Graduate Certificate in Social Change Leadership (GC-SCL)

You’re currently viewing the 2021 version of this course

Overview

Award title	Graduate Certificate in Social Change Leadership
Year & campus	2021 — Parkville
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Graduate Coursework
AQF level	8
Credit points	50 credit points
Duration	12 months part-time

The Graduate Certificate of Social Change Leadership is offered to Fellows undertaking the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity Program (AFSE). The program focusses on developing social change leaders through immersive Indigenous knowledges environments working in critical dialogue with other knowledge systems. Fellows will be equipped with knowledge and skills drawn from a range of disciplines and immersive contexts and take a comparative and global focus. It provides opportunities for Fellows to engage with the wide-ranging dimensions of social change leadership with the goal of working on complex social and environmental issues concerning Indigenous communities.

The program is designed to enable the Fellows to act as catalysts in partnership with communities and organisations to generate Indigenous knowledge informed social change. This is an interdisciplinary and wide-ranging program that draws on expertise from leading academics in the University of Melbourne and Indigenous community leaders.

Links to further information

Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity: https://socialequity.atlanticfellows.org/

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

a) An application to the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, which requires:

At least 5 years of documented work experience in the social change field working with or for Indigenous communities, institutions and peoples across Australia or New Zealand; and
Two references; and
Workplace notification of release (if employed); and
An outline of a social change project proposal (maximum 1000 words); and
A short application video (maximum 1.5 minutes)

Applicants must have been accepted into the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, before applying for the Master of Social Change Leadership.

b) And must have completed either:

A pass level undergraduate degree or equivalent; or
At least five years documented, relevant work experience;

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In assessing applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

Acceptance into the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program; and
The documented, relevant work experience, if applicable

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the University’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7 is required.

Notes:

Details of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program application are available on the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity website.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and Graduate School policy to take reasonable steps to enable the participation of students with disabilities, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the Graduate School's programs.

The core participation requirements for study in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education are:
In all courses
1. The ability to comprehend complex information related to education and the disciplines in which the student is teaching;
2. The ability to communicate clearly and independently in assessment tasks a knowledge of the content, principles and practices relating to education and other relevant disciplines;
3. Behavioural and social attributes that enable a student to participate in a complex learning environment.

Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support https://students.unimelb.edu.au/student-support/student-equity-and-disability-support

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate an advanced understanding of Indigenous knowledges and experiences as they relate to creating and sustaining networked social change and reframing narratives to bring about social equity
Critically analyse theoretical understanding and knowledge of current research, debates, policies and practices in Indigenous‐led social change.
Evaluate the social, cultural, political and historical context informing social equity in Indigenous and other historically marginalised communities
Communicate solutions to social equity challenges to the wider Indigenous and non‐Indigenous social change making community
Create and sustain networks to drive systemic social change to tackle inequity

Generic skills

Critical thinking and reasoning
Creative thinking and innovation
Problem solving
Leadership
Teamwork and professional networking and collaboration
Self-reflection, career awareness and lifelong learning
Enhanced writing and communication skills.

Graduate attributes

Graduates of the Graduate Certificate in Social Change Leadership will have the necessary attributes to:

Evaluate contemporary Indigenous issues and approaches from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including sociological, economical, psychological and pedagogical perspectives, and apply them to their own contexts
Contribute to discussions and debates associated with the role of social change making in addressing historical and contemporary local, national and global Indigenous issues
Show an awareness of the social and cultural diversity in Indigenous communities and how to work collaboratively with Indigenous peoples from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds
Have an understanding of and deep respect for Indigenous knowledge, culture and values across local, national and global Indigenous communities
Have the capacity to become leaders in their professions and communities
Promote social justice, social inclusion, ethics, wellbeing and citizenship through policy and practice related to social change in Indigenous communities
Be creative, innovative, self-directed and lifelong learners, able to link theory and practice and respond to the changing Indigenous landscape

Course structure

The Graduate Certificate of Social Change Leadership requires the completion of 50 credit points of study over one year.

Fellows must complete three compulsory subjects, consisting of 2 x 12.5 point subjects and 1 x 25 point subject.

Year 1 (50 credit points)

Compulsory subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
INDG90002	Enacting Influence	Summer Term (Off Campus)	12.5
INDG90004	Collaborative Fieldwork	June (Off Campus)	25
INDG90005	Indigenous Leadership	August (Off Campus)	12.5

Further study

The Graduate Certificate in Social Change Leadership may serve as a pathway to further graduate coursework study, such as a Masters (coursework) degree.

Last updated: 10 February 2024

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