Diploma of Business

The Diploma of Business is a one-year qualification that gets you the basics of how organisations run, accounting, marketing, management, business communication and the legal and economic environment they operate in. You will work through units of study on financial processes, customer service, team effectiveness, workplace sustainability and business documentation. Assessment is practical: budgets, marketing plans, reports, group projects, presentations. It is the kind of course where you learn by doing the tasks people actually do in an office.

How the qualification is structured

Australian diplomas sit at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree. This one runs for one year, delivered across semesters or trimesters, with units of study each carrying credit points. Some colleges build in a work-integrated learning component, a placement or industry project, where the field uses it. You accumulate credit points as you pass units, and if you later move into a bachelor degree, many institutions grant credit for the units you have completed, shortening the degree. Confirm the exact credit arrangements with the receiving institution before you enrol.

What you gain

You finish with the ability to read a balance sheet, prepare a budget, research a market, write a business case and work in a team to a deadline. Those are the skills employers ask for in entry-level administrative, sales, marketing and operations roles. The diploma also gives you a pathway: with credit, you can articulate into a bachelor degree in business or commerce, usually entering in second year. The course suits school leavers who want a practical start, people already working who want a formal qualification, and international students looking for a lower-cost entry point into Australian higher education.

Studying in Australia as an international student

If you hold a Student visa, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. On completion, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available, depending on your visa subclass and the stream you qualify under, check the Department of Home Affairs requirements. English proficiency is required for admission: 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 college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Student visa itself has a separate English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 119905D. Confirm all details, including intake dates and credit transfer, on the official page.

• Administration officer, government departments, universities, hospitals, professional services firms
• Business support officer, banking, insurance, superannuation and financial services
• Sales and customer service representative, retail, telecommunications, utilities, real estate
• Marketing assistant, advertising agencies, media companies, in-house marketing teams
• Accounts payable/receivable clerk, accounting firms, small business, corporate finance departments
• Project support officer, construction, engineering, IT and consulting firms
• Small business operator, running your own venture in retail, trades or online services

These roles exist across every Australian industry, from mining and agriculture to health, education and tourism. The diploma also provides a pathway into bachelor degrees in business, commerce, accounting or management, where completed units may count towards your degree.