Diploma of Accounting

The Diploma of Accounting is a one-year qualification for people who want to work in bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, or junior accounting roles, or who want a pathway into further study. You learn how to prepare financial reports and statements, process journals and ledgers, complete Business Activity Statements and Instalment Activity Statements, manage payroll, and use accounting software. The course also covers budgeting, financial forecasting, and the compliance side of the job, the rules and standards that sit behind the numbers.

How the course is structured

Australian diplomas are made up of units of study, each worth credit points. You complete a set number of core units and a number of electives, and you need to pass all of them to graduate. At many providers you can study full time or part time, and some offer the diploma over two or three study periods across the year rather than two semesters. Assessment is usually a mix of tests, practical tasks in accounting software, and written assignments. There is no research thesis at this level, that starts at honours and above. Some providers build in a work placement or a simulated office project, which is where you get to do the job rather than just read about it.

What you actually learn

By the end you should be able to keep a set of books, reconcile accounts, prepare a BAS, run a payroll, and produce reports that a business owner or manager can act on. You also pick up the habits that matter in an accounting office: checking your own work, meeting deadlines, and explaining figures to people who are not accountants. The diploma sits at AQF level 5, below a bachelor degree. If you want to go further, it can give you credit towards a bachelor degree in accounting at some institutions, which shortens the degree. Confirm the credit arrangements with the receiving institution before you enrol.

Who it suits

This suits school leavers who want a practical qualification before committing to a degree, people already working in an office who want formal recognition of what they do, and career changers who want to move into accounts. International students should check the English requirement for their provider. The common standard for undergraduate and coursework postgraduate courses is IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, with higher scores for teaching, nursing, medicine, law and social work. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the provider's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so you need to meet both. While studying, a Student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, which is enough to pick up part-time bookkeeping or office work. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances. Check the official course page and the CRICOS register for the current structure, fees and start dates.

• Accounts clerk or assistant accountant in small and medium businesses, accounting firms and bookkeeping practices
• Accounts payable or accounts receivable officer in retail, construction, hospitality, health and professional services
• Payroll officer in organisations with weekly or fortnightly payroll runs
• Bookkeeper, including self-employed work for small business clients
• BAS agent support role in a registered tax agent's office
• Assistant in a chartered accounting or business services firm
• Credit control or collections officer
• Pathway into a bachelor degree in accounting with credit for prior study, then roles such as financial accountant, management accountant, auditor or tax accountant