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Postgraduate Diploma in Technology Management

This postgraduate diploma will help you manage technology and innovation more effectively and realise its potential benefits – making a real difference to your organisation and your own professional development. You’ll begin by focusing on the operational aspects of managing technological innovation and change, before engaging with a range of capabilities that are key to the development and delivery of technological innovation – applying your learning to your own context as you study. A wide range of optional modules enables you to choose a study pathway that suits your particular interests, including computing and ICT, business and management, development management and environmental management.

Key features of the course

  • Provides an analytical view of strategic issues in technology management.
  • Equips you for senior technology management roles.
  • The opportunity to top up to our MSc in Technology Management in just one more year.

Diploma

Course code
E08
Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
120
How long it takes
Minimum – 2 years
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Find out more in Why the OU?
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements

Find out more about entry requirements.

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Course details

Modules

To gain this qualification, you need 120 credits as follows:

60 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Strategic capabilities for technological innovation (T849)

This module draws on a range of theoretical perspectives from both strategic and innovation management to produce a multi-layered, practical, approach to strategic management of technological innovation.

See full description

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Technology innovation management (TB801) NEW

The module examines innovation from a management perspective, enabling you to develop understanding of how you contribute to the process and management of technological innovation.

See full description

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules T840, T846 and T848

60 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Advance your independent learning (YXM830) NEW

This flexible module guides you through an in-depth exploration of a topic of your choice and enables you to construct a rigorously researched personal answer.

See full description

Register
 30 02 Oct 2021
Contemporary issues in organisations (BB853) PLANNED 15 01 Nov 2021
Continuing professional development in education (U810)

This module allows you to evaluate and assess 150 hours prior learning and identify and progress appropriate development opportunities for future continuing professional development. 

See full description

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Creating and sustaining value (B872)

Critically explore the ways organisations create, sustain and expand value in an increasingly complex and dynamic business environment.

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Register
 30 01 May 2021
Data management (M816)

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.

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Register
 30 01 Nov 2021
Digital forensics (M812)

M812 covers the history of forensics, both criminal and criminal digital law, digital investigation techniques for desktop and mobile devices as well as forensic readiness.

See full description

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Entrepreneurship in context (BB851)

This module will equip you with an entrepreneurial mindset and help you learn about entrepreneurship as well as different forms of entrepreneurial practice.

See full description

Register
 15 06 Nov 2021 ​
Information security (M811)

Explore the professional and technical skills necessary to understand, document, manage and implement strategic and operational aspects of your organisation's information security.

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Register
 30 01 Nov 2021
Leadership and management of public services (BB852) NEW

In this elective module you’ll study the many dimensions of managing public services, which may be public, private for-profit or not-for profit.

See full description

Register
 15 01 May 2021
Making environmental decisions (T891)

T891 ‘Making Environmental Decisions’ teaches you to use a systems framework to integrate environment with other considerations when making decisions in complex environmental management situations.

See full description

Register
 30 01 Nov 2021
Making strategy with systems thinking in practice (TB871)

TB871 builds capability for making strategy within your own chosen area of (professional) practice using ideas and tools from five traditions of systems thinking.

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Register
 30 01 May 2021
Managing change with systems thinking in practice (TB872)

This module is about effecting whole-system change. Rather than passively accepting change, this module will equip you with skills to shape the nature and direction of change.

See full description

Register
 30 01 Nov 2021
Managing for sustainability (T867)

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

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Managing in a changing world (B870)

This module will encourage you to develop, as well as challenge, your current knowledge and skills in order to deal with contemporary and rapidly changing areas of management and marketing.

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Register
 30 01 May 2021
Manufacture materials design (T805)

Introducing materials processing from the perspective of a design engineer, this module explores how to make components, focusing on the interactions between manufacturing, materials and design.

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Register
 30 01 May 2021
Network security (T828)

T828 presents the opportunity to jointly study the Cisco CCNA Security and Cyber Security Operations. You will explore information systems security management and secure internetworked systems.

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Register
 30 01 Nov 2021
Project management (M815)

Postgraduate module for aspiring project managers and practicing project managers who wish to develop their knowledge and skills of managing technological projects. APM accredited.

See full description

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Software development (M813)

Gain the fundamental knowledge and understanding, and analysis and synthesis skills that you will need to develop software artefacts fit for a real-world organisational context.

See full description

Register
 30 01 May 2021
Software engineering (M814)

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

Register
 30 01 Nov 2021
Sustainable creative management (BB842)

This module explores creative, innovative and sustainable ways of developing and managing organisations and offers practical approaches for developing yourself, your team and your organisation.

See full description

Register
 15 01 May 2021
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B716, BXFT716, B821, B822, B823, B824, BB844, BB845, BB846, BB847, BB848, BZX821, BZX822, BZX823, BZX824, H807, M865, M873, M876, M877, M879, M881, M882, M883, M885, M886, M887, M888, M889, M891, T822, T823, T824, T825, T826, T834, T835, T837, T839, T850, T851, T852, T853, T862, T878, T879, T881, T882, T883, T889, T890, TM893, TU811 and TU812.

The University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that we’ve previously awarded to you.

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 17 March 2020.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

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.

Credit transfer

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 Diploma in Technology Management entitling you to use the letters PGD TM (Open) after your name. 

You may continue your studies and add a further 60 credits to your postgraduate diploma to gain an MSc in Technology Management (F36).

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements to study this qualification.

However, we do recommend that you have:

  • a UK bachelors degree (or equivalent), and/or
  • management experience in a field relevant to technology management.

If you don’t have a bachelors degree, irrespective of your management experience, we recommend you first study the module Technology innovation management (TB801) on its own.

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.

Our badged open course, Succeeding in postgraduate study, will introduce you to the nature of Master's level study. It offers essential preparation for pursuing your learning at this level – and is free.

How long it takes

The minimum time to complete is 2 years. The maximum time to complete is 8 years.

Career relevance

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.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.