Diploma of Automotive Management

The Diploma of Automotive Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to run the business side of an automotive workshop, dealership or service operation. You study the mix of technical and commercial knowledge that keeps a shop profitable: how to manage a service department, quote and cost repair jobs, buy parts and control stock, supervise staff, and deal with customers and suppliers. Class work is built around Australian workplace practice, so you look at the same record-keeping, warranty, safety and consumer obligations that apply in real businesses.

How the qualification is structured

As a diploma, this sits at the vocational end of the Australian Qualifications Framework, one step below a bachelor degree. It is normally delivered over two or three study periods across the year rather than the two semesters a university degree follows. You complete a set of units of study, each worth credit points, and you need to pass all required units to graduate. Delivery often mixes classroom or online theory with practical sessions in a workshop or simulated service environment, and some providers arrange a work placement so you spend time in an actual automotive business. Check the official course page for the exact unit list, study periods and any placement requirement.

What you actually learn

You come out knowing how to prepare estimates and invoices, interpret financial reports for a workshop, manage a parts inventory, roster and lead a small team, and apply workplace health and safety and environmental rules. Customer service and complaint handling get real attention because they drive repeat business. You also build the paperwork skills that let you keep accurate service records and meet legal and warranty requirements. These are the day-to-day skills a service manager, parts manager or workshop owner uses.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people already working in the automotive trade who want to move into supervision or management, and career changers who want a business role in the industry without doing a full degree. It also works as a pathway qualification, with credit often available towards a bachelor degree in business or management, subject to the receiving institution's rules. International students should note the standard English requirement for a course at this level is IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall, or an accepted equivalent such as TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or Cambridge C1 Advanced, and that the Department of Home Affairs sets its own separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 095067F. Confirm all details, including fees, intakes and English requirements, on the official page before you apply.

• Service manager or assistant service manager in a dealership or independent workshop
• Parts and inventory manager
• Workshop supervisor or team leader
• Automotive service adviser
• Fleet maintenance coordinator
• Small business owner or operator in the automotive repair and service industry
• Warranty and claims administrator
• Employers include new-car dealerships, franchise service centres, independent repair shops, fleet operators, parts wholesalers and automotive retail groups across Australia