CQUniversity
Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 6 months
- Course Type: Graduate Certificate
Lead positive social change through flexible online study, developing practical skills in social innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership while applying your learning through a real-world innovation project.
Course overview
The Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership from CQUniversity is a multidisciplinary postgraduate qualification designed for professionals from any field seeking to build their capability to lead social innovation, entrepreneurship and positive social change. Delivered 100% online over 0.5 years full-time or one year part-time, the course offers a hyperflexible, self-paced study experience that allows you to start anytime and study when it suits you.
You will develop foundational knowledge in social innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship while exploring design thinking, disruptive innovation, group dynamics and organisational leadership. Through authentic learning experiences, including case studies, real-world examples and an Innovation Project, you will apply theoretical frameworks to develop practical solutions that address social challenges. As part of the Work Integrated Learning component, you will design and implement an innovation project in collaboration with an organisation or social change group, or within your own workplace or professional context.
On successful completion, you will graduate with the Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership. Graduates may pursue opportunities across the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors in areas including social project design and management, social entrepreneurship, corporate social innovation, innovation support services, and consulting on business performance and organisational improvement.
Key facts
What you will study
To earn the Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership, you must successfully complete units totalling 24 credit points as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points.
Core units
- Disruption, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Social Innovation
- Innovation Project, Work Integrated Learning (12 credit points)
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must hold one of the following criteria:
- A completed Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) equivalent bachelor's degree or a higher equivalent qualification.
- A completed AQF diploma with two years of relevant business experience.
- A minimum of five years of relevant business experience.
Relevant work experience should include understanding how a business operates, including project management, process management or other appropriate professional experience.
Employment experience must be shown in a letter of employment presented on company letterhead and signed and dated by a delegated authority. The letter must contain the position title, duties performed and length of service.
English language requirements
Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion of one of the following criteria:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent).
- An AQF diploma-level qualification.
- Bachelor's level qualification study for at least two years full-time with a minimum overall GPA of 4.0 completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or the United States of America.
If you do not satisfy any of the above criteria, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores below:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic): The overall band score was at least 6.0, with a minimum of 5.5 in each subset.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Requires 550 or better overall and a minimum TWE score of 4.5 (Paper Based Test), or 75 or better overall and no score less than 17 (Internet Based Test).
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): Requires an overall score of 54 with no sub-score less than 46.
- Occupational English Test: Grades A or B only in the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between the final examination date and the commencement date of study. They must appear on a single result certificate. Each student will be assessed individually.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be able to get credit for your course based on prior formal, non-formal or informal learning. To apply, you will need to provide supporting documentation outlined by the university. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
The Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Leadership focuses on building the professional capacity of managers and social entrepreneurs for the future across the corporate, government and third (not-for-profit) sectors. As a graduate, you may seek employment in consulting and providing advice on business performance and improvements, including:
- Social project design and management.
- New social venture developments, international venture assessment and capital raising in a social context.
- Corporate social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
- Social incubator, technological innovation and support services for new ventures in the not-for-profit and small to medium enterprise (SME) sector.
- Design and development of teams and team dynamics working in social innovation Launchpad environments.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $8,004 (domestic full-fee paying place)
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 24 credit points (normally four units) per year.
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.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.