Graduate Certificate
The Graduate Certificate in Co-operatives Management and Organisation is the only program of its kind in Australia. Co-operatives, mutuals and member owned businesses (CMEs) have unique legal and economic characteristics that are much needed but have been neglected in the mainstream business and law curriculum.
A qualification in this field will provide you with an advantage if you are interested in pursuing a career in the member-owned (co-operatives and mutuals) and 'for purpose' (co-operatives and social enterprise) sectors.
The program will help you to understand the origins, principles and values, strengths and weaknesses of the co-operative business model. You will explore how this business model fits in relation to the sharing economy, and how it offers innovative solutions to solving economic, social and environmental challenges. You will:
Each course is designed to provide you with the tools and resources you need to gain a theoretical and practical understanding of how alternative business models operate and how they differ from investor owned business. The courses make use of international and Australian case studies as well as open access tools to guide you through the process of starting up and managing member-owned and 'for purpose' enterprises. You will learn to understand the significance of these alternative models in the expanding sharing economy and how they provide sustainable outcomes by focusing on members, community and the environment.
Non-award admission
For all courses in the Graduate Certificate in Co-operatives Management and Organisation, you can apply for non-award admission. You can study one or more of these courses without advancing to an award, such as a degree or graduate certificate. You can apply for non-award admission as preliminary work for a higher degree, for professional requirements, or because of an interest in the area. Read more information on non-award admission, and see the non-award application form to apply online.
The co-operative, mutual and member-owned enterprises (CME) sector is much larger than you might think and it continues to grow both in Australia and worldwide. There are almost 3 million co-ops worldwide with more than 1.2 billion members, employing near 10% of the world's population. The largest memberships are currently in India (242 million), China (160 million) and the USA (120 million), however co-operatives and mutuals have a long history throughout Europe. Australia, has more than 2,135 CMEs, with 85% of Australian adults being a CME member.
Cooperatives and mutuals have shown strong resilience in the recent global financial crisis, and even under the current tight Australian economy the latest National Mutual Economy Report (BCCM 2017) report that Australia's top 100 CMEs increased their annual turnover by 6.6%, and annual growth in assets were up 10.5%.
Want to learn more? The 2017 National Mutual Economy report gives a video overview of the performance of the Co-operatives and Mutual Enterprises sector in Australia.
If you are looking to pursue a career in a sector that cares more about people than profit, the Graduate Certificate in Co-operatives Management and Organisation will give you the competitive edge you need. Perhaps you are interested in helping others to understand that there are alternative ways of doing business. In both instances, you will be better equipped to do so when you graduate with a deeper understanding of co-operative principles and values new and innovative co-operative solutions with relevance in a rapidly evolving global sharing economy.
This program will enable you to leverage your existing professional experience with enhanced skills to boost your career. The knowledge you acquire will increase your business value and equip you for a managerial role within a co-operative or other social enterprise or as a specialist adviser to this sector in a mainstream accounting, financial or legal organisation. It is truly exciting to be a co-operator in the sharing economy.