CIPS Graduate Diploma
The Graduate Diploma is CIPS’ Level 6 qualification; when you complete it, you will become a Full Member (of CIPS – MCIPS. It’s intended for people who have previously worked in the supply chain in a largely front-line managerial or specialist role and have the Advanced Diploma or its equivalent.
By the time you have finished the Graduate Diploma, your supply chain knowledge and skills should allow you to:
- critically review, consolidate and extend a systematic and coherent body of knowledge,
- use highly specialised technical or academic skills across an area of study,
- research effectively, critically evaluating new information, concepts and evidence from a range of sources,
- transfer and apply diagnostic and creative skills in a range of situations,
- show appropriate judgement in a number of complex planning, design, technical and/or management functions related to products, services, operations or processes including resourcing,
- accept accountability for determining and achieving personal and/or group outcomes, and
- begin to lead multiple, complex and heterogeneous groups.
If you don't think this is the right qualification for you, try Certificate or Foundation Diploma or Advanced Diploma.
Study programme
There are five units in the Graduate Diploma. Three are compulsory and you choose the other two from a list of options.
You can study them in any order except that Supply Chain Management in Practice must be the last compulsory that you do. It is what CIPS call an “integrative unit”; it is where you show that you can bring your studies of the level together.
The three compulsory units are:
Leading and Influencing in Purchasing (Course 280)
This unit aims to develop your leadership skills and enable you to lead, influence and provide direction to stakeholders within the supply chain. The unit is at a strategic level. You will see how to lead in your defined area or part of the organisation and will be expected to motivate and support supply chain members and stakeholders in achieving objectives and success. You will be expected to lead in a variety of situations and contexts to ensure the balance of power required to achieve success, taking into account change, adversity, and conflict.
Strategic Supply Chain Management (Course 281)
The supply chain manager is responsible for specific activities and processes which can contribute to achieving corporate strategic goals. This unit provides you with an understanding of strategic aspects of supply chain management. You will analyse the supply chain to identify where value is added within it, identifying where and how strategic competitive advantage can be achieved. You will look at the broader needs and aims of the organisation in terms of its development, including approaches such as new product and service development, offering innovative ideas, diversification and differentiation strategies.
Supply Chain Management in Practice
This unit brings together all of the other learning which you will have done at the Graduate Diploma level with that in the Advanced Diploma compulsory units. It enables you to gain a wider understanding of supply chain issues by examining how a range of concepts and principles can be applied to real-world problems and situations in order to improve best practice. You will achieve a deeper understanding of supply chain theory and practice by examining how particular theories offer advantages over others in given situations. There are two versions of the unit, and you must pick one.
Case Study (Course 282)
In this version of Supply Chain Management in Practice, you will receive a case study brief for analysis four weeks before a conventional three hour exam. The exam questions are set on the case and are all compulsory.
Project (Course 286)
This version requires you to write a 6000 word project over a twelve month period on an appropriate topic which is relevant to your workplace. For preference, it should be a topic closely related to a major issue at your workplace and describe the application of higher level supply chain theory and practice to that issue.
The options
It can be helpful to save studying the options until last. Choose two from:
Advanced Project Management (Course 283)
Projects can range from construction to refurbishment of premises, introduction of new information technology systems to outsourcing/offshoring of work previously tackled in-house, and redesign or re-engineering of products, services and processes. Project management is concerned with achieving objectives relating to quality, cost and time. Supply chain specialists have a high degree of involvement in developing the procurement strategy for contracts with suppliers, and with the operational activities of monitoring and administering supplier performance. At the same time projects should align and contribute to the overall strategic objectives of the organisation.
This unit will help you develop a knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques vital to the leadership and commercial management of projects, with a particular emphasis on the role of the purchasing and supply chain professional.
Finance for Purchasers (Course 284)
This unit provides an understanding of strategic aspects of finance in relation to the decision-making process and the detailed analysis necessary to deliver effective procurement. It is a guide to finance that enables you to identify the where, what, how, and when that a professional purchaser needs, in order to use and interpret the key financial models and tools required to deliver robust and sustainable procurement solutions.
You will be able to propose both established and innovative models, tools and techniques which will allow key stakeholders to use opportunities, and to grow and expand a business through new supply arrangements, channels to market, diversification, outsourcing and differentiation strategies. You will also gain an appreciation of accounting terms and the accounting profession which will improve the way in which you work with your accounting colleagues.
Legal Aspects in Purchasing and Supply (Course 285)
This unit familiarises you with the law that regulates the purchasing function. The purchasing and supply professional needs to understand where legal issues may impact on the organisation and when to take action to avoid risk. They should also be able to recognise situations when the appropriate action would be to seek legal expertise.
The unit covers an essential overview of different legal issues with particular emphasis on contractual issues and sale of goods legislation. Other areas include the legal aspects of outsourcing, competition law, intellectual property law, electronic trading and international trade.
