University of California, Davis

Systems Thinking: The Place for Systems Thinking

University of California, Davis

Systems Thinking: The Place for Systems Thinking

Seth Frey

Instructor: Seth Frey

Included with Coursera PlusLearn more

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Identify when systems thinking is appropriate for complex challenges in work and organizational life.

  • Recognize how paradigms, blind spots, and your actions shape problems that resist simple solutions.

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Recently updated!

September 2026

Assessments

6 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 3 modules in this course

Explore the foundations of systems thinking and how it can help you better understand complex, interconnected challenges. You’ll examine different types of thinking, learn what distinguishes a systems approach, and recognize when systems thinking is, and is not, the right tool for a problem.

What's included

8 videos2 readings2 assignments

Explore how paradigms, the often-unseen frameworks that shape how we interpret the world, influence what people notice, assume, and define as a problem. You’ll examine how blind spots can lead you toward the wrong problem and learn to distinguish between solving a problem poorly and effectively solving the wrong problem.

What's included

5 videos1 reading2 assignments

Some problems cannot be solved once and for all. Explore the characteristics of wicked problems and how mistaking the larger system for the problem can lead interventions astray. You’ll examine a complex problem from your personal or professional life and consider how your own perspective and actions may contribute to the dynamics that sustain it.

What's included

5 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt

Instructor

Seth Frey
University of California, Davis
5 Courses6,651 learners

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