Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting

The Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting at Le Cordon Bleu Australia is a one-year qualification for people who want accounting skills without committing to a full master's degree. You study the core of accounting: financial accounting, management accounting, business law, corporate finance, taxation and audit. The work is practical. You prepare financial statements, work through tax problems, analyse cost behaviour and learn the standards that Australian organisations report against.

How the qualification is structured

Australian graduate diplomas sit at AQF Level 8, between a bachelor degree and a master's. This one runs for one year full time, usually across two semesters or trimesters, and is made up of units of study, each carrying credit points. You need to pass the required credit points to graduate. Some students use the graduate diploma as a stepping stone into a master's, with credit for the units already completed, while others finish and go straight into work.

What you actually learn

Expect to build technical skill in double-entry accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and business analysis. You also pick up the professional habits employers look for: working to deadlines, explaining numbers to people who are not accountants, and using accounting software. Group assignments and presentations are common, so you practise the communication side of the job, not just the calculations.

Who it suits

This course suits two groups. The first is people with a degree in something else, business, hospitality, arts, science, who want to move into accounting. The second is people already working in finance or administration who want a formal accounting qualification. Le Cordon Bleu is best known for hospitality and culinary education, so students with a background in those industries often find the business side of the course familiar territory. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Check the official CRICOS listing and the university's page for current fees, intake dates and English requirements before you apply.

• Assistant accountant or graduate accountant in public practice firms
• Accounts officer or financial administrator in hospitality, tourism and food businesses
• Management accountant or cost analyst in manufacturing, retail and service organisations
• Payroll or taxation officer in small and medium enterprises
• Financial analyst or budget officer in government and not-for-profit organisations
• Audit assistant in accounting firms

Accounting is on Australia's skilled occupation lists, and graduates often work towards membership of a professional accounting body while they gain experience. Roles appear across every industry, from the big four firms to hotel groups, food producers and local councils.