Diploma of Accounting

The Diploma of Accounting is a one-year qualification for people who want practical accounting skills and a recognised credential without committing to a full bachelor degree. You study the basics that accounting technicians use every day: how to record transactions, prepare and lodge business activity statements, process payroll, reconcile accounts, and produce financial reports and statements. Units also cover the legal and ethical side of the work, budgeting and forecasting, and the computerised accounting systems that most Australian employers run on. Assessment is a mix of assignments, practical tasks and exams, and you build a portfolio of work you can show an employer.

Australian qualifications are built from units of study, each worth credit points, delivered across semesters or trimesters. This diploma has a standard duration of one year full time, and you can usually spread it over more time if you need to work. There is no research thesis at diploma level. Where the course includes work-integrated learning or a placement, it is arranged with an accounting firm, bookkeeping practice or business services team so you get supervised time on real client work. Credit for prior study or relevant work experience may be granted, and if you continue on to a bachelor degree, the units you pass here can often count towards it. Confirm the exact unit list, credit arrangements and any placement requirement with the institute before you enrol.

You finish with the skills Australian employers actually ask for: double-entry bookkeeping, BAS preparation, payroll processing, financial report preparation, spreadsheet and accounting software use, and the ability to explain financial information to people who are not accountants. You also pick up the workplace habits that matter in an office, meeting deadlines, keeping records straight, and working within professional and ethical standards. These are the skills that let you step into an accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll or assistant accountant role and be useful from the first week.

This course suits school leavers who want a fast route into accounting work, career changers moving into finance or bookkeeping, and people already doing accounts admin who want formal recognition of what they do. It also works as a stepping stone: pass the diploma, then apply for credit towards a bachelor degree in accounting or business. International students can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, check the current rules with the Department of Home Affairs. English proficiency must be evidenced; 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 institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 113810D. Check the official course page for the current fees, intake dates and entry requirements.

• Accounts payable officer, processing supplier invoices and payments in businesses of all sizes.
• Accounts receivable officer, managing customer invoices, receipts and follow-up on overdue accounts.
• Payroll officer, running pay cycles, superannuation and leave entitlements.
• Assistant accountant, supporting month-end reporting, reconciliations and journal entries.
• Bookkeeper, keeping day-to-day records for small businesses and accounting practices.
• BAS agent (with experience), preparing and lodging business activity statements for clients.
• Financial administration officer, budgeting support and reporting in government, health, education and not-for-profits.

Hiring industries include accounting and bookkeeping firms, professional services, construction, retail and hospitality groups, healthcare providers, government departments, and the finance teams inside larger organisations. Many graduates use the diploma as credit towards a bachelor degree in accounting or business.