Diploma of Marketing and Communication

The Diploma of Marketing and Communication is a one-year qualification that gives you the practical skills to work in marketing and communications across Australian organisations. It's a hands-on course where you learn by doing: writing copy for real audiences, planning campaigns with a budget, building social media content calendars, reading analytics dashboards, and pitching ideas to a group. You'll cover the fundamentals, consumer behaviour, market research, brand and content strategy, digital channels, public relations and campaign evaluation, and apply them to briefs that mirror what agencies and in-house teams actually hand out.

How the course is structured

As a diploma, this sits at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework. That means it's shorter and more vocationally focused than a bachelor degree, which is normally three years. You'll study full-time over about 12 months, usually across two or three study periods (semesters or trimesters, depending on timetabling). The course is made up of units of study, each with a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required units to graduate. Assessment is typically a mix of assignments, group projects, presentations and practical tasks rather than a single final exam. Confirm the exact unit list and credit-point structure with Wall Street College before you enrol.

Skills you build

By the end you should be able to write clear marketing copy, plan and schedule a campaign across digital and traditional channels, brief a designer or videographer, interpret basic analytics, manage a small budget, and present your work to a client or manager. You'll also practise the softer side of marketing: working in a team, meeting deadlines, taking feedback, and explaining your reasoning. Group work is a big part of most diplomas, so expect to collaborate on projects that simulate agency life.

Who it suits

This diploma suits school leavers who want a practical, job-ready qualification without committing to a three-year degree, career changers moving into marketing or communications from another field, and people already working in admin, sales or customer service who want formal recognition of marketing skills. It's also a pathway: many graduates use a diploma to gain credit towards a bachelor degree at an Australian university, though you'll need to check the credit arrangements with the receiving institution. International students should note that the Student visa allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight while your course is in session, and on completion you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream if you meet the requirements. English proficiency is required, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the usual standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs also sets a separate English threshold for the visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 105952A; check the official page for current fees, intake dates and entry requirements.

• Marketing assistant or coordinator, supporting campaign delivery, scheduling content and tracking results in agencies, retail, property, education or not-for-profits.
• Digital marketing assistant, running social media accounts, email newsletters and basic paid ads for small businesses or in-house teams.
• Communications officer, drafting media releases, internal updates and stakeholder messages for government, health or community organisations.
• Content creator or copywriter, writing blog posts, product descriptions, social captions and EDMs for brands and publishers.
• Events and promotions assistant, helping plan launches, expos and community events, often in tourism, hospitality or local government.
• Sales and customer engagement roles, using marketing knowledge to support business development in banking, insurance, tech and professional services.

Australian industries that hire diploma-level marketing and communications graduates include advertising and media agencies, retail and e-commerce, tourism and hospitality, property, education providers, healthcare, government departments and not-for-profit organisations. Many graduates start in assistant or coordinator roles and move into specialist positions, social media, content, brand, PR or campaign management, after a few years. The diploma also gives you a pathway into further study, such as a bachelor degree with credit, if you want to specialise or move into management.