Graduate Diploma of Business Administration

The Graduate Diploma of Business Administration at the National Academy of Professional Studies is a one-year course for people who want to build management skills without committing to a full MBA. It covers the core areas of business administration: accounting and finance for managers, marketing, organisational behaviour, operations, and strategy. You study how organisations actually run, how budgets get set, how teams are led, how decisions get made when the information is incomplete.

Australian graduate diplomas sit at AQF level 8, between a bachelor degree and a master's. They are usually made up of eight units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, delivered over two semesters or three trimesters. Some courses include a capstone unit where you work through a business problem end to end; others use a professional placement or industry project. The Graduate Diploma of Business Administration is a postgraduate coursework qualification, so assessment is mostly assignments, case studies and exams rather than a research thesis. If you later want the full master's, graduate diplomas often carry credit into an MBA, meaning you may not have to repeat the units you have already passed. Confirm the exact credit arrangements with the academy before you enrol.

You come out with skills employers ask for: reading a balance sheet, building a budget, writing a business case, managing a project, and leading a team through change. Class work is practical. You will analyse real organisations, present recommendations, and work in groups the way you will in a workplace. The course suits people with an undergraduate degree who are moving into management, career changers who need formal business training, and professionals already in supervisory roles who want a qualification behind their experience.

As an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may let you stay and work in Australia, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 117339A. English entry is typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for coursework postgraduate study, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the academy's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Check the official page for current entry requirements, unit lists and fees.

• Business manager, running a team or business unit in retail, hospitality, professional services or manufacturing.
• Operations coordinator or manager, logistics, supply chains, scheduling and process improvement.
• Project officer or project manager, delivering projects in construction, IT, government or consulting.
• Management consultant (junior), advisory firms working with small and mid-sized Australian businesses.
• Marketing or business development coordinator, campaign planning, client relationships and market analysis.
• Human resources officer or people and culture coordinator, recruitment, onboarding and workplace relations.
• Finance or administration officer, budgeting, reporting and financial analysis in the public or private sector.
• Small business owner or manager, running your own operation with a firmer grip on the numbers.

Graduates work across Australian industries including professional services, government, healthcare administration, education, retail, logistics and not-for-profit organisations. The qualification also carries credit towards further postgraduate study such as an MBA, if you decide to keep going.