Graduate Certificate in Catholic Leadership
PostgraduateUND-CLS-GCE2025
Contemporary leadership with dignity and compassion
A postgraduate leadership program for professionals working in the Catholic sector. Study leadership and management principles through the lens of Catholic faith and values. Explore how your leadership can make an impact on the common good.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 6 July 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Graduate Certificate in Catholic Leadership
About this degree
On completion of this program students should be able to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Critically apply their knowledge, understanding and practice of the Catholic faith tradition to the leadership and management of service-oriented Catholic organisations;
- Analyse the theoretical principles of contemporary leadership and management concepts related to the practical roles of leadership and management within service-oriented Catholic organisations;
- Integrate their theoretical and practical understanding of contemporary change management concepts to organisational transformation within the context of service-oriented Catholic organisations;
- Apply leadership and management practices to enable the effective functioning of service-oriented Catholic organisations.
The Graduate Certificate in Catholic Leadership is designed for leaders and aspiring leaders in Catholic organisations to provide grounding in leadership and management principles rooted in the Gospel mission and Catholic social teaching. Students are introduced to the best current leadership and management scholarship from the Catholic intellectual tradition. Students also learn means for achieving organisational transformation while adhering to values associated with the dignity of the human person and the common good. The course also provides an opportunity to link theory to practice via an action learning project that can be undertaken in a student’s workplace or in a placement at another Catholic organisation.
Recommended study pattern
To be eligible for the award of Graduate Certificate in Catholic Leadership students must complete a minimum of 100 Units of Credit chosen from the four (4) [compulsory] Courses listed below;
- BUSN5001 Catholic Mission & Identity
- BUSN5002 Leadership & Management in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition
- BUSN5003 Leading Change in a Catholic Context
- PHIL6020 Ethical Issues in Professional Life OR ARTS6001 Professional Project
Award requirements
To be eligible for the award of Graduate Certificate in Catholic Leadership students must complete a minimum of 100 Units of Credit chosen from four (4) [compulsory] subjects listed in the Recommended Study Pattern.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $17,233
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
The University of Notre Dame Australia is committed to delivering an excellent student experience, alongside a high standard of teaching, research, and training. As a leader in ethical education, Notre Dame aims to develop students’ critical reasoning and their ability to make ethical decisions—crucial skills to progressing their careers and leading purposeful lives. At Notre Dame, students navigate their future with an ethical education online.
Learn more about UNDA.
Explore UNDA courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 38
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 38
Entry requirements
To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Catholic Leadership applicants must meet the following specific requirements:
• Recognised undergraduate degree (or equivalent qualification) plus a minimum of three years’ experience in managerial and/or supervisory roles.
• Where the applicant does not meet the criteria above, Notre Dame may approve admission to this program if satisfied that the applicant has sufficient background and/or experience in management/supervision; and
• The applicant has the skills necessary to complete postgraduate studies
Defined as the successful completion of secondary education or a Bachelor’s degree in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada or the Republic of Ireland.
Education students who have English as an Additional language and are admitted on the basis of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment, or an equivalent English language proficiency assessment, are only admitted if they have attained n overall IELTS (or equivalent) score of 7.5 (with no score below 8.0 in speaking and listening, and no score lower than 7.0 reading and writing.
All English language tests are valid for two years from the date of completion.
Applications for Advanced Standing and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be considered and reviewed on a case by case basis by UNDA's Student Administration.
Career opportunities
Professionals working within the Catholic sector.
Professional recognition
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
| Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives and Managing Directors | N/A^ | Up 10.8% |
| Corporate General Managers | N/A^ | N/A^ |
| General Managers | N/A^ | Up 59.7% |
| Management Consultants | N/A^ | N/A^ |
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Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
How do I know if I‘m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.