About the Course
Lead the shift to a circular economy and turn thought into action.
Our Circular Economy Innovation Postgraduate Certificate will develop your understanding of circular economy principles and provide you with a framework to implement within your organisation and align with UN climate goals.
The circular economy, a production and consumption system designed to minimise our use of natural resources and regenerate natural systems, is becoming essential for contemporary organisational management. This innovative Postgraduate Certificate will provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to understand how businesses can transition to a circular economy, identify circular opportunities, and lead circular change.
Cardiff School of Management’s Circular Economy Innovation Communities (CEIC) team is recognised for its thought leadership on circular economy innovation. Our award-winning delivery team will introduce you to the latest circular economy thinking and our novel experiential learning approach will provide you with the creative problem-solving mindset that enables you to turn thought into action.
Your learning experience will be enhanced through guest lectures, seminars and events, delivered by leading experts with experience of delivering circular economy change in different contexts.
The Circular Economy Innovation Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded on the successful completion of 60 credits: 40 credits of compulsory taught modules and a project module (20 credits).
Compulsory taught modules (20 credits each):
- The Circular Economy (20 credits)
- Circular Innovation (20 credits)
- Strategic Growth Project (20 credits)
Our teaching team will bring their expert knowledge and industry experience in sustainable and circular innovation to enhance your high-quality and flexible learning experience at Cardiff School of Management. You will learn through a combination of our award-winning experiential learning approach and traditional teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, case studies and groupwork. Monthly workshops are held over an 8-month period.
You’ll benefit from the opportunity to take part in field trips to businesses implementing circular economy strategies, and a programme of guest speakers bringing real-world experience from a range of business sectors and sizes. You’ll also undertake project work that focuses on planning, implementing or reflecting on circular economy change.
As a postgraduate student, you will be encouraged to take more responsibility for your own learning and evaluate your own learning needs to become an active and independent learner.
Your programme leader is Dr Gary Walpole, Director of Circular Economy Innovation Communities, a network of private, public and third sector organisations undertaking circular innovation across South Wales. Gary is a renowned leadership and management academic and a co-director of the Regional Innovation and Regeneration Centre.
Our Circular Economy Innovation Postgraduate Certificate is assessed through a combination of essays, project presentations, organisation audits, implementation reports, and reflective portfolios. You will receive formative feedback as you develop your final assessment that will highlight areas of strength and points for improvement.
Employability
On completing this Postgraduate Certificate, you will become part of a very small and highly in-demand community of people qualified to lead circular economy change. You will have access to the delivery team’s strong network of practitioners who are engaged in circular economy activity in the public, private and third sector.
Careers
Our Postgraduate Certificate opens doors to a wide range of exciting career paths in any of the following areas:
- Business development and strategy
- Management and consulting
- Change management
- Sustainability management
- Policy development and implementation
Applicants should meet one of the following:
- Possess, or expect to obtain, a minimum of a second-class lower division (UK 2:2 classification) degree from a recognised university.
OR
- Have a minimum of five years relevant management experience.
OR
- Hold a professional or other qualification which is deemed acceptable for admission.
- Be in employment or volunteering in an organisation that would support the development of the strategic growth project.
International Applicants
Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of fluency to at least an IELTS 6.0 standard or equivalent. For full details about how to apply and English Language qualifications please visit the International pages.
There are quality assurance measures taken at programme, school and institutional level to ensure standards are consistently met.
Recognising Prior Learning
Have you completed one of the following Circular Economy Innovation Communities (CEIC) programmes? If so, you could already have 20 credits towards our Postgraduate Certificate:
- Circular Economy Innovation Communities
- Foundational Economy Innovation Network
- Clean Growth
Have you completed Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre (CLEC)’s Sustainable Leadership Programme? If so, you could already have 20 credits towards our Postgraduate Certificate.
Find out more on our Recognising Prior Learning page.
How to Apply
Applications for this course should be made direct to the University via our self-service facility. For further information please visit our How to Apply pages.
For general enquiries, please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6010 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
For course specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Director, Dr Gary Walpole:
- Email: gwalpole@cardiffmet.ac.uk
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School
Cardiff School of Management
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Starting
June 2026
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Duration
1 year with 8 months of monthly workshops
We endeavour to deliver courses as described and will not normally make changes to courses, such as course title, content, delivery, and teaching provision. However, it may be necessary for the University to make changes in the course provision before or after enrolment. It reserves the right to make variations to content or delivery methods, including discontinuation or merging courses if such action is considered necessary. For the full information, please read our Terms and Conditions.