The module is structured as two parallel streams of study – a ‘Tools stream’ and a ‘People stream’. Together, the streams will enhance your capacity to strategically engage with complex situations of significance. Your focus may be upon:
You might be working in any of a wide range of domains. Previous students of Systems Thinking in Practice have worked on situations associated with:
You will learn how to understand inter-relationships and engage with multiple perspectives. You will build your capacity to utilise these skills to work with others across silos within and between organisations to secure ethically sound and politically just improvements. You will gain practical skills with an understanding of their application in different contexts. You will also explore some cognitive processes and issues of individual and social psychology to help you appreciate the challenges of applying systems thinking in practice.
Tools stream
The Tools stream teaches five systems approaches. In each case, you examine the ideas behind the approach and examples of its use. You'll explore how to apply the tools and ideas from each approach in situations you're interested in. You'll be able to reflect on how you can integrate the tools and ideas from each approach into your existing practice repertoire.
The five systems approaches covered in TB871 are derived from three traditions underpinning systems thinking:
These five approaches cover the fundamental concepts and essential elements across the main traditions of systems thinking. You will be actively encouraged to draw freely upon ideas and tools from across the traditions of these approaches.
People stream
This stream complements the Tools stream by exploring a wider horizon of linguistic, cognitive and psychological dimensions towards making strategy. The five topics in this stream are designed to support you in making practical use of the systems thinking tools (and other conceptual tools) by building your understanding of how the thinking and psychology of specific individuals, social groups and the human species can impact strategic interventions. You will examine how, as a practitioner, you can bring ideas and tools from the systems approaches to life within the ongoing flux of events, people, and ideas.
Two books, written for this module, provide the core subject matter:
The module aims to help you engage with and improve complex situations in all work areas and civic and social life subject to change and uncertainty. In addition to appreciating the traditions of systems approaches, you will acquire practical skills in their techniques that will enable you to think and act differently. You will develop your systems thinking practice by integrating an understanding of cognitive processes and individual and social psychology into your work with others.
By studying the module, you will enhance your role as a systems thinking practitioner. You will be able to make practical improvements to complex issues by using a range of systems thinking ideas, tools, and techniques. You will extend your competence as a professional and have an impact in ethically sound and politically just ways.
Students who have successfully completed previous Open University modules in Systems Thinking in Practice have benefited personally and been able to contribute to organisations that encounter the increasing volatility, uncertainty, and complexity of modern life.
This module is ideal for people who:
You may be engaged in
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
The module is a blend of online activities and text-based material supported by two module books:
You’ll receive a printed version of each book, plus ebook chapters.
To help you integrate the ideas into your practice, the module will draw on your own experiences and make use of:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
TB871 is a compulsory module in our:
TB871 is an option module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
Making strategy with systems thinking in practice (TB871) starts once a year – in May.
It will next start in May 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in May 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no entry requirements for this module.
Although this module has no entry requirements, we recommend you have: that you have already done some study up to HNC, HND or bachelors degree level, or have equivalent experience from your employment.
Gaining prior awareness, knowledge and experience of systems thinking will help you benefit more from the course material – for example, by engaging with open educational resources on OpenLearn. A complete list of systems thinking resources is available on our School of Engineering and Innovation pages.
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader (and where applicable, musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way). Other alternative formats of the module materials may be available in the future.
There is a high level of illustrations and a requirement to be able to draw and interpret diagrams, or their equivalent. If you have a disability, you may need to seek advice on the choice of your end-of-module project to minimise access problems.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|
| 01 May 2026 | 31 Oct 2026 | 09 Apr 2026 | £1,775 |
| 01 May 2027 | 31 Oct 2027 | 08 Apr 2027 | Not yet available* |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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