Diploma of Screen and Media

The Diploma of Screen and Media is a two-year qualification for people who want to work in film, television and screen production. It is offered by the Australian College of Christianity and is registered on CRICOS (course code 110259B), so it is available to international students as well as domestic students. The course sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, which means it is practical, hands-on and focused on job-ready skills rather than academic research. You will spend your time learning how screen content actually gets made, developing ideas, planning shoots, working on set, and editing material into something an audience will watch.

What you study

Diploma-level study in Australia is built around units of study, each carrying a set number of credit points. You enrol in a set of core units and choose from electives, and you need to pass enough units to reach the credit points required for the diploma. Teaching is usually delivered across semesters or trimesters, with each unit running for one study period. Assessment is mostly practical: you produce work, screen it, and get feedback from teachers and peers. Because this is a screen and media qualification, expect to spend time in studios, edit suites and on location rather than only in lecture rooms.

Typical areas covered in a diploma of this kind include camera operation, lighting, sound recording, editing, production planning, script and story development, and the safety and legal side of working on a production. Many screen courses also include a final project where you take a piece of content from idea through to finished edit, often working in a small crew the way a real production does. Work-integrated learning is common in this field. That might mean a placement with a production company, a community television station, a film festival, or a media team inside an organisation. Confirm the exact units, credit points and placement arrangements with the college, because they can change between intakes.

Skills you build

By the end you should be able to operate camera and audio gear, cut a scene together, read and work from a script, plan a shoot within a budget and schedule, and collaborate with a crew under time pressure. You also learn how to give and take feedback, which matters more in screen work than most people expect. The diploma is a practical qualification, so your showreel and the projects you finish will carry more weight with employers than your transcript alone.

Who it suits

This course suits school leavers who want a hands-on start in screen production, career changers moving into media, and people already working in related areas, photography, theatre, events, social media, who want formal training in film and television. It can also lead into further study, such as a bachelor degree in screen production or media, with credit for units you have already completed if the receiving institution approves it. International students should note that a Student visa allows you to work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, depending on the rules at the time you apply. English proficiency is required for entry; check the college's published requirements and the Department of Home Affairs threshold for the visa separately. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check the official page for current figures, intake dates and entry requirements.

• Camera assistant or operator on film, television and online productions
• Editor or assistant editor in post-production houses
• Production assistant or runner on set
• Sound recordist or boom operator
• Content producer for streaming, broadcast and social media teams
• Videographer for events, corporate video and advertising
• Lighting or grip crew in studios and on location
• Roles in community television, film festivals and media departments of churches and non-profits

Screen and media graduates in Australia work across the film and television industry, advertising and marketing agencies, streaming and broadcast platforms, production companies, and the in-house media teams of large organisations. Freelance and short-contract work is normal in this field, so many people build a portfolio of credits before settling into a specialty.