Diploma of Business (Accounting)

The Diploma of Business (Accounting) is a one-year qualification at the diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework. It sits below a bachelor degree and is often used as a pathway into one, or as a standalone credential for people who want accounting and business skills without committing to three years of study. At the International College of Management, Sydney, and its related providers, Aspire English, Aspire Institute and the International Sport College of Australia, the diploma is delivered across trimesters rather than the two-semester pattern many universities use, which means you typically study three study periods in the year. You complete a set number of units of study, each carrying credit points, and the total credit points for the diploma is what determines your full-time load.

What you actually study

The accounting core covers the basics any bookkeeper or assistant accountant needs: how to record transactions, prepare and interpret financial statements, work with ledgers and reconciliations, and apply accounting software. Around that sit business subjects, an introduction to management, marketing fundamentals, business law and economics, and the communication and spreadsheet skills you need to present numbers to people who are not accountants. Assessment is a mix of exams, assignments, group work and practical tasks rather than one final test, and your units are sequenced so the accounting foundation comes before the more applied subjects.

Pathways and credit

This is where a diploma earns its keep. If you finish with passing grades, most Australian institutions let you apply for credit towards a bachelor degree, usually around one year of the three-year degree, though the exact amount depends on the receiving university and the units you completed. Credit is counted in units of study and credit points, not years, so you will need to check the articulation arrangement with whichever bachelor programme you have in mind. The diploma also gives you a qualification in its own right if you decide not to continue studying.

Who it suits

Three groups tend to enrol. School leavers who did not get the ATAR they wanted for a bachelor degree use it as a stepping stone. Career changers who want to move into accounts payable, payroll or bookkeeping get a recognised credential in a year. And international students often choose it because the entry requirements are lower than a degree and the English threshold is the standard coursework level, IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall, or an accepted equivalent such as TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced or the college's own English programme. Note that the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English requirement for the Student visa itself, so meeting the college's requirement does not automatically satisfy the visa one.

While you study, your visa allows 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. After you graduate, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances, check the Department of Home Affairs for current rules. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 106408F. Confirm entry requirements, unit lists, trimester dates and fees on the official page before you apply.

• Accounts payable or receivable officer, processing invoices, reconciling supplier statements and chasing payments in businesses of every size.
• Payroll officer, running pay cycles, calculating superannuation and keeping records compliant with Australian tax rules.
• Assistant accountant, supporting a qualified accountant with month-end journals, bank reconciliations and reporting packs.
• Bookkeeper, maintaining ledgers for small businesses, often in an accounting practice or as a contractor.
• Accounts clerk or finance administrator, general finance support roles in professional services, retail, hospitality, construction and not-for-profits.
• Credit or collections officer, managing debtor ledgers and following up overdue accounts.

These roles are concentrated in accounting practices, corporate finance teams, government departments, recruitment and labour-hire firms, and small business. Many graduates use the diploma as credit towards a bachelor degree in accounting or business, which opens the path to management accounting, audit, tax and, with further study, CPA or CA qualification.