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Microcredential

Futures Thinking

$2,926.00

START DATE

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MODE

Online

DURATION

6 wks

COMMITMENT

10 hrs/wk

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What kinds of futures might be possible if we could creatively engage with uncertainty, action long-term reflexive thinking, question ‘business as usual’ and ignite our imagination? This microcredential equips you with futures-thinking capabilities to understand complex patterns of change and tools for questioning assumptions. You will strengthen your capacity to imagine and articulate future landscapes of professional fields, sectors and society and catalyse pathways to desirable futures.

About this microcredential

During this microcredential you will experiment with different futures-thinking methods. You will undertake self-paced online study to examine futures thinking cases that traverse disciplines, industries and sectors. You will critically analyse and apply conceptual frameworks and theoretical approaches that will inform your professional practice and generate insights about future developments within your fields. In doing so, you will gain advanced knowledge of transdisciplinary innovation concepts and approaches.

Live online sessions (via Zoom) will immerse participants in interactive learning with professional colleagues and academic researchers, including a live feedback session and hands on engagement with concepts, frameworks, and methods. You can use these opportunities to review and adjust your study plan in consultation with tutors and deepen your inquiry as you work towards ensuring continued relevance for your professional practice.

Key benefits of this microcredential

This microcredential has been designed to ensure you:

  • Build capabilities and confidence in applying futures thinking methods and practices in your own contexts
  • Gain knowledge on the different theoretical approaches that underpin different practices and orientations to futures thinking and a deeper understanding of how the transdisciplinary fields of foresight and futures studies has evolved
  • Explore provocative case studies about applied futures-thinking to gain insights into ways to catalyse equitable, just, and responsible transformation
  • Develop your long-term thinking and reflexivity, including capacity to question assumptions and imagine alternatives, to enhance transformation across organisations and sectors
  • Connect with a network of thinkers and catalysers motivated to transform practices to create preferable futures
  • Understand ways to support futures thinking capabilities within your ecosystems, including participatory approaches for ensuring meaningful impact and communicating the value these approaches and insights.

This microcredential aligns with the 3-credit point subject, Futures (94704) in the Master of Creative Intelligence and Strategic Innovation. This microcredential may qualify for recognition of prior learning at this and other institutions.  

Price

Full price: $2,926 (GST-free)*

Special price: $2,672 (GST-free)*

*Price subject to change. Please check price at time of purchase. 

Discounts are available for this course. For further details and to verify if you qualify, please check the Discounts section under Additional course information

Who should do this microcredential?

This microcredential is suitable for professionals looking to enhance or consolidate their skills in futures-thinking. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Professionals seeking to expand their futures-thinking capabilities and progress in their career
  • Changemakers working in or across different fields or sectors
  • Strategy roles
  • Entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs
  • Researchers and academics
  • Policy-makers
  • Innovation focused roles
  • Futurists
  • Change Director/Lead/Manager.

Enrolment conditions

Course purchase is subject to UTS Open Terms and Conditions. 

COVID-19 response 

UTS complies with latest Government health advice. Delivery of all courses complies with the UTS response to COVID-19.

Additional course information

Course outline

Futures-thinking consists of six, weekly, two-hour interactive online-facilitator-led sessions, with UTS TD School’s, award-winning educator Dr Susanne Pratt.

The microcredential will cover:

How to use futures-thinking to question assumptions, inspire the imagination, drive strategic action, and catalyse change.  This futures-thinking journey will explore:

  • The value of a futures-orientation, including perspectives on time
  • The art of noticing and sensing patterns of change over time
  • Challenging assumptions and integrating different perspectives on possible, probable, preferable, and preposterous futures
  • Using creative approaches to ignite imagination, ask ‘what if?’ and invite people to be open to alternatives,
  • Considering strategy and implications, including experimental adaptive pathways towards preferable futures
  • Sharing and scaling futures thinking to enhance your foresight capability.

Course delivery

This course will blend online workshops, experiments, interactive tools, discussion boards and a suite of curated resources.

Over the six weeks of the course, participants can expect a time commitment of approximately 10 hours per week, consisting of:

  • 2 hours of an online face-to-face workshop
  • 2-3 hours online-module exploration and activities
  • 2-3 hours per week reading and reflection
  • 2-3 hours per week assessments.

You will be working with a dedicated award-winning educator who will support your learning and engagement online. Teaching resources have been designed by a lead academic and a team of experts from the Transdisciplinary School, UTS, with input and case-studies from global foresight experts.

Assessment

Participants will be assessed across the following two tasks during the course:

  • Task 1: Future paradigms - individually assessed (30%)
  • Task 2: Futures worth wanting: alternatives and avenues for action - individually assessed (70%)

To complete this course a pass is required in both assessments.

Please note:  There may be assessments due in the week after the last session.  

Requirements

Mandatory

To complete this online course, you will need a personal computer with adequate internet access and sufficient software and bandwidth to support web conferencing. You will also require an operating system with a web browser compatible with Canvas and Zoom

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Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

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