibility personnel, social businesses and social enterprises, and human service government departments.

 

#1 in Oceania for Alumni Outcomes


UWA's MBA program is ranked #1 in WA and first in the Oceania region for Entrepreneurship and Alumni Outcomes (QS Global MBA Rankings 2025).

CEO Magazine ranking

UWA's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has been ranked Tier One by CEO Magazine in 2024.

STUDY YOUR WAY

Flexibility

We understand that life is busy. That's why our postgraduate courses are designed so you can balance your work and studies. Our flexible postgraduate experience includes the opportunity to study part time, a range of units that are taught after hours, and the option to learn via intensive units. Ask our Student Central team for advice on choosing the right postgraduate route for you. Find out more here.

STUDY YOUR WAY
Student Testimonial

Meet John Thomson, General Manager at Anglicare WA and student from the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Why study this course

  • You'll gain competitive edge in applying for management positions in the social sector, the public sector, the not-for-profit sector and in the social impact areas of consulting and business. 
  • You'll join a vibrant community of practice with like-minded individuals who share your passion for social change. Build relationships with faculty members, industry professionals and alumni who are leading social impact initiatives. Benefit from their guidance, gain valuable insights, and expand your professional network.
  • You'll gain unique knowledge and skills taught by academics with a strong theoretical knowledge but a grounding in practical action and a strong desire to make a difference through teaching.
Alumni Testimonial

Hear about the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact

Master of Business Administration (Social Impact)

MBA students in class at UWA

 

Deciding to study an MBA (Flexible) with a specialisation in social impact is a strong and committed decision to fusing business and social impact together to benefit community, business and yourself. Students of the GCSI can progress into the MBA (Social Impact) as part of the MBA (Flexible). The course draws on the GCSI courses for the social impact specialisation.