Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management at Kingston International College is a two-year qualification for people who want to run the show, a restaurant, a hotel department, an events floor, rather than just work a section. You study how a hospitality business actually makes money and keeps customers coming back: rostering and labour cost, stock control, purchasing, food and beverage service, marketing, legal compliance, and the day-to-day supervision of a team. Assessment is practical as well as written, so you will spend time in service and kitchen environments applying what you learn rather than only reading about it.

How the qualification is structured

Australian diplomas are made up of units of competency, each carrying credit points, delivered across semesters or trimesters. The Diploma of Hospitality Management sits at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, one step below a bachelor degree, and a common pathway into one with credit for prior study. Expect a mix of core units covering management, finance and compliance, plus electives that let you lean towards food and beverage, accommodation, or events. Confirm the exact unit list, semester dates and credit arrangements on the official course page, because packaging rules and elective options can change.

Skills you finish with

By the end you should be able to write a roster that meets a wage budget, read a profit and loss statement for a venue, handle a customer complaint without escalating it, brief and supervise staff, and keep a business on the right side of liquor, food safety and workplace health and safety rules. Those are the things employers test in an interview, and they are the things the course is built around.

Who it suits

This suits school leavers who want a practical start in the industry, career changers moving into hospitality, and people already working in venues who need formal recognition to step into supervisory or duty manager roles. International students should note that while studying in Australia on a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight, which is enough to hold down real shifts in a venue while you study. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream is the usual route for staying on and gaining Australian work experience, subject to the Department of Home Affairs criteria. English proficiency must be evidenced; IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 111264H. Check all details on the official page before you apply.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor, hotels, pubs, clubs, resorts and licensed venues across Australia.
• Food and beverage supervisor, restaurants, function centres, catering companies and hotel outlets.
• Front office supervisor, accommodation providers, from motels to international hotel chains.
• Events or functions coordinator, conference venues, wineries, stadiums and event management companies.
• Banquet or restaurant manager, in-house dining operations and large-scale catering.
• Small business owner or operator, cafés, takeaway outlets and catering businesses.
• Pathway into further study, credit towards a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business management.

Australia's hospitality sector hires year-round across capital cities and regional tourism areas, and supervisory experience gained here is recognised by employers in hotels, aged care catering, airlines and contract catering.