Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management at Novel Institute of Hospitality and Management is a two-year qualification built for people who want to run the show, a restaurant, a hotel department, an events team, a licensed venue. It's a hands-on diploma, so expect to spend time in a training kitchen, a simulated restaurant or a front desk, not just in a lecture room. You'll cover food and beverage service, housekeeping and front office operations, rostering and budgeting, food safety, responsible service of alcohol, and the people side of the job: leading a team, handling complaints, managing rosters when someone calls in sick an hour before service.

Australian diplomas sit at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, one step below a bachelor degree. They're made up of units of competency, each with a set credit value, and you'll typically study them across semesters or trimesters. The two-year structure gives you room to build up from basic service skills to the management units in your second year. Many diplomas include a work placement or industry-based training component, and hospitality is a field where that matters, you learn to work a busy Friday night by working a busy Friday night. Assessment is practical as much as written: you'll be observed on service, produce operational documents, and answer questions about the rules that govern venues in Australia.

You'll finish with the skills employers actually ask for: serving and managing food and beverage operations, supervising staff, controlling stock and costs, complying with liquor and food safety laws, and using the booking and point-of-sale systems that venues run on. The diploma also gives you a pathway, many graduates use it to enter a bachelor degree with credit for the units they've completed, cutting time off the degree.

This course suits school leavers who want a practical start, career changers who've worked in hospitality and want the management ticket, and international students looking for a qualification tied to a strong Australian industry. If you're an international applicant, you'll need to meet the English requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. While studying, a student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, and hospitality is one of the easiest industries to find that work in. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check there and confirm all details on the official page before applying.

• Restaurant or venue supervisor, running shifts, managing staff and handling customer issues in cafes, pubs, clubs and restaurants.
• Front office supervisor, leading reception teams in hotels, resorts and serviced apartments.
• Food and beverage manager, overseeing service, stock and budgets across a venue or hotel department.
• Events or functions coordinator, planning and delivering conferences, weddings and corporate events.
• Housekeeping supervisor, managing room standards and cleaning teams in accommodation properties.
• Duty manager, holding responsibility for the venue during a shift, including compliance with liquor and safety laws.

These roles are found across Australia's accommodation, food and beverage, events, tourism and gaming sectors, from city hotels and hospitality groups to regional pubs, wineries and catering companies.