MSc Systems Thinking in Practice

What you will learn

This MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice looks at the way you think and naturally approach a task or situation. The course builds on your diploma studies and provides you with the opportunity to carry out an investigation into an aspect of systems thinking that is of personal or professional interest to you or conduct a more academic in-depth research project.

The course offers you the choice of a research route or a professional route to this qualification. Both routes will enable you to develop essential skills for systematically and successfully addressing systems thinking issues in your own organisation and in a wider context.

Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.

Time required and cost

To achieve the MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice you must successfully gain 180 credits. These credits are made up of the Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking and 60 credits from either the Research route or the Professional route to qualification shown below. You have a maximum of seven years to complete this qualification.

For details on module costs please see the tables at the bottom of this page. The total cost of the qualification depends on the modules studied. As a guide the total fee for 2012/13 academic year was from £9,790 to £11,550.

NB: Prices and modules shown below are subject to change.

Career impact

The discipline of systems thinking in practice will provide you with the tools to challenge your approach to complex situations; to consider the roles other people play; to assess how all the different components within that situation are related; and to provide you with the skills to think more holistically and to work more collaboratively to avoid systemic failures.

Those with technical interests and responsibilities will find this masters qualification useful to them in their work. The flexibility of the choice of module allows you to tailor the content to your needs.

Key dates

Please see the tables shown at the bottom of this page.

Entry requirements

To study for this masters degree course you must hold a bachelors degree from a UK university, or other recognised degree-awarding body, or a qualification at equivalent level. You must also hold the Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice.

You will also need to be proficient in English, to an IELTS standard of 6.0. If you are unsure you will be able to take a free English test as part of the registration process.

Classification of course

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded an MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice entitling you to use the letters MSc Sys Prac (Open) after your name.

Credits

For information on Credits, click here.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the following regulations:

• Student Regulations
• Module Regulations
• General Qualification Regulations
• MSc Systems Thinking in Practice
• Schedule B to the Qualification Regulations.