Graduate Certificate in Service Design

Upon completion of this program, students should be able to:

1. Utilise design research methods to identify and investigate contemporary service problems
2. Apply skills and knowledge of service design practices and strategy to engage stakeholders, frame problems, and propose innovative solutions
3. Articulate your design solutions using various tools such as customer journey maps, service blueprints and service prototypes
4. Work autonomously and collaborate with others in diverse contexts, demonstrating cultural, environmental and social awareness, and ethical and reflective practice
5. Identify the next steps to develop your professional skills and future learning as a design practitioner

Transform your career with the service and strategic design skills, knowledge, and tools to deliver exceptional human-centred experiences.

Recommended study pattern

We recommend that you complete Service Futures as your last capstone course as part of this program. The recommended study order is:

• Service Design in Practice
• Design Strategy, Practice, and Principles
• Service Design Research
• Service Futures

Award requirements

Completion of 4 courses as outlined in the recommended study pattern.

Choose your subjects

Majors

Service Design in Practice

Examine the practice and principles of service design and investigate how human-centred design tools and approaches can define problems and improve the quality of a service.

• Articulate how service design supports activities in a range of fields, including corporate, social and public sectors
• Apply a range of design processes and principles such as thinking in critical, systemic and holistic ways to analyse complex systems and issues
• Critically reflect on the role of a designer within human-centred approaches to service design
• Evaluate service design solutions from real-world contexts and propose solutions

Design Strategy, Practice, and Principles

This course examines the strategies powering the successful delivery of a service experience. Apply tools, methods, and processes to help align design practices with an organisation’s strategy.

• Identify current and emerging service approaches in organisational strategy
• Articulate and apply strategic design knowledge and principles to solve organisational problems
• Critically evaluate the efficacy of strategic design and propose alternatives

Service Design Research

Through this course, you’ll perform case study analysis, fieldwork, observation and reflection to develop insights into how you can improve a service experience.

• Implement design research tools and methods to define a service problem within a human-centred design framework
• Evaluate and apply design research tools and methods in diverse contexts
• Synthesise results gathered from the design research process
• Communicate insights, risks, and opportunities for your design solution

Service Futures

The Service Futures course will teach you how to synthesise design processes and produce an end-to-end service prototype. Through idea generation and iterative design, develop a solution that you’ll reflect and measure the success of.

• Identify opportunities for the application of human-centred design approaches to service problems
• Critically evaluate and apply judgement in the use of design methods and tools
• Articulate a professional design proposition which demonstrates a process of reflective practice
• Collaborate constructively within a multi-disciplinary professional setting

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $14,880

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.

One of Australia's largest dual-sector institutes, offering both TAFE and higher education, RMIT University proudly delivers work-related education and practical research relevant to current business and community needs. More than 96,000 students study with RMIT, and many of their degrees are available through Open Universities Australia.

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QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

10

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

16

An Australian bachelor degree or equivalent, or higher level qualification from a recognised tertiary institution.

You may also be considered for the graduate certificate if you have work experience or skills required in service design and delivery. These include any public-facing interfaces such as but not limited to retail, corporate, government, welfare, not-for-profit or cultural organisations.

This experience may include creative practice, community engagement, consultancy, transport, customer experience, process analysis, innovation and start-ups, human resources, organisational strategy and design or similar roles. Applicants will need to submit a statement that details their experience alongside a CV.

International students are required to provide current evidence of English language proficiency for admission to RMIT University. You can provide your results from one of these three options:

• An accepted English language proficiency test, or
• An accepted English language provider, or
• A recognised Australian or international qualification.

For detailed information on English language requirements and other proficiency tests recognised by RMIT, visit the English language requirements and equivalency information.

Australian Student Visas

RMIT’s Online Graduate Certificate in Service Design does not meet Australian student visa requirements. For an Australian student visa, you must have an on-campus place in a program of study. For more details on RMIT’s on-campus programs visit rmit.edu.au.

Students may be eligible for credit. Exemptions from this program will be assessed consistent with the principles of the RMIT Credit Policy.