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Employers at the OU > Sector Solutions > Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Practice (IT Service Management)

Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Practice (IT Service Management)

Global KnowledgeThe Open University (OU) and Global Knowledge have joined forces to develop a postgraduate certificate designed to provide a learning and assessment framework for people working in IT service management who have already completed substantial amounts of IT service management education.

There have long been calls to increase the professionalism of IT. Whilst some sections of the industry are starting to mature, service management has remained an area where there is still little scope for practitioners to prove their worth with robust academic qualifications.

Yet IT service managers are more in demand and more important to businesses than ever before. Research conducted by e-Skills UK found that professional (postgraduate) skills in IT service management will be the most pressing learning need in the IT industry over the next decade.

Gain professional skills in just one year

The qualification is designed to offer participants the opportunity to widen their understanding of the theory behind change management and operations management and to build up additional CPD in IT service management. The qualification is designed to be completed within 12 months.

This postgraduate certificate is made up of two Open University modules:-

Continuing Professional Development in Practice (UYL810)1 Click for module details

This six-month module is aimed at people who have completed at least 150 hours of IT Service Management continuing professional development (CPD) over the last three to four years, primarily through ITIL® intermediate education (Lifecycle or Capability route)2. Through two assignments and an end-of-module assessment participants will reflect on the key themes that have emerged for them from their IT Service Management CPD and the impact that this has had on their work. They will then identify and plan appropriate development opportunities and the future direction of their learning through continuing professional development and evaluate ways in which they can share their learning in their organisation. ITIL® is a registered trademark of the Cabinet Office.

Improving your Practice (BYL834) Click for module details

This companion module to UYL810 is designed for participants to deepen their understanding of IT service management and use it to improve their practice. In the majority of cases, the 90 hours of CPD would involve undertaking distance learning modules covering the theory of Change Management and Operations Management. Participants would then select 90 hours of content from Global Knowledge’s suite of IT Service Management best practice modules. These modules are specifically developed for this programme, and include topics such as service management and the cloud, supplier management and business relationship management. Some limited CPD activity can be incorporated by attending internal training and seminars with organisations like itSMF UK. Participants will complete a log to record and reflect on the impact that the various development activities have had on their practice. Each module will be assessed by an assignment in which the participant will develop a business improvement proposal to show how they have implemented these skills back in their workplace. They will also critically reflect on some of the difficulties and the practicalities of implementing these changes and improvements. Content from this final assignment can be incorporated directly into their organisation’s live service improvement agenda or programme.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure

Improving your Practice includes 90 hours of additional on-line learning specifically tailored to IT  service management developed by Global Knowledge, a world-leading service management training company.  There are 10 topics and depending on which one you choose, you will need to study 3 or 4 topics and then add other relevant CPD which you will discuss with your OU tutor to make up the 90 hours in this part of the qualification.  The current range of topics includes:

  • Service Management and the Cloud
  • Agile and IT Service Management
  • Supplier Management
  • Communications for Service management
  • Toolset Exploitation
  • Governance 
  • Leadership for Service Management
  • Business Relationship Management
  • Service Management metrics
  • Creating a Service Culture

For further information about each of these, download the course descriptions. (PDF 371kb)

For a print friendly version of the course details download the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Practice (IT Service Management) PDF. (PDF 950kb)

Download our Frequently Asked Questions document (PDF 391kb)

Benefits to individuals and businesses

  • A unique recognition of service management professional experience 
  • Pathway to higher qualifications including MBA or MSc 
  • Full integration within the workplace – no time away from the frontline 
  • Empowers employers to provide advice and guidance to staff looking to develop higher level skills

Key skills made affordable

The cost of this qualification is £3,495.

Start your studies in May or November

Presentations of the Certificate will be in May and November each year.

For more information or to register:

Please contact our delivery partner, Global Knowledge:

Global Knowledge
T: 0118 912 3456
E: info@globalknowledge.co.uk

Or visit the registration website at http://www.globalknowledge.co.uk/PGC-ITSM 

1 This module is aimed for those with a UK Honours degree, equivalent professional qualification or extensive experience in the field.

2 Participants will need to have completed at least three of the Lifecycle or two of the Capability courses and demonstrate they have undertaken a further 50 hours of IT Service Management related CPD in the last three to four years.