{"id":17,"date":"2026-06-24T10:50:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T09:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:50:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T09:50:47","slug":"systems-thinking-in-practice","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/systems-thinking-in-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Systems Thinking in Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We provide postgraduate modules and qualifications that focus on systems thinking as an area of professional practice for those with adequate prior knowledge and experience. We are currently working on developing a Level 7 apprenticeship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Postgraduate qualifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/qualifications\/c72\">Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/qualifications\/e28\">Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/qualifications\/f47\">MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The STiP postgraduate programme is built around the publication of&nbsp;four books co-published by The Open University and Springer and sample chapters are available on Open Research Online:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Systems-Thinkers-Magnus-Ramage\/dp\/1447174747\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Systems+thinkers&amp;qid=1600080919&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1\">Systems Thinkers (2nd edition)<\/a>\u00a0by Magnus Ramage and Karen Shipp (<a href=\"https:\/\/oro.open.ac.uk\/16948\/\"><em>Introduction and sample chapter<\/em><\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Systems-Approaches-Managing-Change-Practical\/dp\/184882808X\/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b\">Systems Approaches to Making Change: A Practical Guide<\/a>\u00a0(2nd edition) (Eds.) Martin Reynolds and Sue Holwell (<a href=\"https:\/\/oro.open.ac.uk\/21298\/\">Introducing systems approaches sample chapter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oro.open.ac.uk\/21300\/\">Epilogue: systems approaches and systems practice sample chapter<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Systems-Practice-Climate-Change-World\/dp\/1849961247\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1275215250&amp;sr=1-2\">Systems Practice: How to Act (2nd edition)<\/a>\u00a0by Ray Ison (<a href=\"https:\/\/oro.open.ac.uk\/22901\/\"><em>Introduction sample chapter<\/em><\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Social-Learning-Systems-Communities-Practice\/dp\/1849961328\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1275215314&amp;sr=1-1\">Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice<\/a>\u00a0(Ed.) Chris Blackmore (<a href=\"https:\/\/oro.open.ac.uk\/22905\/\">Introduction chapter and sample chapters on Managing systemic change: future roles for social learning systems and communities of practice?<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oro.open.ac.uk\/22906\/\">Traditions of understanding: language, dialogue and experience<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of these qualifications we have prime responsibility for certain modules that can be taken as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/courses\/modules\">standalone modules<\/a>&nbsp;for interest or continuing professional development for those with adequate prior knowledge and experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Postgraduate modules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TB871\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/modules\/tb871\">Making strategy with systems thinking in practice<\/a>\u00a0(30 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TB872\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/postgraduate\/modules\/tb872\">Managing change with systems thinking in practicen<\/a>\u00a0(30 credits)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free courses and educational resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We actively contribute to The Open University\u2019s provision of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/about\/open-educational-resources\/\">open educational resources<\/a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/\">OpenLearn<\/a>&nbsp;and other open media channels. A composite&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/stem\/engineering-and-innovation\/teaching\/systems-thinking-practice\/systems-thinking-practice-resources\">online listing of all STiP-specific resources<\/a>&nbsp;developed by OU STiP colleagues is now available and continually updated. We have provided many study units and rich media assets derived from current and discontinued modules with others arising from our research and scholarship work. These can be found under the Management or Science, Maths and Technology sections of OpenLearn but we list many of them below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Free courses<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/science-maths-technology\/mastering-systems-thinking-practice\/content-section-overview\">Mastering Systems Thinking in Practice<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/science-maths-technology\/computing-and-ict\/systems-computer\/systems-thinking-and-practice\/content-section-0\">Systems thinking and practice<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/science-maths-technology\/computing-and-ict\/systems-computer\/systems-diagramming\/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab\">Systems diagramming<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/science-maths-technology\/computing-and-ict\/systems-computer\/systems-modelling\/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab\">Systems modelling<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/science-maths-technology\/computing-and-ict\/systems-computer\/managing-complexity-systems-approach\/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab\">Managing complexity: a systems approach<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/science-maths-technology\/computing-and-ict\/systems-computer\/systems-practice-managing-sustainability\/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab\">Systems practice: Managing sustainability<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rich media<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/money-management\/management\/guide-diagrams\">Guide to diagrams<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/money-management\/management\/leadership-and-management\/managing\/make-your-own-systems-model\">Make your own systems model \u2013 making your own multiple cause diagram<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We provide postgraduate modules and qualifications that focus on systems thinking as an area of professional practice for those with adequate prior knowledge and experience. We are currently working on developing a Level 7 apprenticeship. Postgraduate qualifications The STiP postgraduate programme is built around the publication of&nbsp;four books co-published by The Open University and Springer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"unity_related_person":[],"unity_sdg":[],"unity_research_theme":[],"unity_strategic_priority":[],"unity_enabler":[],"unity_general_category":[],"unity_stem_unit":[],"unity_related_project":[],"unity_related_archived_project":[],"unity_related_event":[],"class_list":["post-17","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"unity_related_person","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_related_person?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_sdg","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_sdg?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_research_theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_research_theme?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_strategic_priority","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_strategic_priority?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_enabler","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_enabler?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_general_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_general_category?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_stem_unit","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_stem_unit?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_related_project","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_related_project?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_related_archived_project","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_related_archived_project?post=17"},{"taxonomy":"unity_related_event","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/engineering-and-innovation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unity_related_event?post=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}