Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a practical qualification for people who want to work in hotels, restaurants, clubs, events and catering. It covers the day-to-day running of a hospitality business: rostering staff, controlling stock, managing budgets, planning menus, and keeping customers happy. You also learn the compliance side that Australian venues live with every day, from food safety and liquor licensing to workplace health and safety.

At the Australian Institute of Business and Trade, the diploma runs for 1.5 years. Australian vocational qualifications are built from units of competency, and each unit carries credit points. You study them across trimesters, with a mix of classroom learning and assessment tasks that mirror real venue work. Because hospitality is a hands-on field, your training includes practical service and operational tasks, and may involve a work placement where you apply your skills in a real commercial kitchen, restaurant or front desk. Always check the official course page for the exact unit list, placement hours and trimester structure.

You finish with skills employers ask for: leading a team, handling complaints, managing revenue and costs, and organising functions. The diploma sits at AQF level 5, so it is more applied than a degree and shorter than a bachelor. If you later want to continue studying, many Australian institutions give credit towards a bachelor degree for completed diploma units.

This course suits school leavers who want a fast route into supervisory work, career changers who like the pace of hospitality, and staff already in the industry who need formal management credentials. It also gives international students a pathway to work in Australia while studying, with the right to work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. After graduating, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia. Confirm visa rules with the Department of Home Affairs and course details with the institute.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in hotels, motels and resorts
• Restaurant or café manager
• Front office supervisor
• Food and beverage supervisor
• Events and functions coordinator
• Banquet or catering supervisor
• Bar or gaming venue supervisor
• Kitchen manager or head chef in smaller venues

These roles are found across Australia's accommodation, food service, pubs, clubs, catering and events industries. Employers include hotel groups, restaurant chains, independent venues, function centres and contract caterers.