Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Management
Description
This postgraduate certificate course provides a rounded view of the management of technology and technological innovation. You’ll study topics such as the nature and types of technological innovation, technology transfer, and eco-innovation, which are relevant to all economic and organisational sectors and types of technology. The study of one or more optional modules allows you to extend your technology management knowledge and skills depending on your personal or professional interests. If technology, innovation and change are factors in your organisation or role – technology management is relevant to you.
The effective management of technology and technological innovation is essential if all the potential benefits for individuals and organisations are to be realised. Technology has the capability to transform products and processes and can make a significant contribution to organisational performance, economic growth and social well-being. Technology managers need to make complex decisions associated with identification and evaluation of technologies, developing new or improved products and processes and integrating technology with other business processes, and to manage change required by technological innovation and implementation. There is an increasing demand across public, private and not-for-profit sectors for people with the vision and the operational and strategic capability to plan, develop and manage technology and technological innovation effectively.
The suite of qualifications offered, the postgraduate certificate and diploma, and the MSc are designed to develop your knowledge and skills progressively. The certificate mainly focuses on the operational aspects of managing technological innovation and change; strategic management of technology and technological innovation is the main emphasis of the diploma. The MSc modules involve in-depth investigation of a technology management topic or problem of your choice. The qualifications provide you with the knowledge and skills critical to making the right decisions about technology acquisition, exploitation and implementation, and to really make a difference to your organisation, and your own professional development. The optional modules in this postgraduate certificate course allow you to choose topics of personal or professional interest that can extend, or form a wider context for, your technology management studies. Fields such as computing and ICT, business and management, development management and environmental management as well as technology management are typically represented.
Throughout your studies you have opportunities to apply your learning to your own particular technology context and so you can add value to your career and your workplace while you are studying. The modules are designed to be relevant whatever your personal background and experience – the knowledge and skills taught can be applied to all types of technology and all economic sectors. Our students are drawn from a very wide range of backgrounds including IT, manufacturing, healthcare, defence, financial services, local and national government services.
Planning your studies
To start this programme, you should normally hold a UK bachelors degree, or equivalent. If you do not hold a bachelors degree then you may be permitted to link modules to this qualification once you have demonstrated the ability to study at postgraduate level by successfully completing one of the modules.
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum overall score of 6 and minimum score of 5.5 in each of the four components: reading, writing, speaking and listening under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details.
Because of the demands that study of the programme will make on you we recommend that you take no more than 60 credits at a time.
There is no time limit for completing this qualification, though we cannot guarantee that the same selection of modules will continue to be available. Modules will count towards this certificate for a maximum of eight years after we have stopped presenting them.
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
The technology management programme develops analytical skills and provides practically relevant knowledge that will equip you well for a variety of management and leadership roles. The competent technology manager is a highly valued professional, capable of ensuring that the organisation reaps all the potential rewards from its investment in technology of whatever type. You will develop a range of job-related and transferable skills such as critical thinking, creative problem solving, and the ability to cope with rapid technological change. The capabilities in research and problem-solving developed can be exploited in all professional situations at all management levels. Employers are also impressed by the commitment and determination it takes to succeed with the OU while keeping up family and work commitments. These benefits, together with the opportunities to add value by applying your learning to the workplace as you study, make technology management programmes very attractive vehicles towards success in senior management roles.
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 60-credit postgraduate certificate you require:
30 credits from one of the following compulsory modules:
Or the discontinued module T840
And 30 credits from the following optional modules:
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Postgraduate optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
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Advanced routing – CCNP 1 (T824)
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This module provides the knowledge, understanding and skills to deploy and manage internal and external routing protocols for large scale inter-networks using Cisco equipment.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Business operations: delivering value (T883)
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The module aims to equip managers with the skills to make the business processes in their organisation more effective in meeting the needs of stakeholders.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 FINAL |
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Capacities for managing development (T878) NEW
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This module teaches the conceptual, methodological and evaluative tools and skills that development managers will need working in any sector, anywhere.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Conflict and development (T879) NEW
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Combining theoretical concepts with practical tools, this module explores the causes of conflict, the impact conflicts have on development, and actions that can help mitigate conflicts.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Continuing professional development in education (U810)
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This module allows you to accredit 150 hours prior learning through auditing and assessing the impact of your continuing professional development (CPD) on your work.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Databases in enterprise systems (M888)
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Describes how relational databases can be used to maintain persistent data in software systems.
See full description
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15 |
May 2015 FINAL |
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Data management (M816)
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Discover the data management principles, practices and technologies required to develop policies, procedures and systems that control, protect, deliver and enhance the value of an organisation’s data asset.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Digital forensics (M812)
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This module will help you understand how to conduct investigations to correctly gather, analyse and present digital evidence to both business and legal audiences.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Information security (M811)
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Explore the professional and technical skills necessary to understand, document, manage and implement strategic and operational aspects of your organisation's information security.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Managing for sustainability (T867)
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This module will increase your understanding of delivering and supporting sustainability management in your workplace or support your personal interest in this subject.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Managing systemic change: inquiry, action and interaction (TU812)
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Develop your understanding of systemic inquiry, systemic action research and social learning in order to extend your skills of project, programme and change management.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Multilayer switching – CCNP 3 (T826)
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This module will give you with the knowledge, understanding and skills to deploy reliable, scalable and secure multilayer-switched campus LANs using Cisco equipment.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Network security (T828)
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This module will give you the knowledge,understanding and practical experience of managing a secure communication across a large-scale inter-network using Cisco equipment and attend the compulsory day school.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Optimising networks – CCNP 4 (T827)
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This module will give you the knowledge, understanding and skills to optimise communication on large-scale data networks using Cisco equipment.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Problem solving and improvement: quality and other approaches (T889)
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This module focuses on the practical application and deeper understanding of many of the methods and techniques associated with modern quality management and systems thinking.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Professional practice portfolio (T894)
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This integrative assessment module provides engineering professionals with a framework for development and is an essential element of the Certificate of Nuclear Professionalism (CoNP).
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 FINAL |
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Project management (M815)
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In this online module you’ll explore the whole life cycle of projects, from initiation, through to planning, scheduling, execution, handover and review.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Software development (M813)
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This module gives you the fundamental knowledge, understanding, analysis and synthesis that you need to develop fit-for-purpose software in an organisational context.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
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Software engineering (M814)
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Explore the advanced concepts and techniques used throughout the software life cycle, for the effective production and management of large, complex, and long-lived software systems.
See full description
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30 |
Nov 2015 |
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Thinking strategically: systems tools for managing change (TU811)
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Improve your management skills by exploring different approaches to engaging with complex situations and by developing your understanding of how cognitive processing shapes practice.
See full description
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30 |
May 2015 |
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B821, B822, B823, B824, B890, BZX821, BZX822, BZX823, BZX824, H807, M865, M873, M874, M876, M877, M878, M879, M880, M881, M882, M883, M885, M886, M887, M889, M891, T821, T822, T823, T825, T833, T834, T835, T836, T837, T839, T850, T851, T852, T853, T862, T881, T882, T890
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.
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