Diploma of Business

The Diploma of Business is a one-year qualification for people who want a grounding in how organisations run, how they plan, manage money, deal with customers and staff, and keep records straight. You study the basics of business administration: management principles, marketing, accounting and budgeting, business communication, and the legal and ethical rules that apply to Australian organisations. Assessment is a mix of assignments, case studies, group work and exams. The course is delivered by the Australian Health and Management Institute, and the official course record sits on the CRICOS register under code 119185J.

Australian diplomas are nested qualifications. A diploma usually takes one year of full-time study and is made up of units of study, each carrying credit points. You need to pass the required units and accumulate the set number of credit points to graduate. Because diplomas sit below bachelor degrees on the Australian Qualifications Framework, many institutions give credit towards a bachelor degree for completed diploma units, check the receiving institution's credit policy before you enrol. Some diplomas include a work placement or industry project; where that applies, it is arranged through the provider and you should confirm the details on the official course page.

What you actually learn: how to read a profit and loss statement, how to write a business report that a manager will act on, how to research a market, how to handle a customer complaint within policy, and how to work in a team on a project with a deadline. Those skills transfer across industries, health administration, retail, logistics, professional services, government. If you continue to a bachelor degree, the diploma can shorten your study, subject to credit approval.

The course suits school leavers who want a practical start before committing to a degree, people already working in an office who want a formal qualification, and international students who want an Australian qualification in a year. International applicants need to meet the English requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the provider's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a Student visa holder can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, confirm the current amount, intake dates and unit list on the official page.

Graduates typically move into entry-level roles in administration and business support. Common job titles include:

• Administration officer
• Business support officer
• Accounts clerk or accounts payable officer
• Customer service officer
• Office coordinator
• Team leader in a small business
• Sales support officer

Industries that hire diploma-level business graduates in Australia include health administration (hospitals, clinics, aged care and disability services), retail and wholesale, transport and logistics, professional services firms, local government, and not-for-profit organisations. Some graduates use the diploma as a pathway into a bachelor degree in business, commerce or health management, with credit for completed units where the receiving institution approves it.