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Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict and Development

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Certificate

Code
C67
Level
Postgraduate
Made up of
60 credits

Description

This postgraduate certificate course is part of our development management programme, which also offers a Postgraduate Certificate in Development Management (C48), Postgraduate Certificate in Human Rights and Development Management (C96), Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management (D37) and MSc in Development Management (F11). This 60-credit postgraduate certificate course is available as recognition of postgraduate study for those who, for whatever reason, do not want to continue to the diploma or MSc.

This postgraduate certificate is for:

  • Professionals in project management and those who have responsibility for development initiatives in government, non-governmental organisations, international and inter-governmental agencies and public and private enterprises.
  • People who intend to work in those areas, or who have an interest in public action for development.
  • Those who expect to be outside interveners in civil wars or in post-war peace support operations, or have already done so. Most will be linked with a humanitarian or development organisation, an international institution, or a military body.
  • Those who want to combine important elements of development and management.
  • Those who want to expand their conceptual and practical skills by taking an international perspective on management.

It will provide a grounding in development and conflict that will also benefit those who do continue to the diploma and MSc by continuing with the conflict pathway or other pathways such as environment or social policy.

Planning your studies

For entry to the programme we strongly recommend that you hold a degree from a UK university (or the equivalent). If you are a non-graduate we suggest that you ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for advice before registering on your first module. Detailed advice about entry and preparation is given in the individual module descriptions and you can find further advice on the Development Management website.

You are not required to complete this certificate before studying the diploma. Graduates in development, or those with extensive experience in development can go directly to the Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management (D37).

There is no time limit for completing the qualifications in the development management programme, though we cannot guarantee that the same selection of modules will continue to be available. You can take modules in any order, except that if you go on to complete the full MSc the development management project must be your final module.

Because of demands that study of the programme will make on you we recommend that you take no more than 60 credits at any one time, particularly in your first year, and that you study Development: context and practice (T877) first.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Career relevance and employability

This qualification promotes the development of practitioners working in complex emergencies (in the form of civil war), who are called upon to fashion interventions that at worst ‘do no harm’, at best contribute to a just and lasting peace. It nurtures an awareness of the discipline, integrity and sensitivity required in such interventions. The modules which make up this certificate offer an historical and interdisciplinary approach for understanding the roots of conflict and a set of skills to do with forming good judgments, making good decisions, building good relationships, negotiating good agreements. The certificate thus offers lessons for managers working in any complex context.

There is more information about how OU study can improve your employability in the OU’s Employability Statement from our Careers Advisory Service. You can also read or download our publication OU study and your career and look at our subject pages to find out about career opportunities.

Modules

For this postgraduate certificate you require:

60 credits from the following compulsory modules:

Postgraduate compulsory modules Credits Next start
Development: context and practice (T877) NEW

This course explores the context in which development practice takes place and encourages you think ‘outside the box’ to consider development activities from new perspectives.

See full description.

30 Nov 2013
War, intervention and development (TU875)

This course analyses the roots of violent conflicts, investigates the processes of peace-building and development, and helps develop the tools necessary for successful intervention.

See full description.

30 Nov 2013

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules TU871, TUXX871, TUXX875

The 60 credits gained from this certificate can contribute towards the 120 credits you need for the Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management (D37).

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills

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

Credit for previous study elsewhere

If you have already completed some successful study at postgraduate level at another institution you may be able to transfer credit for this study and count it towards this Open University qualification. If you wish to apply to transfer credit you must do so as soon as possible as it may affect your choice of OU modules. If you are awarded credit for study completed elsewhere, you may find that you need to study fewer OU modules to complete your qualification with us.

Visit our Credit Transfer site for more information and details of how to apply for credit transfer.

On completion

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict and Development entitling you to use the letters PG Cert Conf Dev (Open) after your name.

You can continue your studies and add 60 credits to your postgraduate certificate to gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management (D37) and a further 60 credits to obtain an MSc in Development Management (F11).

Regulations

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

These regulations are also available on our Essential Documents website.

How to register

If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module. During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.

See a full list of modules available for this qualification