Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management at Kingston Academy of Australia is a practical, one-and-a-half-year qualification for people who want to run teams, projects and business units. You study how organisations plan, how budgets work, how to lead people through change, and how to keep operations compliant. Expect units on managing finances, developing critical thinking, leading diversity, and building business relationships. Assessment is mostly assignments, case studies and work-based projects rather than long exams.

Australian advanced diplomas sit at Level 6 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, between a diploma and a bachelor degree. This course runs over 1.5 years, usually across three or four study periods, with each unit carrying a set number of credit points. You need to pass every core unit and the required electives to graduate. Some providers build in a capstone unit where you solve a problem for a real organisation, and many include a work placement or industry project so you leave with recent experience on your resume.

You will pick up skills employers actually ask for: reading a profit and loss statement, writing an operational plan, running a meeting, giving feedback, handling a difficult customer, and using business software to track performance. The course suits people already working in a supervisory role who want formal recognition, career changers moving into management, and international students who want an Australian qualification before deciding whether to continue to a bachelor or master's degree. It also suits small business owners who need to tighten up how they plan and report.

English requirements for international applicants are IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, or an accepted equivalent such as TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or Cambridge C1 Advanced. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a student visa usually allows work of up to 48 hours per fortnight. After graduating, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 106135D. Check the official page for current unit lists, intake dates and fees before you apply.

• Team leader or supervisor, retail, hospitality, logistics and manufacturing
• Office manager, professional services, health clinics, education providers
• Operations coordinator, transport, warehousing, facilities management
• Project administrator, construction, IT, government agencies
• Business development officer, banking, insurance, real estate
• Small business owner or manager, trades, retail, online businesses