Diploma of Accounting

The Diploma of Accounting is a one-year qualification for people who want to work in bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll and BAS preparation, or who want a credential before starting a bachelor degree. It sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree, and is delivered by Australasian International Academy Pty Ltd under CRICOS course code 098044M. The course is registered for international students, so you can study it on a Student visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check that page for the current figure rather than relying on anything else.

What you actually study

You learn the day-to-day work of an accounting practice or finance team. Expect units covering financial transactions and ledgers, preparing financial reports and statements, budgeting, payroll, and the Australian tax system including GST and Business Activity Statements. You also cover compliance with Australian accounting standards and the legal framework that sits around tax and reporting. Assessment is usually a mix of practical tasks, case studies and short written work rather than long exams, because the point is to show you can do the job.

The diploma is delivered over one year. Australian qualifications of this type are structured around units of study, each carrying credit points, and you normally enrol in a set number of units each semester or trimester. Some providers run three trimesters a year so you can finish faster; others stick to two semesters. Each unit is assessed on its own, and you need to pass all required units to graduate. There is no research thesis at diploma level. Instead, the final part of the course often pulls the units together through a simulated accounting task or a workplace-based project, so you finish with something you can show an employer.

Skills you come out with

By the end you can process a full set of accounts, reconcile bank statements, prepare BAS and payroll, and read a profit and loss statement and balance sheet well enough to explain what changed and why. You learn to use accounting software, spreadsheets and the record-keeping systems that Australian businesses actually run. You also pick up the habits that matter in an office: meeting deadlines, keeping records that survive an audit, and explaining financial information to people who are not accountants.

Who it suits

This course suits three groups. First, people already working in admin or bookkeeping who want formal recognition and a pay bump. Second, school leavers who are not ready for a three-year degree and want a shorter, practical qualification first. Third, international students who want an Australian qualification in a field with steady demand, and who may later use credit from the diploma towards a bachelor degree. If you are aiming for chartered accounting or a CPA/CA pathway, the diploma is a starting point, not the end, you will need to continue to degree level and then meet the professional body's own requirements.

English requirements for international applicants are set by the provider and by the Department of Home Affairs for the visa. IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the provider's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The visa has a separate English threshold. Confirm the exact requirement, intake dates, unit list and fees on the official course page before you apply.

• Accounts clerk or assistant accountant, maintaining ledgers, processing invoices and preparing reports in small and medium businesses, accounting firms and shared service centres.
• Bookkeeper, managing day-to-day records for small businesses, either in-house or through a bookkeeping practice.
• Accounts payable / accounts receivable officer, handling supplier payments and customer invoicing in construction, retail, health, manufacturing and government.
• Payroll officer, processing wages, superannuation and leave entitlements, often inside a larger finance team.
• BAS agent support or tax assistant, preparing Business Activity Statements and supporting registered tax agents in accounting and tax practices.
• Assistant in a chartered or CPA firm, doing the compliance and preparation work that sits behind an accountant's sign-off.

These roles exist across every Australian industry, with the strongest concentrations in professional services, construction, healthcare, retail and all levels of government. Many graduates work while they study and move into a full-time role on finishing. If you continue to a bachelor degree, credit from the diploma can shorten the degree, and that pathway opens up accountant roles and the CA or CPA programs. International graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work after your course ends, check the current rules on the Department of Home Affairs website. While you hold a Student visa, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods.