Diploma of Project Management

The Diploma of Project Management is a one-year qualification at Salford College that teaches you how to plan, run and close projects. You'll work through the core parts of the job: scoping what a project has to deliver, building schedules and budgets, managing risk, leading a project team, and reporting progress to stakeholders. Assessment is practical. You'll write project plans, work through case studies, and present to a group, so you finish with documents you can show an employer rather than just exam results.

This is a diploma on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which puts it below a bachelor degree and above a certificate IV. It is delivered over one year, typically across two semesters, and is made up of units of study that each carry credit points. If you later go on to a bachelor degree, some institutions may give you credit for units you have completed, but you need to confirm that with the receiving institution. There is no research thesis at this level. Work-integrated learning is common in project management diplomas, so expect a placement or a simulated workplace project where you apply the tools to a real brief.

You'll come out with skills in project scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and procurement. You'll learn to use common project documentation and scheduling tools, run a meeting, and handle a project that is going off track. The course suits people already working in an office, construction, IT or events role who want to move into coordinating projects, and it also suits school leavers who want a practical, job-focused qualification without committing to three years of university.

Australia has strong demand for project support staff across construction, government, health and technology. If you are 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 be available depending on your circumstances, so check the Department of Home Affairs website for current rules. English requirements are set by the college and by the Department of Home Affairs for the visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 104043B, and you should confirm fees, intake dates and English equivalents on the official page before you apply.

• Project coordinator, supporting project managers in construction, IT, government or events.
• Project administrator, maintaining schedules, budgets and documentation for a project team.
• Team leader, running a small workstream or a defined part of a larger project.
• Contracts or procurement officer, managing supplier agreements and project purchasing.
• Program support officer, helping a program office track multiple projects.
• Business improvement officer, applying project methods to internal change work.

Hiring industries in Australia include construction and infrastructure, information technology, government and defence, health services, education, and events and hospitality. Many graduates start in support roles and move into project management as they build experience.